New Hartford Woman Strikes Deer Driving on Major State Highway

Seeing a deer near a roadway or even crossing a roadway is no uncommon in Central New York, but one New Hartford woman realized that there is no route that is off limits to possible deer strikes.

Marlene Angelini tells WIBX she was driving south on State Route 8 when this scary incident happened. Angelini says, "After dropping my nephew off at his home in Whitesboro I was driving home, doing the speed limit, when out of nowhere a deer ran in front of my car hitting the right passenger side smashing it pretty good." Angelini says she felt she should have stopped, but she realized the damage wasn't bad enough she couldn't drive and continued home. She says she only lived around the corner.

When she got home, Angelini says she was slightly shaken and could immediately see the hair and other "remnants" of the deer she had hit. Hitting a deer is not a cheap repair, although it always could be worse. Angelini says,

The next day the tow truck driver told me I was very lucky. If the airbag had gone off in New York State they run about $2,500 to $5,000 just for the airbag. So, basically if your airbag goes off after hitting a deer the insurance companies end up totaling your car.

Angelini says she is glad that her nephew was not in the car as the damage to the vehicle was on the front passenger side. Obviously, you can always replace or repair a vehicle. You can't replace a human life. While deer versus car accidents happen quite often, it's not something you would expect when traveling down a high speed state route. An article from Geico.com offers tips on how to avoid deer strikes while driving. They say,

1. Watch for the rest of the gang.
2. Timing is everything.
3. Use your headlights.
4. Stay center.
5. Brake, don’t swerve.
6. Honk!

Using caution and always keeping your eyes on the road is essential. Distracted driving is a sure way to become distracted and put yourself at risk for hitting anything, including deer. Angelini is glad that the damage was minimal and nobody, other than the poor deer, was hurt.