Living in Northern Michigan, one becomes accustomed to wild life and the fact that they sometimes dart across the road in front of your vehicle. Or they stand in the road as you rapidly approach them. They don't know any better to stay out of the road - they are just interacting with their environment. I have been very lucky that I have been able to avoid hitting deer with my car - until recently.
Two Saturdays ago, I had left my parents' house about 10:00 pm or so. I turned onto a road that is very common for people hitting deer with their vehicle. Icalled in a pizza order real quick and hung up the telephone and put it away. I saw one deer off to the left side of the road - it never moved and I never came close to hitting it. Later I see a deer further off the right side of the road - not even close. Later I look down at the clock to check the time and look up and see a huge deer standing in the middle of my lane. I knew it is dangerous to swerve - often people lose control of the car. But I was too slow in applying the brake and I hit the deer going about 55 miles per hour. The deer hit my hood, flew about 10 feet in the air and I never saw it again.
I was pretty scared. I pulled off to the side of the road, stepped out of my car and heard a loud hissing underneath my hood and part of the hood was all crinkled up. I got back in my car and shut it off and called Phil (who luckily was borrowing my dad's car for a few days since we only have one car) and my dad. A police officer happened to be driving by and he stopped to make sure I was OK and filled out a police report for insurance purposes and called the tow truck for me. When Phil got there we left and picked up the pizza (I had called to tell them why I would be late) and went home.
Long story short, the insurance company determined that my trusty little car with 245,000 miles on it was fixable and it has been in the shop waiting for parts and work since Feb. 28. It was finished Wednesday but I am not able to leave work early because I left early Monday for a Dr. appointment and left again early on Tuesday with a severe sore throat. So I will finally pick up my car tomorrow. I hope that it is all the way fixed!!
Through it all I learned how to deal with insurance companies and car shops! I was not hurt at all - the air bags didn't even go off and I didn't really even feel any impact to the car. But my car sure felt it. I am glad this ordeal is over.
People have been very gracious in letting me feel not so bad - apparently most of my friends have been through the same experience at least once in their life. It is one of the costs for living in rural Michigan and loving to drive!
