Car found covered in blood with no driver, Florida cops say. A dog solved the mystery

The discovery of a bloody car along Florida’s Interstate 10 left deputies baffled when none could seem to find a driver in the area.

It happened the night of Sunday, Sept. 25, in Baker County, just west of Jacksonville, according to the Baker County Sheriff’s Office.

“Upon arrival, first responders were unable to locate any occupants. Blood on the interior of the vehicle indicated the driver was injured and possibly ejected into the thick brush of the wooded area,” the Baker County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.

“After the initial search by first responders and thermal devices proved unsuccessful in locating the driver, Detective Buck Dyal and his K-9 partner, Beta, were summoned.”

It took the dog just 30 seconds to find a scent trail leading into the woods, the department said.

“After less than two minutes of searching, the driver was located in the thick brush approximately 40 yards from the vehicle,” the sheriff’s office said.

The driver survived the crash and was taken to a hospital for treatment, officials said. His identity and condition were not released.

It marked the second time this year Beta’s powerful nose was lauded by the sheriff’s office on social media.

In June, she and Dyal were credited with discovering a buffet of marijuana, methamphetamine and ecstasy pills during a traffic stop, resulting in two people facing felony charges, the sheriff’s office said.

The department didn’t say whether Beta got extra treats for working Sunday after her bedtime.

“This successful search effort by Beta and Detective Dyal are a testament to the value K-9s and their handlers bring to our agency,” the sheriff’s office said.

Dogs have the ability to “smell up to 100,000 times better than humans,” according to Petmd.com.

“Dogs can smell separately with each nostril,” Petmd.com says. “Just as our eyes compile two slightly different views of the world, and our brain combines them to form a 3-D picture, a dog’s brain uses the different odor profiles from each nostril to determine exactly where smelly objects are located.”

This story was originally published September 30, 2022 at 12:17 PM with the headline "Car found covered in blood with no driver, Florida cops say. A dog solved the mystery."