Arthur woman remains hospitalized after collision that killed guide dog

ARTHUR – A 77-year-old blind woman who was struck by a transport truck at a downtown Arthur intersection two weeks ago remains in hospital recovering after intensive surgery.

Judy Chapman and her guide dog, a black lab named Jemma, were hit while attempting to cross Highway 6/George Street in downtown Arthur at around noon on April 9.

Chapman was airlifted to Hamilton General Hospital, while Jemma was declared dead at the scene.

Chapman has an “upbeat attitude” her niece Carol McIntosh told the Advertiser by phone last week, describing her as “one tough cookie.”

“Obviously she’s mourning the loss of a good friend, her guide dog, so you can imagine what that would be like,” McIntosh said.

“It’s starting to sink in more, she has more time to think about it, and think about poor Jemma.”

According to McIntosh, doctors operated on Chapman’s left ankle the day after the collision, on April 10, but said her right leg was so badly damaged it needed stabilization before a second operation on April 13.

“She’s trying to get through that and accept what happened to her faithful companion,” said McIntosh, who has been visiting Chapman in hospital almost daily with friends and family.

McIntosh said she reads Chapman well-wishes posted online when visiting.
“We have such a great community, you don’t realize it sometimes until something like this happens and then the outpouring of support is just tremendous,” McIntosh said.

Some have suggested an online fundraising campaign for Chapman, but McIntosh said her aunt “made it very clear to me she did not want that” and instead asked for donations to go to the Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides in memory of Jemma.

The foundation provides trained canines free of charge to help visually impaired people, among others, navigate the world and live independently. Each guide dog costs the organization about $35,000 to raise and train.

More medical procedures are planned in the coming weeks, with the goal of getting Chapman relocated to a hospital closer to home.

McIntosh, who lives in Arthur, said she got a call at work the Thursday her aunt was struck at the busy intersection – one Chapman has successfully navigated many times over the decades.

“They were waiting, she pushed the button, they finally got the go-ahead signal … and that’s when they were hit,” McIntosh said, recalling what Chapman later told her in the hospital.

At the scene, the truck appeared to McIntosh to be making a right turn onto Frederick Street from George Street. She said her aunt had intended to cross from the Sussman’s corner toward the cenotaph.

“People in town knew who it was that got hit,” McIntosh said.

“A lot of people know about her, they may not even know her name, but they know her as ‘the wee lady with the guide dog.’”

Chapman has lived in the Wellington North community since the family relocated from a Nobleton farm in 1974. McIntosh was nine at the time.

“I remember Judy from the early days babysitting me when I was younger,” she recalled.

Chapman has lived on her own in an apartment in the village since her parents died.

Chapman would often frequent Sterre Cafe and Gifts or Erni’s Place Restaurant before heading to the Wellington County library branch to collect audio books, then to the Arthur post office for mail, or the Arthur Foodland, where staff would lend a hand with groceries.

“She walked on a daily basis,” McIntosh said, sometimes two to three times a day. “She’s one of the most active people that age I know.”

After the call came in, McIntosh said she rushed to the scene, but her aunt was already in the air headed to Hamilton.

“Unfortunately, my husband and I had to take Jemma away from the scene,” she recalled.

McIntosh reached out to Nicole Stone, who owns Arthur Veterinary Clinic, where Jemma had been seen weeks earlier for a physical checkup and vaccines.

“They know her very well and they were so supportive,” McIntosh said, adding Stone reached out days later offering to cover after-care costs.

Canada Dog Guides, which has matched Chapman with canine helpers since 2001, has visited her in hospital and will match her with a new companion.

Jemma was Chapman’s fourth guide dog, with the previous three aging out into retirement.

“Jemma played an essential role in Judy’s daily life,” canine vision instructor Alissa Silvester stated in an email.

“Judy was always dedicated to her training, bringing a quiet sense of humour and determination to the process; over the years, her dog guides have been her closest companions, and she has always taken exceptional care of them.”

Silvester added, “Jemma and Judy shared a strong, gentle spirit that made their partnership especially special.”

Canada Dog Guides marketing director Maria Galindo said it’s likely Chapman will be matched with a Labrador retriever or a Lab cross.

Wellington OPP spokesperson Matthew Burton did not have an update on the ongoing investigation as of April 17, including whether police are exploring any charges.

Burton stated in an email that collisions resulting in serious injury can be complex and lengthy.

All factors “need to be explored and properly investigated to ensure the accuracy of the events that occurred before, during and after the reported collision,” Burton wrote.

Police want anyone who witnessed the collision, or has information or dashcam footage to assist in the investigation, to call 1-888-310-1122 and cite occurrence E260470457.