A 30-year-old man died in Kansas on Saturday 21st January 2023 after a rifle was discharged when a dog stepped on it in the back of a truck. The incident occurred on a country road about 45 miles south of Wichita.
According to Wellington Fire and EMS Chief Tim Hay, the dog stepped on the rifle, causing it to fire and hit the back of the victim, who was later identified as Joseph Austin Smith of Wichita.
He was found in the front passenger seat and emergency medical personnel administered CPR before he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Another person in the driver’s seat was unharmed.
The incident is being investigated as an accident and no charges have been filed.
The Sumner County Sheriff’s Office has reported that the incident appears to have been a hunting-related accident, as hunting gear was found in the back of the vehicle, and no charges have been filed at this time.
