Weekly Tails From Southeastern Guide Dogs

Southeastern Guide Dogs: Graduate Profile – Dennis Babini & Chief Cordell

Last week saw another group of students graduate from Southeastern with their new guide dogs. Here is just one of their stories.

At the intersection of US 19 and Sunset Point Road, Dennis Babini’s life changed forever.  Dennis, a police officer for the Clearwater Police Department, was rear-ended in his patrol car by a drunk driver. The accident split both maculas, taking his sight. “My whole life ended, I used to ride a Harley, skydive, ride horses, hunt, and had gotten into underwater photography. That was all gone” remembered Dennis. Two years after the accident, Dennis went to mobility school to learn independent living as a blind person and also applied for his first guide dog from Southeastern. Recently Dennis returned to Southeastern Guide Dogs for his fifth dog, a handsome black Lab named Chief Cordell. Chief Cordell was named in honor of Chief Master …

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Motorcyclist Killed in Crash With Dump Truck

The motorcycle driver drifted into the path of the dump truck heading toward him.

A 49-year-old motorcyclist was killed in a head-on crash with a dump truck this morning.  William B. Bierbaum of Palmetto was driving his 2007 Harley-Davidson south on CR 675 in the southbound lane, just north of Rye Road, when he drifted into the northbound lane, in front of Spencer N. Taylor, driving a 2004 dump truck, according to a Florida Highway Patrol report. According to the FHP report: Taylor, of Parrish, was headed north just after 9:30 a.m. when Bierbaum entered into his truck's path, and the Harley hit the front of his dump truck. The truck continued forward pushing the Harley and Bierbaum north. Because of the impact from the crash, Taylor was unable to steer the truck and it drifted to the left and traveled in the southbound …

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