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	Franklin County, Kansas, USA

2009-11-07

2009-11-04

2009-11-05

Agriculture

Lifestyles

Tuesday, November 18, 2008 11:37 AM

Photo by Elliot J. Sutherland/The Ottawa Herald

A vehicle passes by a sign warning motorists to be aware of deer Monday evening on U.S. 59 north of Ottawa. Deer rutting season generally runs from October through December, which typically leads to a larger number of vehicle-deer crashes, a news release from the Kansas Highway Patrol said.

Vehicle-deer collisions increase slightly

Rutting time puts animals on the move

By JODIE GARCIA, Herald Staff Writer

Clarence McIlvain didn’t see the deer until it was too late.

“The deer just jumped out in front of me, plain and simple,” the Ottawa resident said. “I didn’t have a chance to even hit the brakes.”

McIlvain’s accident happened Friday morning in the 1900 block of Sand Creek Road, according to law enforcement reports.

He said the deer he hit was in a group with two others. The deer was small — weighing less than 100 pounds — but it did about $2,000 in damages, he said.

McIlvain joins several Franklin Countians and other motorists who have been involved in recent vehicle-deer accidents.

Deer rutting season generally runs from October through December, which typically leads to a larger number of vehicle-deer crashes, a news release from the Kansas Highway Patrol said.

Five fatalities and 298 injuries were reported in 2007 from vehicle-deer collisions, the release said.

Deer accounted for 9,417 of vehicle-deer collisions in Kansas last year, or 13.3 percent of all collisions, the release said.

In Franklin County, the number of vehicle-deer collisions is a bit higher this year compared to 2007, Franklin County Sheriff Craig Davis said.

Davis said he couldn’t give any specific reasons for the increase.

But he said certain locations throughout the county seem to have more accidents than others, including Vermont Road north of Rantoul and between Rantoul and K-68, Sand Creek Road between U.S. 59 and Idaho Road, and K-68 between Ottawa and Pomona.

I-35 is another common location for vehicle-deer crashes, he said.

That said, motorists should be on the lookout for deer everywhere, Davis said.

“They can be anywhere,” he said.

Davis said motorists should be especially vigilant during dawn and dusk and look for eyes at night.

Other tips from the Kansas Highway Patrol include:

• Increase following distance between vehicles to allow more time to slow down and avoid a collision.

• Drive at a modest speed, especially on roads near woods, parks, streams or creeks.

• Watch for deer-crossing signs, which are placed in area where vehicle-deer collisions have occurred frequently.

• Deer usually travel in groups. When one deer crosses the road, be prepared to stop for others.

• Slow down when approaching deer standing near roadsides. They have a tendency to bolt, possibly onto the roadway. Use emergency flashers to warn oncoming drivers after seeing deer near a roadway.

• Always wear a seat belt and use child safety seats when appropriate.

• Some of the most serious crashes occur when drivers lose control of their vehicles trying to avoid an animal. Do not take unsafe evasive actions. It is usually safer to strike the deer than to strike another object, such as a tree or another vehicle.

If you hit a deer, pull over onto the shoulder, turn on the emergency flashers and watch for traffic before exiting. Do not try to remove a deer from the roadway unless it is dead; injured deer can be dangerous.

Anyone involved in a vehicle-deer crash resulting in personal injury or property damage totaling $1,000 or more is required to immediately report the crash to the nearest law enforcement agency.

Failure to report is a misdemeanor and could result in suspension of driving privileges, the release said.

McIlvain, who reported his collision, said he wasn’t speeding and didn’t think he could have avoided the collision.

“It’s just one of those things,” he said. “There’s a lot of deer in this country.”