WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) – It’s peak season for deer vs. car crashes in Kansas. The Kansas Highway Patrol is warning all drivers to be aware.
A moment many drivers dread is coming face-to-face with a deer on the road. For one Kansas couple, this became a reality and an unforgettable encounter.
“We were in two different vehicles, driving in two different directions, and we managed to hit the same deer,” said Gina Morgan, who was involved in a deer crash.
When the deer hit Gina’s car, it was thrown across the road in front of her husband’s car, which was traveling in the opposite direction.
“When she told me she hit a deer, I’m like, ‘There’s not another chance that there was not the same deer.’ So I was like, ‘Yeah, I hit the same deer,'” said Ronnie Morgan, who was involved in a deer crash.
The couple says the damage to Gina’s vehicle cost $6,000. Ronnie’s car, equipped with a push bar, took a lighter hit.
“I think a deer was running pretty hard when it hit the side of that front left fender because it, I mean, it really you see in the pictures, it damaged it pretty bad,” said Ronnie.
“It was just at the point where the sun had gone down,” said Gina.
The Kansas Highway Patrol says these types of crashes are common during deer breeding season.
“It’s considered always safer to strike the animal than to try to avoid it when we don’t have a lot of injury or fatality crashes involving deer. But most of the ones that we do, injury-wise, is because someone took an avoidance maneuver and lost control of the car,” said Trooper Tod Hileman, who is a public resource officer for the KHP.
Gina and Ronnie are just grateful for being alive and for this reminder to stay vigilant.
“It’s amazing how much damage, you know, a hit like that can do. And ours was minimal compared to a lot of hits,” said Gina.
Trooper Hileman also told KSN that October through December are the peak months for these types of accidents, and November sees the highest number of deer-vehicle crashes every year. He adds that the numbers start to decline as December approaches.
“I would brake. You know if you’re going to swerve and do an avoidance maneuver, it’s best if you do it under 40 miles per hour,” said Trooper Hileman. “Pull off the road, hazards on, put their flashers on and make sure that they’re safe. Stay in their vehicle. Give us a call or call 911.”
Trooper Hileman also said wearing a seat belt is always important, especially during this peak crash time.
The next uptick of deer crashes will happen starting in May of next year.