I Hit A Deer

After almost 20 years living in Iowa, and after many near-miss incidents while driving, it finally happened. I hit a deer.

It was a dark and hazy (thanks to Canadian wildfires) night, and we were driving home when the accident occurred. The deer jumped in front of our car and stopped in the middle of the road. It was only a few feet away when I saw it and I did not have time to slam on the break. Not even time to exclaim oh deer! Though according to the experts they do not recommend braking hard nor swerving from your lane as this is more dangerous. Of course if you have the distance and time to step on the brake, do so but in a controlled manner.

But we are fine. I don’t know if I can say the same for the deer. My car is not fine too.

Accidents caused by the deer are very common here in the US. About 1.5 million deer-car accidents happen every year. More than $1 billion in annual insured losses are to damages caused by deer-car accidents. Deer-car accidents cause about 175 to 200 fatalities and 10,000 injuries annually.

Studies have shown that, nationally, most deer vehicle collisions occur between May and November because of deer mating season and foraging before the winter months. While deer can be active any time of the day, the majority of deer-related car accidents occur starting at dusk and during the evening.

West Virginia has the highest reported cases of deer-car accident, where 1 in 37 individuals will encounter a collision with a deer in the state. Iowa is in the top five riskiest states in the US, with a risk of 1 in 58 individuals. For our family, it’s already higher than that for it is 2 out of 4, as my son had hit a deer too last year. The other states in the top five are Missouri, Pennsylvania, and South Dakota.

I have a friend here in Iowa that hit a deer not too long ago and totaled his car. After he got a new car he hit a deer and wrecked his car again. This was in a span of a few weeks, and it happened at the same exact spot! We don’t believe it was the same deer though. I think a herd of deer is waiting to jump on him whenever he pass by.

Our accident happened while we were in a narrow, winding, lonely county road after getting off the interstate and was less than 2 miles from our home. After I hit the deer I slowed down but kept on driving. The airbag did not deploy so we were able to continue on our way. I believe the deer was able to run away still as I didn’t see it lying on the road or at the roadside. I really hope that its injury were not life threatening, for it breaks my heart.

When we arrived home, I assessed the damage and it was significant. My wife cannot get out from the passenger’s side, as the door was jammed. The front fender of my car was mangled with some pieces gone or have fallen off.

Despite the damage, I think my car is still drivable though. The wheel wells are fine, the lights still work, and the engine still runs. No leaking oil or fluids too.

When I looked at my front fender, there was even deer’s fur stuck in it. Poor deer!

I am still thankful that despite of the accident we were not injured at all, considering that it could have been worse, much worse. Although now I have to deal with the hassle of filing an insurance claim, taking my car to a shop for assessment, and having it repaired. This can take several weeks to even months. Oh my deer!

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Post Note:

I thought my car was still drivable so I used it the next day after the accident. After driving for a while, the warning light goes off, telling me the engine overheated and the battery was not charging. The damage I suppose, was more than just the broken fender. We ended up having it towed, and had my son picked us up. Now, I don’t have a car. Deer me!