Hit a deer tonight! (now with photos)

I was coming home in my 56 chevy from a gathering about 90 miles from my home. It had been a great day. The weather was perfect and I got to visit with some old friends. It ended around 7:00pm and by the time I got on I-90 for the last 30 miles to home the sun was disappearing below the horizon.
I was doing 70 mph, I saw the deer, but it ran out in front of me and BANG! It was like slow motion, but I couldn't get away from it. The deer took out the radiator, hood, left fender, bumper and probably more. the fender got into the tire and smoke was rolling off the tire like NASCAR as steam and antifreeze came thru my louverd hood.
A pastor from Wisconsin was behind me and pulled over and gave me a ride home. Thank God for good guys! I called a friend and we went out to get the 56 with a car trailer. When I finally got the car home I called MN patrol to report the accident. When I said I hit a deer on I-90 she said you must be the one driving that nice old chevy. The state patrol had been there and he had reported that he knew the me and the car. I now have an event number and will call my insurance in the morning, which it now is, for some reason I can't sleep.
Oh and it was my birthday! One I will remember.

 

Sheet happens and it sucks even more than if it was your company truck but
The good news is that insurance companies consider this an act of God and you are covered.
-As an 'act of God', your insurance rates are not effected. ( at least that's how it worked out up here (twice in 2 months) when I nailed a deer and then later a large owl took out my right headlight and part of the grille).

The hardest part is usually in finding replacement parts in similar or better condition than what you had.

-Don't sweet it, this stuff happens and your insurance company usually has no problems with getting you and your ride fixed right.

What I would do is start thinking about the various/different Quality autobody shops that you can take your car to.
A guy really doesn't want to take it to just any body shop as they won't know sheet about antique/classic cars or where to find parts.

btw, enjoy what's left of your birthday

moe

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so have you got the best cuts of that sucker in yer freezer now

 

You must have a different insurance company than the usual ones. Usually, the policy states that they exclude "acts of God" along with wars, riots and acts of civil unrest. Of course, the counter to that is to have them prove it was an "act of God."

Traveling the highway now to go to work, I sometimes get to see the aftermath of one of these types of encounters. Usually, the dead carcass on the side of the highway, occassionally, a 25-50 yard blood smear with a few pieces of flesh and fur at the end. I figure those must be from a tractor-trailer hit.

 

Thats sucks
I hit one a year back in my pick up..tore it up pretty good, and tore the deer up really good.

your better off taking them out , then to try an avoidance manuver and killing yourself or making the wreck much worse

my truck took quite a bit to fix it, but that deer fit in a 5 gallon pail

no joke

 

I hit a deer with my '59 Impala convertible about 15 years ago on the Northeast extension of the PA turnpike at around 2 in the morning. There were 5 of us in the car, and it was a BIG deer. Same thing. We were rolling and then the deer was just in front of us. It sucks all around for sure, but we all felt pretty lucky. If that deer had come up over the hood, we could have ended up the road kill.

 

5 years ago I was 400 miles from home with my 37 Chevy pu at a truck show .A friend was "test" driving ,I was the passenger,we rounded a bend on a rural road when I saw a deer off to the left on an embankment,the driver never saw it coming.Just like that the deer launches like a fur torpedo into the side of the truck.The impact smashed the door,which poppped open ,dented the bedside,heavy gauge metal, and bashed the rear fender.I swear it was a deliberate act by the deer The guy driving felt terrible but there's nothing he could have done to avoid it.I was happy the hit was on the side and didn't take out the grille and radiator a long ways from home. The deer lost his face and stumbled into the woods to bleed out.
The truck was in the show with the dents,blood and deer hair..the badge of a road warrior......

 

Or, be like my 89 year old mom & tell the insurance adjuster "What if a person doesn't believe in God?"

 

Oh deer, sorry that this happened, our town leads the State of Connecticut in car/deer hits. Had one bounce of the family wagon years ago, they sure move quickly. Your the second HAMB member with a deer hit this week.

 

Just from the title I thought of Minnesota; where I grew up. There are a ton of deer up there. I have hit one and had 20+ close calls over the years. I feel for you buddy. The one I hit landed in the roof.

 

I'm glad you're ok...and I guess one positive thing is that the car is a make/model that sheet metal is available for.

 

The overabundance of deer are a hazard! Sorry to here about your encounter with a deer but sometimes there is no missing them.

I got three last winter. The first on was on I-80 in eastern Iowa with a Freightliner semi on the mail run, it was about midnight, the deer was just all the sudden in front and I hit him with a loud bang. He took out my passenger side headlight and cracked the fiberglass. I was surprised that it didn't wake up my codriver. The second one was Northeast of Keokuk with an IH pulling a belt trailer on a two lane road with a load of WDGs. A deer jumped out of the ditch, I hit the brakes and I got his deer buddy that was behind the first one. It hurt the deer way more than it hurt the old IH, the driver's side headlight was out of adjustment, I put a bottle cap under it and that put it just about where it should be. I got the third one with the 84 Chrysler doing about 40 mph just coming out of town. A deer jumped out of the ditch, I hit the brakes and I got the second deer again, boy did that deer roll. It didn't hurt the old Chrysler bad, all it took was a few parts off of on of my parts cars and it was back up in shape.

I guess when it's your turn to hit a deer there is just no avoiding it. The last deer I got before last winter was when I was seventeen when one jumped out of the ditch and nailed the side of my dad's 70 Ford 4X4. I've had a lot of near misses over the years. I once put my 90 Mercury Sable in the ditch backwards when I swerved to miss a deer, that's why they tell you not to veer for deer. Another time I spilled my big drink when I hit the brakes on a big Pete pulling a reefer but I didn't mess up that fancy front end.

I hope you come out all right on the repairs.

 

no picture means it didnt happen ... wheres the pictures

 

If you see one crossing the road ahead of you, slow down. There are usually a couple of more following behind. Glad you weren't hurt. A few years ago a couple was driving in a van in a town near me and hit a deer. It came through the windshield and the antlers pierced the woman's chest, killing her.

 

Hit one 3 yrs ago in my '34, I was pleased with the way American Collectors handled the claim. $10,600 in damage, bent the Superbell axle and the frame.

 

Almost got nailed by one coming home from a baseball game last night. The road I live on is along Dow Chemical property and the critters are everywhere as there is no hunting on their property. It seems someone hits one about twice a week.

Frank

 

Out in my neck of the woods the people that have hit deer outnumber the people that haven't. I totaled an OT econobox a few years back. But have always been taught hit the deer don't swerve. Alot of cars get rolled out here.


Look at it this way, you're ok, car can be repaired, and you have a story to tell. Life keeps rolling.

 

My daily driver PU is sitting, waiting for me to fix because of a deer and an ex-wife (long story).
Anyway, they're so thick around here (deer, not ex-wives) now days that I won't ride my scooters on the back roads from dusk til dawn.
Larry T

 

Hit a deer...Well lets eat! Then we'll get that 56 fixed up. Glad you werent hurt.

 

Sorry to hear and all things on your birthday, This is one of my greatest fears with my hot rods and collector cars. I nailed one last fall with my big diesel F-250 and it cuased a lot of damage to my truck, broke the intercooler, radiator, all the front sheet metal and a bunch of other stuff. The funny thing is the dear got up and ran into my corn field next to the road. Needless to say I found him during corn harvest, he made it about 75 feet into the field and died.

 

It could have been worse. We were just talking about a guy that hit one on a motorcycle and is in a coma.

Yes, I hope I can find a good fender. I have owned this car for 16 years. It was originally a TX car and has, or had original fenders with no rust. Around here they all are rusted out in the above the headlight.
I think the hood can be repaired. It has had a lot of work done, 184 louvers, and the hood bird shaved and smoothed. The radiator has also had modifications.

 

It's too bad about your 56. On the plus side, it's good that no one was hurt, and venison is VERY tasty. By the way....There are some environmentalists that say the American White-Tail deer is an endangered species. Seriously....

 

Glad to hear you're OK. Here in Pa. there are two kinds of folks,
those that have hit deer & those that will

I've had my share driving a big truck & riding bikes for over 30 years.
'96 a doe took me off my old BMW twin and put me in the hospital for weeks! doc says I'm "normal" now, whatever that is!

Keep yer eyes on the road & yer hands upon the wheel...................

 

Your ex left you for a deer? That's harsh bud
Wife hit one I'n a Malibu several yrs ago! My lil one where I'n the back seat. Huge buck, antler came through her side glass , almost got her! my kids never woke up through it, or after when the cops where there!
She had her car back 2 days when I hit a 8 pointer I'n my truck! That was 3 deer ago! Deer are best kept I'n a freezer!

 

Just be thankful it wasn't a 1200 pound Moose!

 

HTML:

Just be thankful it wasn't a 1200 pound Moose!

I don't care , that's funny!

 

Well, I let her borrow the pickup to go get the grandkids and the rest is history.
As I heard Johnny Carson say once "No good dead will go unpunished!"

Glad to hear that no one but the deer was hurt in OldPaints encounter. I hope everything goes smoothly with the insurance company.
Larry T

 

I hate deer. They are just rat's with hoofs. I hit 3 out of 5 in my old daily driver. I'm glad it was a little slick out so they just slid with my car when I hit them. Still broke my grill, bent the hell out of my bumper, and ripped the license plate and holder right off. Glad to hear your ok. I hope you get your car fixed quickly. Any chance we can see pictures of the car?

 

glad your ok the chevy can be rebuilt here in ohio its concidered an act of god unless you keep the meat then they figure you purposly hit the dear for the meat

 

my 2 buddies were tearin it up through a back road several years ago when the driver hit a dear. next thing you know they pull over quick and the driver is yelling get out! get out! and they both climbed out the passeger door.

the driver thought the deers head had come off and was in the car. turns out it was the outside rearview mirror...I'll have to call him up today and remind him of what a goof he is.