David Scott Benson was riding his motorcycle along Westport Road Wednesday night when the Louisville Metro Police Department Traffic Unit investigators believe a vehicle attempting to make a left turn on North Umberland drive struck him.
Police said it happened just after 7 p.m., and Benson died on the scene. However, the impact of what had occurred was not fully grasped until the following day.
“I had called David the next morning,” said Becky Roberts, Humane Society of Oldham County board member.
Since 2015, Roberts has been working side-by-side with Benson, watching him work with and connect with hundreds of dogs.
“He saw all these dogs in need,” Roberts said. “He knew there was a better way we could interact with these animals to get them into homes.”
“David did have struggles,” Roberts said. “He got his life turned around, like so many of us did. He called it the power of the dog. His dog was a tool that helped him on his journey, and gave him the power to help others on theirs.”
Benson spent no time trying out his theory.
“He helped his brother-in-law who had been wounded by an IED,” said Tom Strohmeier, Dogs Helping Heroes board member. “His brother had a traumatic brain injury and PTSD, so David as a dog trainer, helped him by training a service dog to help him. After he did that he said ‘well I think I can do this for a lot more people.’”
Strohmeier said David then went on to create Dogs Helping Heroes, a nonprofit organization that gifts specially trained and certified assistance dogs to wounded veterans, first responders and gold star families.
“He would give you the shirt off of his back,” Strohmeier said. “The next day he would bring you the rest of his shirts. That’s how caring he was.”
The LMPD Traffic Unit is investigating. No charges are expected. There were no injuries to the passenger vehicle operator.