Another WJHS senior killed in accident today

the article on WRAL says that it was car vs. tree due to swerving to miss a deer...


"Troopers said that Howard was driving about 55 mph in a 45-mph zone around 4:30 a.m. when her vehicle ran off the road, struck a tree and caught on fire. In the wreck report, Howard said she swerved to avoid a deer, but troopers could not confirm that." ~WRAL

http://www.wral.com/news/news_briefs/story/7611322/

 

How could you CONFIRM a deer incident anyway in a case like this? She didn't hit the deer, so of course it ran off. If she says she swerved to miss it, then who's to say it did not happen like that? How can you confirm it?????? :?::?

Prayers for all the families involved.......:cry::grouphug:

 

Sounds ridiculous to me that they'd expect the deer to wait around and possibly offer a statement.

That said, I'm still racking my brains over why they were leaving a part at that time of the morning. Seems doubtful that a curfew of 0500 would be in place, and FWIW, the safe thing to have done would have been to RON in place.

Did discuss this very thing with DD about making the safe choices. Also told her she'd ride the bus to HS until she graduates, to reduce the risk.

 

:iagree: My boys can get their permits now but I am in NO HURRY. The bus system is just fine!

 

DH and I were discussing this again last night. Does anyone know what our statistics are versus other counties in the state. If these have been posted previously and I missed it, my apologies. I remember some accidents when I was in school, but nothing like what is going on here. But there were "only" probably 3500 or so HS kids in our county. So are we having some sort of epidemic or is this statistically the same as other areas, tragic though it is. :?

 

those articles have all been updated since i posted.

the original new stories only said "tree". the first "deer" comment was 4th hand info posted here, and stated that they "hit a deer". later, the story on wral changed to say that the driver 'claimed she swirved to miss a deer, but troopers could not confirm'.

4th hand info, not news story.
hit a deer, not swirved to miss a deer.

just trying to get the story straight. you people need to ease up on the smart-assedness

 

In theory that sounds like a good idea. But realistically, I would be hard pressed to suggest that to my child. I see deers all the time and we are talking deers not Bambi. I can imagine horrible results either. The odds are just as great that hitting a large animal will cause the loss of control as well. As an adult, I would probably have swerved to avoid hitting the deer. Just a sad situation and very difficult decision for anyone to make in a split second.

 

I'm not being argumentative, but do you have anything to back that up? I've always heard you are better off to hit the animal because it is not an immovable object, like a tree. I don't swerve, period. I've stood on my breaks several times, close enough to be able to count the hairs on their tails, but I do not ever swerve.

 

I would think the only time you 'might' want to swerve is if it were a really large animal like a moose or a horse where it is likely to come through the windshield.

 

DONT swerve!!! You'll end up killing yourself or another passenger. Oh wait.... :?

 

me either! I was actually taught that in driver's ed way back in 1979. I come from a small town where deer in the road is the norm. Still is.

 

Trust me, a deer CAN come through the windshield and kill you. They can also EASILY total out your car.

We had a case here in PA where the deer jumped off a bank on top of the car, put its legs through a lady's convertible top, and kicked until she was dead.

 

OY, the ones down here are NOT big Mule Deer like up north or out West.

 

They're big enough. The only time I've ever hit a deer was on Highway 42 coming out of Fuquay. Very nearly totalled my car...

 

I'd rather total my car than die, or kill someone in my car.

 

I can deal with my car being totalled, can't really deal with me being DEAD because I swerved, lost control of my car and hit a tree, house, etc...

 

No mule deer here, but plenty of white tails. You can usually see their eyes shining in your headlights. They always seem to dart in a panic when you get close to them, so you don't know what they're going to do. Dangerous!

 

in all honesty here if you do not hit the animal then you will be charged with careless and wreckless.. plain and simple. For the reason being so many people claim to missing the animal when in all honesty they just were not paying attention and ran off the road..

HIT the animal.. yes a deer may come thru your windshield, saw that happen, but you take your chances with an animal verses another car or tree!!

 

Insurance will cover you hitting the deer. If your swerve, hit a mailbox, ditch, tree, or any other object, your insurance will not cover it.

 

I would think it would depend on the type of coverage you have. OH MAFIA.....WHERE ARE YOU??? :?