Hit a Deer - $$$

11 years ago

In mid-August, its 2 o-clock in the afternoon and we were preparing to leave on 2000 mile road trip the next morning. I'm running last minute errands, driving down the inside lane of a 4 lane in a 45 mph zone when I spy a pair of deer entering the median. Its a mommy with youngster that is 2/3 her height. I get on the brakes. They stop in the median, looks at me and then as get nearer, she steps out into the roadway; The smaller deer stays in the median. I'm braking hard and thinking that I'm going to hit her when she takes a mighty leap and gets out of the way with only a second to spare. The smaller one now decides to follow - we hit. It rolls over three times down the highway in front of me and several small pieces follow it. I think I got my vehicle hau;ed down to 15 mph before impact. Luckily, the air bags did not blow. (Only 2 weeks before, the front air bag had been replaced on recall - potential for shrapnel). After the struck deer regained it breath, it limped off the road side ditch. Someone calls the police for me. I'll need a report for my insurance company. It is break time and a squad car does not arrive until 45 minutes later.

I had been keeping track of the little deer as it was hiding in grasses. It had something broken in one hind leg. The police gave me small report and shooed me away. They had to put the deer down.

My car did not look bad from the distance, but raise the hood and there was plenty of damage. After bucking inward, the front grill had snapped back. Both radiator (coolant and air conditioner) supports were bent. The A/C radiator was bent but not leaking. In fact, both radiators held pressure. I took the car home and forced the radiators back to near the proper location. Both cooling fans worked and were free to rotate. Mounting tabs of the gril had broken. I patched that with small back tie-wraps, and test drive the car to check for leaks. I made a quick trip to insurance office and told them I'd see them in a little over 2 weeks.

We embarked on our trip the next morning and traveled over 2000 miles.

Four days after our return, the car was in the body shop. Total bill for repair: $3400. My part was $100 since I had not increased the deductible since i bought the car 3 years ago.

That little deer put me on edge while driving for the better part of the trip.

Featured Answer

lindaohnowga

11 years ago

September through December are the deer mating months, so they will be on the run. Please be careful everyone.

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Comments (16)

rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7
11 years ago
I can't even imagine how awful that must have been for you. So sad about the young deer.
chessey35
11 years ago
I did that a few years ago with a 6 week old car - deer jumped right out in front of me. Took me 3 months to get my car back. Glad you were okay and were able to go on your trip. Deer and cars are not a good combination or a good experience. I'd perfer to never do that again.
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socks
11 years ago
Glad you weren't hurt and the air bags did not inflate.
joaniepoanie
11 years ago
Same thing happened to us in 2006. We were 10 minutes out on a 700 mile trip taking our youngest to college for freshman year. Mini van was loaded to the gills of course. A deer came out of nowhere, crashed into the windshield (it did not break) and hood , slid off and disappeared back into the woods. We immediately called the insurance co to report it....no problem getting the car fixed upon our return. We hemmed and hawed.....do we keep going or rent a car, unload, reload, etc.. We decided to try our luck, knowing if we had to we could easily rent a car along the way, leaving the van to be repaired and picking it up on the way back. We made it there and back with no problems thankfully. It sure was scary though when that deer appeared on our windshield with a thud!
maire_cate
11 years ago
Honestly you were so lucky. I've seen much worse and I'm thankful you weren't hurt. DH was stopped at a light and a deer decided to jump over his car but her leg clipped the hood and headlight. You could barely see the little dent - but the entire headlamp assembly had to be replaced because the impact broke the clips. $3700.00 - the car was only 3 months old
chisue
11 years ago
Glad only your pocketbook was injured.

We used to have deer in our yard and on our street all the time. Not for the last two years, and I'm happy not to be constantly on alert for them. I did see a darling little skunk in our back yard one evening last month...LOL
bob_cville
11 years ago
In my mind I always picture the deer's buddies hiding in the bushes saying "I dare you to go ... Now!"
bossyvossy
11 years ago
I am always scared of deer on the road and have had a couple of misses. I am surprised you are telling about daylight incidents. I always thought this was a nighttime event so now I will be doubly concerned
Elmer J Fudd
11 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
Sounds like an awful experience, jemdandy. I'm glad you were uninjured.

We have deer in my neighborhood too and I dislike having them around. They're a nuisance - eating ornamental plants, carrying (and dropping) ticks, and creating road danger for motorists (and for the deer). The reduction of natural predators on the edge of inhabited areas has allowed deer populations to grow too high. Perhaps some day a viable and inexpensive contraceptive means will be available to humanely limit populations without having to cull or euthanize living animals.

Note, a friend of mine just had an accident. Even though he was at fault, his insurance coverage provided for 20 days of rental car reimbursement. He got a check in the mail from his agent 3 days after the accident for $1000 (50 X 20) - you perhaps have that coverage too and could have resorted to using a rental car for your trip if your car hadn't been serviceable or if you'd wanted to accelerate its repair.
wildchild2x2
11 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
Almost the same monetary amount of damaged happened to me last year. But my animal was a raccoon. Never would have believed a 'coon could do so much damage. My insurance company said it's not that uncommon.

Years ago I was driving my brand new truck in the suburbs mid-day and a deer ran into my rear quarter panel,destroying it, and ran on. Came out of a wooded area,smacked into me and continued on to the 7-11 across the street.

DS once hit a deer on the highway with his motorcycle. Cut the deer right in half. Scary.
vicsgirl
11 years ago
What a terrible experience! My (late) MIL was a passenger in a car that was run into by a deer. A female friend was the driver/owner of the car. The deer badly dented the side, lots of damage.I don't remember what became of the deer, They had to cancel their car trip and wait for it to get repaired. This happened in Upstate New York.
littlebug zone 5 Missouri
11 years ago
When you see a mama deer and her baby standing beside the highway, watching the traffic, remember that the mama is teaching her baby how to jump out in front of cars. Also, remember that deer are like wild mushrooms - when you see one, there's more close by.
tami_ohio
11 years ago
I am glad you were not hurt.

My passenger side mirror met a hawk on the highway last month. Neither survived. The Expedition is 10 years old, and has 123,000 miles on it. The price of a new mirror? $200.00, and the junk yards don't have any.
cynic
11 years ago
I know they're controversial but from my (purely anecdotal) experience those little deer whistles are one of the best investments a vehicle owner can make. About $5 gets a set of four and I've seen time and time again where a deer came running for the road, stopped, looked at me and they turned around. Proof they work? Of course not, but AFAIC, I've seen it happen too many times to be coincidence. And apparently I'm not the only one who thinks they must help. A friend is a truck driver and his company requires them on all of their trucks and any truck driving for them.

One night a few years back I was heading from a friend's place back to my hotel, about a 45 mile trip. It was approaching midnight and I quit counting at 50 deer I saw in that stretch. So yes, I agree, deer are much like mice, if there's one, there's usually more!
susanjf_gw
11 years ago
we're not in the burbs, on a 40mph street and have had deer hit 2x..i cringe every time they come thru...they love the vacant lot next door...even had one in the dead of winter take a nap in the snow...

Hit a Deer - $$$

lindaohnowga

Comments (16)

rhizo_1 (North AL) zone 7

chessey35

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