DATELINE: Tonight, on the highway in a remote rural community where we live, another deer's life was spared because of the quick reactions of a youthful driver -- our daughter Merilee.
Unfortunately for Merilee and passenger Kate (her best friend), the vehicle in which they were traveling rolled and was pronounced dead at the scene by an investigating officer from the Utah Highway Patrol.
EMTs also responded to the 911 call from a passing motorist who witnessed the accident and stopped to assist the passengers. The driver and passenger who were both wearing seat belts were treated at the scene and released.
The vehicle came to rest on the driver's side. Merilee escaped unassisted through the rear window that had been broken out along with all the other windows in the vehicle, and her friend was cut out of her seat belt and assisted by the kindly passing motorist who then managed to tip the vehicle back on its wheels.
It was confirmed later in an interview with the deer's closest relatives who remained at the scene, that the deer had graduated earlier this summer from Woodland Deer Institute with high honors. The deer's mother predicted a long and productive life for her daughter after this close brush with death.
No remuneration by either the deer involved nor her family was offered to our daughter, however.
My reaction? Make that 19 deer in 20 years that have encountered one of our family members in various vehicles that sustained minor damages. The other 18 weren't as lucky as the one tonight -- they were all slaughtered mercilessly by Merilee's brothers and sisters.
Guess some of us aren't so deer friendly. But I also don't remember any of us that did actually hit the deer ending up in an ambulance, so.... :-)
ReplyDeleteIf it makes you feel better, when I was living in Jackson (at the BSA camp with Jake), one of "their own" retaliated on my car one dark night. The deer left a slimy trail on my black car, and ran off in to the distance, probably laughing. It must have confused me with one of your "Goates kids."
ReplyDeleteBut we are so glad both girls are okay. We love them!
The funny part about Lindsey's accident is that the deer T-boned HER! She didn't even have the luxury of seeing it in headlights and swerving - it just ran straight into the driver's side. The deer must have been texting while bounding... Glad to know everybody's alright!
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