Police Says Georgia Doctor Found In Ditch, Likely Mauled By Pack Of Dogs

In early morning hours Thursday, a body identified later as Dr. Nancy Shaw, was found dead in a ditch beside the road in Lyons, around 80 miles west of Savannah. Lyons Police Department said that the 62-year-old doctor was a longtime internist at the Meadows Regional Medical Center. The hospital is in Vidalia, Georgia, the next town after Lyons, according to a report by the WTOC. An autopsy report showed that the doctor died from an animal attack, police officials revealed.

Engine Still Running

A policeman on roving patrol narrated that he saw a car parked on the wrong side of the road on Skyline Blvd about 3 a.m. Its door was wide open and with the engine still running. He then got out of the police car to see what was wrong, and it was then he saw the body of a female in the ditch. Upon checking the body, he found she was already dead, relayed Wesley Walker, the Lyons Police Chief, to WTOC in an interview.

An initial investigation revealed that the female was Dr. Nancy Shaw. The body was immediately recognized by some members of the police department as Dr. Shaw would usually stop by the police station to see the officers she treated. Police authorities are still in the dark as to why the doctor pulled over. The incident is still under investigation.

A Caring Doctor

As per the town police chief, Dr. Shaw was a caring person and that she was a friend to everyone at the police station. “When I realized who it was, it was devastating,” Walker said. During a follow-up interview, police officials say they have identified and seized, the dogs that were allegedly involved in the incident Saturday. This was the day after the body of the doctor was found. The police also revealed they did not file any charges against the owner of the dogs.

In a press release by the Lyons Police Department on Tuesday, police officials stated that they actively looked for the dogs responsible for the crime with help from other government agencies. Among the government agencies that helped them were the Lyons Public Works Department, Georgia Bureau of Investigation, and the Lyons Animal Control Division.

Keeping Pets Under Control

In a separate statement, the Lyons Animal Control Division encourages residents to strictly abide by the city’s leash law and to keep their pets under control as required by law. Dr. Shaw is a graduate of the Brown University School of Medicine in Providence, R.I. She accomplished her internal medicine residency at Saint Raphael Hospital in New Haven, Connecticut, before moving to Georgia. Dr. Shaw was a member of the American Medical Association.