Dog drives Dodge into swimming pool

NORTH CAROLINA -- Ruth and Michael Smith rarely leave home without their black lab, Caroline.

Something scared the dog on a grocery run, and Caroline jumped on Ruth's foot as she was driving their 1988 Dodge.

The 90-pound dog didn't move, until Ruth plowed through a wooden fence and splashed into a swimming pool.

The pool owner, John McNamara, was in the kitchen with his wife when he heard commotion in his yard.

McNamara's first concern was to make sure no one was hurt. "That and I just had open heart surgery in January," McNamara said. "'I said, I'm gonna have another heart attack here.'"

Michael has a few cuts on his hand, but other than that, there were no major injuries.

"I hate that that happened to his pool, but I think that might have saved our lives," Michael said.

Michael doesn't blame Caroline for the accident.