Hello all, I hope this thread reaches all my fellow truck driver brethren in good health at home with their families and hope everyone has a good turkey day. On to the story...

November 22nd, aprox. 22:20
So I just deliver some insulation to a Home Depot in Rhinelander, WI and I'm crusin' along at 55MPH southbound on WI hwy 17, 2-lane undivided highway and all of the sudden, literally in less than a blink of an eye a doe just pops out of the right hand ditch, all I see is her head and she's headed for my grill. I immediately look at the oncoming lane and see a light silverish-colored minivan about 1/8 of a mile coming towards me... I brace for impact. BANG she's toast. It happened so fast!! I put my 4-ways on and put up a orange triangle and send an accident macro. I get a reply message asking me to call in but I can't even get an analog roaming tower (sprint sux :P ) I inspect the damage to make sure no coolant is leaking, inspect my steer tire and air dryer and make sure I can hold air pressure. I also had to pull off the top tire cover and toss it on the top bunk (I knew having a condo would come in handy someday!) and head to Wal-Mart in Merrill, WI to take my 10 hr break.

I just wanted to share my story with you all, it happened just an hour ago and I'm a little shaken up. I'm also pretty disapointed in myself. In my short time driving a truck I've had 1 speeding ticket and now this.

When I drove for roehl I did alot of Wisconsin and I knew the deer situation, my evo 1 trainer told me if you see 1 deer there's almost always more! I know if I had been going 65MPH there would have been alot more damage.

Last week another Crete driver and I were going through Montana and we were on hwy 59 southbound to get to US-212 and I've never in my life seen more deer at one time (I grew up in Iowa might I mention) there had to be literally 300-400 of them! Some were just chillin' on the road. And I didn't hit one...

Anyways, I felt I made the right decision, if I swerved to the right = ditch, wrecker bill, bad headache, lots of paperwork. unemployment. To the left = I would've been heading towards the minivan and who knows what would've happened? When I wake up tomorrow I'll fire up the digital camera and post pix if I have time.

Thanks for reading. I look forward to some of you replying to tell me how stupid I am. Just know that the feeling is mutual.

 

wheres the pic
i saw 1 on my last week at roehl lying in a pool of blood on the side of the road in worster ma, as i drove by this deer turned his head and starred at me with his dying glassy eyes.

 

It's night, I don't think it would turn out too good.

I'm stressed out :!: I think I need to glaze a knuckle.

 

I trust you kept the meat.........Wisconsin deer is good eatin'. :wink:

 

Just kidding. I'm in my BIG TRUCK!! I'm tired, I'm going to bed.

 

Hey Rev...

:lol:

 

I have a soft heart, but I have killed lots, thankfully most of them died quickly. shite hapens! Take a deep breath, and forget it. Move on...

 

yep, just another piece of roadkill, I know...

 

I've always lived in WV, and have only ever hit 1 deer, but I was in a full-size Chevy van. Other than a little hair on the corner, you couldn't tell I hit it. I guess I've always been lucky.

I think you did he right thing by not swerving either direction. Hitting a deer at most companies is a non-preventable. In fact, I've had 2 carriers tell me *not* to swerve, but to hit it, as the damage is less by hitting the deer.

And, you didn't catch me at home. I'm sitting at the T/A in Russell, IL on the WI/IL border.

Happy Thanksgiving all.

 

i find running over a skunk then 50 yards later running over a porcupine more intriguing although i didn't particuly enjoy crawling under the truck and checking every single hose.