A Boston terrier returning from a walk with his owner was sucked into a fast-moving street sweeper and killed in an accident in the Bronx.

"It happened so fast," said, Robert Machin, who was holding his dog Ginger's leash when she disappeared.

Machin, according to a story in todays Daily News, had been walking his dogs in the Soundview neighborhood Thursday morning. He had the door to his car open and was about to get inside with Ginger and his other terrier, Buster, when the sweeper struck the dog.

Witnesses said the Department of Sanitation vehicle was speeding, according to the newspaper.

Machin said he chased the sweeper for about 2 1/2 blocks, shouting for the operator to stop.

The Department of Sanitation called the death "a rare and unfortunate accident ... Sanitation offers condolences to the family . . . It is important for all New Yorkers to remember to maintain the safety of their animals while walking city streets."

On the heels of several cases of dogs being electrocuted by light poles in New York, Ginger's tragic death is another reminder of the special set of hazards urban dogs face -- and urban dog owners need to be wary of.