Warning for drivers after crash with deer sends woman to hospital
BARTHOLOMEW COUNTY, Ind. (WISH) – A woman was flown to an Indianapolis hospital Thursday evening after her vehicle hit a deer.
It happened in the 2700 block of West Carr Hill Road shortly before 6 p.m. When deputies responded to the scene they found the driver, 41-year-old Amy Baker, unconscious with head injuries.
Baker’s husband, who was a passenger in the vehicle, told police they hit a deer, causing them to run off the road, hit a mailbox and run through a tree line. The vehicle came to a rest in a front yard.
Deputies said the deer hit the front of the vehicle, flew over the hood and through the windshield. The deer was found in the rear of the vehicle. Deputies said they had never seen anything like it.
Baker was taken by medical helicopter to IU Health Methodist Hospital. Friday morning, she was listed in critical condition.
Law enforcement officials believe this ending to a deer collision is very unusual.
“I’ve heard of those cases, but that’s a small percentage of car deer collisions,” Greenwood Assistant Police Chief Matthew Fillenwarth said.
It happened just south of Columbus Thursday night at dusk.
That’s the time of day wildlife officials warn is most common for deer versus vehicle crashes.
And they say half of vehicle wrecks involving deer happen between October and December.
“Not only are you in the hunting season, but the deer are in mating season and they run all over the place,” Fillenwarth said.
April Barnes with Roadmaster Drivers School teaches safety to new truck drivers.
She said no matter what type of vehicle you’re driving, deer can cause major damage.
“Deer on the road can cause several thousand dollars in damage to vehicles and to trucks,” she said.
She recommends always using your brights on rural roads whenever possible.
“If you have your bright lights on you have more opportunity to see a wider view so that you can see them in the ditches,” she said.
Often deer jump in front of traffic faster than we can react.
So the bottom line for surviving a collision is slowing down and hitting the deer with the front of the vehicle.
“The best thing to do is slow down and hit the deer, because if you swerve to miss it, you’re going to cause a worse accident than what the deer could cause,” she said.
The Indiana Department of Natural Resources wants to remind drivers to pay attention to the deer crossing signs.
Since they’re posted all year, drivers can get used to seeing them and not pay attention.
But this time of year they can be helpful for marking areas known for deer.