Monday, October 29

Hubby Hit a Deer


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Well, it's one of those days. I thought this graphic said it all. LOL Let me tell you what happened in the early morning hours of this beautiful day. (What happened wasn't beautiful, but it is a beautiful autumn day.)

My husband came in about 7am this morning. He had been out and about lending a hand to a friend. He got into bed and said, "This was an interesting night."


Being half asleep, my first thought was that some trivial incident had occured when he and his friend were delivering newspapers. However, his next words really got my attention. He said, "I smashed up the van. I hit a deer."


Inwardly I groaned, but my response to him was, "Did you bring home the meat?"


Later when I thought about this I felt sorry for the poor 4 point buck whose body was now being fed to the lions at the African Lion Safari in Cambridge, Ontario. I also wondered what my husband thought of my response, but was afraid to ask. His friend told him that he wouldn't want to be in his shoes, having to tell me the condition the van was in.

I phoned the insurance company, dreading the task. However, Diana was pleasant and assured me that there wouldn't be any problem. They would take care of all expenses except the deductible. (Groan!!! Why does there have to be deductible?)



When I had finished, I called the doctor and made an appointment for Dwight to be checked over tomorrow afternoon. He is a bit stiff in the neck and shoulder area. Then we left the house in order to go to the towing compound where they'd taken the van. Here's what I saw:














The photos above, (I've blocked out the license plate) show the front of the van. The buck came from my husband's left out from the side of the road, lickety split, and landed on the hood before my husband could react very much. On the right, hubby, who didn't want his photo taken, is looking glumly at the van. She was his baby. He loved that van, as it is the first vehicle he has ever had that was his alone. I do drive it occasionally, but it is his. I can understand why he is feeling a little crushed today.


This one shows where the buck's antler went through the passenger side of the windshield.



If you look at the one to the left, you will see a little hair from the deer's coat caught in the grill. Not pretty.



The van is not a pretty sight today either, but I am thankful that my husband wasn't hurt. If he had been going in the opposite direction, or if the deer had, it could have been much worse because the antler would have gone through the driver's side windshield.


The Ontario Provincial Police officer happened to be coming the opposite way on the road and arrived at the accident scene in less than five minutes. My husband didn't even have time to call him. The OPP said that they want a longer hunting season on deer next year, as they are becoming over populated in this area. He had attended to four accidents involving deer in the last two weeks and that is just him. That's not including any other officers.


Diana, at the insurance company was very nice. She said they get lots of deer accidents. This is covered under Comprehensive. She told me that they would take care of everything and that there was nothing to worry about. They are even going to rent us another van until ours is either written off or repaired. I doubt if they will repair it, as it looks to me like the entire van is twisted somewhat. We'll see what happens. I will keep you updated on how things are coming along.

36 comments:

  1. Hi Mary,

    Oh, I'm thankful your husband wasn't injured badly in this accident! Where I live, several years ago, a man had an accident similar to this, only the buck's antlers came through the windshield and killed him (the man!).

    I pray one way or another, you have a new van soon! But, thank goodness your husband is safe ;0)

    Smiles & Blessings,
    Michele

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  2. Mary,

    OMG! Look at the van! But at least your husband is safe, the van can be fixed or replaced.

    My late former brother-in-law hit a deer once, down in Peachtree City, and it smashed his entire windshield. He didn't get hurt but it scared him. Deer are very quick to run across a road, they seem to come from nowhere.

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  3. Good grief!
    My husband would love to visit an over populated deer area.It is hunting season here and they have killed two already.
    I am glad that the deer did not land up in the van.
    I know how your hubby feels about the van. About a year ago my son feel asleep at the wheel and totaled my van. But now I have a truck and I LOVE it.

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  4. Hi Michele,

    It will take a day or two for the insurance company to figure out whether they're going to write off the van or repair it. However, we do have another van that they rented for us. That makes things a lot easier.

    My husband and I are both sure that his guardian angel was riding in the passenger seat last night. Things could have happened so much differently.

    Thanks for visiting and for your kinds words. You always brighten my day.

    Blessings for a great week.
    Mary

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  5. Deborah,

    Yes, everything is good. The van is a mess and that saddens me a little, but at least hubby is fine with just a little stiffness.

    When Dwight was picked up by his friend, he was pale as a ghost apparently. Seeing a deer dash into your path is very scary.

    Thanks for your kind words. I appreciate your friendship.

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  6. Sharon,

    I owned a truck at one time. I loved it! It was a 1979 Chevy and it was a well made truck.

    Your hubby needs to come up here next fall for deer hunting season. They used to have a lottery for the deer licenses, but I believe that anyone with an Ontario Hunting License can hunt deer now. Our deer season is over, but the deer are definitely on the move.

    Thanks for the visit. I am always happy to have you stop by.

    Blessings,
    Mary

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  7. Mary,

    I just got home here, and had a very unusual morning, to say the least. Sometimes Mondays just start out badly. Thank God Dwight didn't get hurt badly! I hope he will have another nice van soon. Deer can really be quite a hazard to drivers. Nothing scarrier than to have one jump out in front of your vehicle.

    Take care, and I do hope things work out well regarding the van.

    Renie

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  8. I am catching up on my blog reading today and have several comments.
    1. I have a green thumb but not where lavender is concerned and I have planted it twice and each time it does not do well. Please let me send Brandon a ticket to Tn to plant some for me.
    2. HTML Graphic instructions are Greek to Me. I am sure you did a good job but on computer I am definately a visual only person.
    3. How thankful only the van and not Dwight had to be towed in. He tensed up and pulled those big muscles in the upper back and neck.
    4 At least it was his van and not his MIL caddy like I totalled in July. The air bag did most of the damage on me and the car.
    5. At this time there are too many deer and not enough hunters. I was hunting before it was chic for women to hunt. But the ole back surgery put a stop to that. Little Brother did come down and we hunted together for the first time in 20 years week after Thanksgiving last year.
    Sorry to take up so much space but when my fingers get to going I have a hard time reigning them in.
    Peace
    Again it is a blessing that your husband was not hurt.

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  9. I worry about deer on the road when I drive at night. My daughter lives in London ON and she travels the back roads frequently after dark in a much smaller car. It is amazing how much damage was done. Glad your husband is OK

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  10. Renie,

    I hope everything is okay with you. Yes, Mondays can be trying sometimes. Grandma used to say that whatever happened on Monday set the pace for the week. I hope she was wrong. :-)

    Thanks for your comments regarding the accident. Dwight is going to the doctor's for a check-up tomorrow because the insurance company insisted. He has a stiff neck and a very sore shoulder. The shoulder is probably from the seatbelt, which he always wears.

    As always, your kind comments and loving support has brightened my day.

    Hugs,
    Mary

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  11. Oh my goodness my dear friend, so sorry to hear this. I praise God that your husband is ok. Praying for everything to work out for the best, love you.

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  12. Lady Di,

    The next time we are in Tennesee, I will bring Brandon to have a look at your garden. :-) He would love it.

    Like you, I was hunting before it was chic for women to do so. My mother also hunted with Dad. I was taught at a young age how to properly handle and fire a gun. We hunted to supplement meat for the table.

    Sorry about your caddy. That would must have been terrible for you. Yes, he saw the deer just in time to tense up for the impact, which is natural instinct but not a smart thing to do.

    Thanks so much for the interesting comments. I'm glad you stopped by. Blessings for the coming week.

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  13. Ruth,

    Warn your daughter to be careful. There is an over abundance of deer this year and they can dart out before you realize it.

    The buck was in a spot where hubby had never seen deer before. There are areas that we know deer are crossing and are extra cautious there.

    Years ago, I was coming home from Welland and rounded a curve. Something told me to slow down. As I rounded the curve, there was a magnificient buck standing right in the middle of the road. I came to a complete stop and he looked directly at me, huffed and slowly walked into the woods. If I had hit him, he would have totalled bot me and the car.

    Take care and blessings for the week to come.

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  14. Denise,

    Thank you for your kind words of support and the prayers. Hubby is doing okay, but is a little stiff. I imagine he will be worse tomorrow and then it will pass. However, he has an appointment with the doctor tomorrow afternoon, just to be sure.

    Blessings, my dear friend.

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  15. I am late getting out to leave comments!! So glad your husband wasn't hurt to bad.... This could have been really bad! Oh My!
    We have deer here to and when we go down to my son's who lives 60 miles south east of me, we have to watch for them so closely! They are every where..... Love, Grams

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  16. Grams,

    Yes, he was lucky. If he had had the car or if things had happened a little differently, he could have been badly hurt or killed. His guardian angel was working overtime and I'm thankful for that.

    Hugs,
    Mary

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  17. Lucky it wasn't a moose!

    The front end of vehicles are made to crumble and absorb the impact. It sure made a mess.

    In the North the "road klll" would have been brought home for sure.

    I hope hubby is not too shaken. He may not want to drive at night fall or early morning when the animals are on the move.!

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  18. PS: Your mouse in the throne reminded me of my sister washing her infant in the bidet, when we were in Switzerland.

    North America needs more of these, the fifth item in a five piece bathroom:)

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  19. Oh deer!

    (sorry, couldn't resist)

    I am so glad your husband wasn't hurt. Down here in the corn belt we have deer everywhere and as I drive on a two lane country road for 11 miles to get to work, I always worry, as I usually leave in the dark.

    I hope he feels better tomorrow. Cars can be fixed.

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  20. Philip,

    Luckily we don't have moose in this part of Ontario. Hubby would have probably been in hospital or worse.

    Yes, the vehicle took the impact fairly well. I'm surprised that it stood up so well. We will know in a couple of days what will happen to the van. I'm not sure it is savageable.

    I loved that little mouse and that is exactly how I felt when I found out about the van. However, it could have been a lot worse. Grandma taught me to count my blessings. The van can be replaced.

    I love your story about your sister washing the baby in the bidet. I'm surprised they haven't caught on here.

    Thanks for visiting and have a safe week.

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  21. skywriter,

    LOL Oh, deer is right!

    Be careful driving at night. We see a lot of deer here and there are deer crossing signs even here in town. There is one section where deer cross the expressway and my grandsons and I have even spotted them in the daytime.

    To tell the truth, I expect him to feel worse tomorrow. It will take a day or two for him to limber-up again. Our instinct causes us to tense at all the wrong moments.

    Take care and be safe.

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  22. Oh dear! I am so glad Dwight is ok. Deer accidents can be deadly for both parties involved. Now I understand your comment on my blog! Have a better day tomorrow!

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  23. willow,

    Yes, I believe Dwight's guardian angel was riding shotgun last night. We were truly blessed.

    Thanks for visiting my friend. I wish you a wonderful week full of abundant blessings.

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  24. O My Goodness. What a freaky accident. I used to see a lot of deer around dawn/dusk in Colorado traveling to and from work. And I DO know the damage it causes when you hit one with the vehicle!! Hope there was no injuries to anyone but the deer/car [well, poor deer, but you know what I mean]

    YES...sad, sad tale about the bees. And you're so right about ignorance of people. I really had to laugh about the waitress and grocery store.

    Lord!! Have mercy. Huh?

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  25. Anni,

    Yes, it was kind of freaky, but only the van and the deer were injured. I do feel bad about the deer, but things happen.

    I couldn't believe about the waitress when my brother told me either. I can't believe that anyone would be that naivete, so I asked the grandsons and they knew that food had to be grown.

    Thanks for stopping by, my friend. Enjoyed your visit. Have a week filled with abundant blessings.

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  26. Hi Mary,
    So sorry to hear about your husband's accident with the deer. I can only imagine how bad he feels about his van being so damaged.
    Glad to hear he wasn't seriously injured.
    xo

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  27. Susie,

    Well, I figure that vans can be replaced. The important thing here is that hubby wasn't seriously injured. It could have turned out so differently. I do feel sorry for the deer, though. I would have preferred that it died a natural death.

    Thanks for stopping by to comment.

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  28. Those deer sure can bust up a car can't they? I don't know how many we have hit or have hit us while living in Ky...we live in town now and rarely go into the country but I hear it is bad around here too.

    (My son-in-law would have thought of saving the meat
    ;)

    You have a great day!

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  29. Mary,

    Thankfully, Dwight wasn't seriously injured. It is frightening to see the damage to the van. I feel bad for the deer, too. There are lots of deer and moose versus car accidents around here. Last year, Mariah had a close call with a deer.

    I'm glad the insurance company is being cooperative! Please do keep us posted on how Dwight is doing and if the insurance company follows through.

    Hugs,
    Tina

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  30. Mary,

    I forgot to mention, if I ever get to make a post, you are going to get a kick out of my past week. Nothing as frightening as what happened to Dwight. But you'll see when I make my post - I think you will get a good laugh at how it ties into your post. LOL

    It's almost time for dinner, then Dave will be on the computer. I hope to make it tonight or tomorrow morning.

    Hugs,
    Tina

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  31. Car/deer collisions are commonplace here too. My brother once had a bad accident involving a deer and he was lucky to have survived. His little car was completely smashed.

    I'm glad your husband is okay.

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  32. Tina,

    I'm looking forward to your post. I have a feeling it has something to do with a deer. I know you have wildlife in your area, so this is my guess. I'll wait and see if I was correct.

    Thanks for stopping by. I always enjoy your visits and now you have my curiosity piqued.

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  33. Kate,

    Deer or moose collisions with vehicles are very dangerous. Those hooves and horns are deadly and of course the animal is in a state of pain and panic.

    I'm glad your brother survived. At least a van is higher than a car. Dwight said if he'd had our old car he would have probably been badly hurt.

    Take care and thanks for stopping by.

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  34. Oh how scary!!!!! Yes, it was wonderful that only the van was injured. And I do hope your husband has no residual aches and pains, from this.

    Wow! All I can do is repeat... how scary!!!

    Mari-Nanci

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  35. Mari-Nancy,

    Yes, it scared hubby so bad that he had to take nitro. He has a heart condition and I think it scared him half to death.

    The insurance company insisted he see his doctor today. The doctor thinks he has a torn cuff in his shoulder, but is going to see if it heals on its own. It isn't quite so bad this evening as it was, so hopefully there will be no ongoing problems.

    Thanks so much for your kind words. I appreciate your friendship.

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  36. So glad your husband was safe. And- good news about your van being fixed without any insurance problems.

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