Crap ,hit a deer tonight on the Mass Pike

[Turboomni]

I was driving my 2004 Toyota Tundra Crew Cab west bound on the MASS Pike around 9:30 tonight [Monday]. I see a deer crossing the highway and it was in the middle of a 2 lane highway walking across so I stay put in the right ,hit my high beams and then saw another walking behind the first about twenty feet behind the first. Going to the right would have been too tight and I know you should keep your course. I saw a hole between the two so I drifted left to hopefully go between them but caught the right deer in the head with my right front headlight area. Didn't run over it but the body of the animal did damage to my passenger side door and there was hair stuck to the truck most of the length of the passenger side.
Luckily I wasn't going more than 68 or so. Tied off the inner fender so it wouldn't scrape the tire and a state trooper showed up. He saw the animal and said it was dead. He also told me up the road tonight a Moose and a few other deer were killed. He said it is early for this sort of thing to be happening. Anyway I drove home no problem. That's my story today...poop,,,

 

[Big_John]

I've hit a couple deer...
Interesting thing about it... I was in a wreck (I wasn't driving) on the exact same spot exactly one year earlier, to the day, when I hit the first deer. 69 Dart 340-4 speed car too.

I hit the second deer just down the street from my house. A few years later, same exact spot, I was in another wreck. I was driving for that one, but it wasn't my fault.

BTW, hitting a deer is covered by your comprehensive insurance and not your collision. They also can not raise your rates because of it. At least that's in New York State anyway.

 

[Turboomni]

Thanks John. I will be calling my insurance company tomorrow.

 

[Ironwolf]

OH DEER !!!!!!!

Well thank God you were in the truck

and not the Plymouth !!!

 

[shooter65]

That sucks....I've taught my wife that when she sees a deer, to always look were the deer came from because a couple of his buddies are probably following close behind.

I heard an interesting theory on why deer run in front of cars at night. I don't know how many hunters are on this site but if you hunt, you will notice that when a deer comes to an opening, such as a field, right-of-way or road, they will stop 10' or so in cover and look around before crossing the opening.

At night, the deer will do the same thing, making sure it's "safe" to cross the opening/road. All of a sudden, the opening is lighted up and they can see much better. What better time to cross than when you can see there are no predictors so they make a run for it. Unfortunately deer don't know what vehicles are.

Many years ago, I worked in Jamestown, NY and lived in Meadville, PA. One early morning in the winter, I was driving up the back way and had to stop on the road because a deer was standing on the road, licking up road salt. I blew the horn and the deer looked the opposite way down the road. I blew the horn a second time and it turn and looked at the car, then trotted off.

 

[75LandYacht]

I was driving my 2004 Toyota Tundra Crew Cab west bound on the MASS Pike around 9:30 tonight [Monday]. I see a deer crossing the highway and it was in the middle of a 2 lane highway walking across so I stay put in the right ,hit my high beams and then saw another walking behind the first about twenty feet behind the first. Going to the right would have been too tight and I know you should keep your course. I saw a hole between the two so I drifted left to hopefully go between them but caught the right deer in the head with my right front headlight area. Didn't run over it but the body of the animal did damage to my passenger side door and there was hair stuck to the truck most of the length of the passenger side.
Luckily I wasn't going more than 68 or so. Tied off the inner fender so it wouldn't scrape the tire and a state trooper showed up. He saw the animal and said it was dead. He also told me up the road tonight a Moose and a few other deer were killed. He said it is early for this sort of thing to be happening. Anyway I drove home no problem. That's my story today...poop,,,

Glad your safe...

 

[Rwc]

Glad you are okay, and the truck can be fixed. I followed a friend on a motorcycle one night and two deer came out just ahead of him. He did the same thing you tried, and got really lucky and it worked.

 

[GJS]

That sucks, man. I'm glad you weren't injured!
I remember when I was young, my neighbors dad had a big ole 74 F-250 and a similar era Pinto. He was driving the pinto when he took out a deer. I knew at the time that the road he was on was a 25MPH zone but from the looks of that Pinto, he was either WAY over the speed limit, or lied and was in a head on with a aircraft carrier. Them dudes will do some damage.

 

[67Monaco]

PICS!!!!

 

[BIGBARNEYCARS]

PICS!!!!

NOPE. Only in my Memory Bankz. Glad your O.K. T-omni

 

[ricks_RR]

dam deer

 

[Turboomni]

Well I could post pics if you want. Maybe we can have a guessing game on repair estimates before the insurance appraiser gets here.
Let me know.

 

[70bigblockdodge]

$4500

 

[mrfury68]

Deer are all over the place here in western PA. I try to be very observant when driving, especially the Fury. I also found out that blowing your horn will get them to move better than hitting the high beams. The light can actually blind them for a few seconds and they will freeze up, hence the saying "like a deer in headlights". I'm glad to hear you are ok & you weren't driving the Fury.

 

[Turboomni]

Thanks guys. It was when I put on my high beams that I saw the other deer. In this case neither one was looking at me. Just walking across the road in a relaxed fashion. I think it was like what Shooter said

I heard an interesting theory on why deer run in front of cars at night. I don't know how many hunters are on this site but if you hunt, you will notice that when a deer comes to an opening, such as a field, right-of-way or road, they will stop 10' or so in cover and look around before crossing the opening.

At night, the deer will do the same thing, making sure it's "safe" to cross the opening/road. All of a sudden, the opening is lighted up and they can see much better. What better time to cross than when you can see there are no predictors so they make a run for it. Unfortunately deer don't know what vehicles are.

Since I was going close to 70 mph there was no time for me to hit the horn even if I had thought about it since I didn't see the real hazard until I put the high beams on.

 

[stubs300]

What? And no Bambi Sausage? Shame on you!

 

[Turboomni]

Here are some pics. Doesn't look bad to me. Passenger door does not open more than a few inches.

 

[GJS]

Gotta love the plastic in times like this. Had a lady back out of a parking space right into the back of my Challenger. Mangled the plastic but bent nothing else. Car was fixed in a couple of days.

 

[MarPar]

glad to hear you're all right, Omni.

I will venture to guess 3 grand for the repair.

 

[Turboomni]

So far an estimates of

4500 and 3000 from you guys. Appraiser wont be here for a few days.