Don’t Veer for Deer!

Due to known evening commitments this next week, I knew my chances of completing my “Full Moon Paddle” for November were minimal unless I was out on the river tonight. (I give myself a day or two leeway for paddling from the actual full moon to factor in weather and river conditions.) So, out on the river I went, even though a heavy blanket of clouds obscured the near full-moon.

The paddling in near darkness was interesting, but not exciting enough to keep me out too long. The wind was chilly and the lack of light defeated the purpose. So I paddled back to the cabin.

Before I began my voyage I turned on the lights in the cabin so I could find it on my return. I used those lights to navigate back and as I approached, I thought it made for an interesting view so I recorded my warm welcome off the river.

After getting off the water the night got really interesting. Local responders were dispatched to the scene of a car vs deer accident near the intersection of two highways - a problematic intersection. I responded to that and found the driver was not injured, his car was disabled, and the deer was rendered permanently out of service. As our ambulance approached the scene, another deer ran in front of the ambulance and was smoked. Unfortunately, the collision damaged the ambulance enough to take it out of service.

The lesson learned in both cases is “Don’t Veer for Deer” if or when they are in your lane. Yes, you will likely damage your vehicle, but you are less likely to loss control and damage you or your passengers. Vehicles can be repaired - lives…not always.

The rut is on and the deer are moving. Pay attention when driving and be prepared for their sudden appearance. And…Don’t Veer for Deer!

Thank you to all of the responders who assisted at the scene. Working an accident in the dark of night is not for the faint of heart. The traffic whizzes by, often too fast and often distracted by the scene. Our safety is our first concern. Please help make it easy for us to go home at the end of a call.