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Blind man's guide dog killed in hit-and-run in Orlando, FHP says

ORLANDO, Fla. — State troopers are investigating a hit-and-run crash in Orlando that killed a blind man’s guide dog.

Witnesses said the dog, a golden retriever named Pearl, ran out into the road Thursday night without her owner and got hit.

"I'm walking down the street, and we were going the wrong way, she was on the outside. It should have been me," said the dog's owner, Ray Mahlberg.

It happened just after 5 p.m. at the entrance to the Colonial Village Mobile Home Park at Harrell Road and Exshire Street.

Mahlberg, who is legally blind, was walking with Pearl, who has been his guide dog for four years when she somehow got loose.

Troopers said the dog was hit on the south lanes of Harrel Road.

Mahlberg’s neighbor, Carmen Padilla, checked her home security system and found video that she says shows the moment Pearl was hit by a silver car and pushed down the street. The driver didn’t stop, she said.

"It's shocking. It's very shocking. Plus, the people who did that, they didn’t stop to at least to help the dog,” Padilla said.

Somebody carried Pearl back to Mahlberg’s house, where she was covered in a pink blanket in the carport.

"Ray lives alone, and that’s his dog, his guide dog. He takes her everywhere. Ray is distraught right now,” said resident Bonnie Vis.

Padilla gave the video to troopers, who are still investigating. Troopers do not have a description of the driver, just that theyare looking for a silver passenger car.

"If there was something in the street ,or a raised sidewalk, she would stop me and guide me around it. If there was a low branch, she would stop and guide me around that," Mahlberg said.

No other details were released.

WATCH: Surveillance video of hit-and-run of guide dog

Steve Barrett

Steve Barrett, WFTV.com

Reporter Steve Barrett returned to WFTV in mid-2017 after 18 months in the Twin Cities, where he worked as Vice President of Communications for an Artificial Intelligence software firm aligned with IBM.