RIDEGURU
Was out last night driving overnight like I do most nights. I know how bad the deer are so I am very careful. Had just dropped a family of 6 off. Had a F150 with his highbeams on coming up opposite lane, headed up a hill I couldnt see over, was well under speed limit, had brakes on lightly when I started down hill. The deer was so small he didnt even come up to the bumper of my SUV. I didnt see him until it was too late. I didnt have much room to swerve but cut to the right and hit the brakes. It was too late. I got out and went over and he was still alive. No blood, no wounds, was breathing, legs were in normal position but he couldnt get up. I was on a pitch black road, i put every light I could on my truck, I lit my phone up. I am standing on a dark road at 2am diverting traffic away from this poor, helpless, baby deer who laid there staring at me as I cried. I had a blanket in the car that i just wanted to wrap him in and take him to get help but didnt have a clue where to go. Police finally got there which seemed like an eternity. I told them what happened. I asked if they could take him some where. The policemen hesitated. I knew what that meant. I asked him if they could at least put him down. What really bothers me is he couldve been saved. I assume it was just a broken leg or 2. There wasnt a scratch on my car his body was intact. So senseless. I found out later there was a wild animal rescue 20 min away. Why didnt the cop know this? I wouldve taken him myself, put him in my car myself. In 38 yrs of driving I've never even rode over road kill let alone a living animal. I cant get his cute little face off  my mind. Biggest fear came true last night. Worst night driving ever. Would've rather been cleaning puke. 😢😢
My worst fear came true while driving last night. Would've rather been cleaning vomit off my car.😥😥😥
Posted 5Â years, 4Â months ago
Posted In
Angry Drivers
Passengers from hell? Complaints or suggestions for Uber and Lyft? Glaring problem with the industry? Do you have stories of your horrible experiences with rideshare services? Leave your comments here and share your stories.
Posted By
Monica Castleberry (momof4)
8198
Rider
Driver
Ride Expert from Philadelphia PA
Mom & Nursing Student by day Ride Share Driver by night always on the go
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Comments
I'm very sorry about what you've experienced. Rideshare drivers can write a book about their experiences and it would make a great book. Hang in there. What city do you drive in?
I sometimes wonder why no one has written a book or made a TV show:) I live in Philadelphia right on border of Bensalem (Bucks County PA). I drive in Philly, Bucks, NJ, and sometimes the dreaded trips to NY (Mahatten, JFK, & La Guardia). Deer are bad in Philly, but the worst in Bucks and NJ. The cheapass townships should put some street lights up and that may help. I am super cautious from 5pm to 6am. I know these roads well and know where deer are. Unfortunately last night was a combination of issues (darkness, highbeams, a hill you cannot see over, a small baby deer). I can usually spot deer but this little one didnt even reach my bumper. As I said my SUV didnt have a scratch on it  Hell the deer didnt have  scratch. Thats why I am more upset. He could've been helped. I assume his leg or legs may have been fractured. Visibly nothing wrong with him. He was moving trying to get up. I thought about it the rest of the night & still thinking about it. He didnt seem …
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I sometimes wonder why no one has written a book or made a TV show:) I live in Philadelphia right on border of Bensalem (Bucks County PA). I drive in Philly, Bucks, NJ, and sometimes the dreaded trips to NY (Mahatten, JFK, & La Guardia). Deer are bad in Philly, but the worst in Bucks and NJ. The cheapass townships should put some street lights up and that may help. I am super cautious from 5pm to 6am. I know these roads well and know where deer are. Unfortunately last night was a combination of issues (darkness, highbeams, a hill you cannot see over, a small baby deer). I can usually spot deer but this little one didnt even reach my bumper. As I said my SUV didnt have a scratch on it  Hell the deer didnt have  scratch. Thats why I am more upset. He could've been helped. I assume his leg or legs may have been fractured. Visibly nothing wrong with him. He was moving trying to get up. I thought about it the rest of the night & still thinking about it. He didnt seem in pain. His breathing was fine, he was calm. I am now thinking maybe he was just in shock. Maybe if I tried to.pet him or move him maybe he could've got up. His legs were not twisted ior in a weird position. He was frozen when I hit him he didnt even try to move. Same thing happened last week. I had to get out of my car to chase a baby off the on ramp as soon as my lights hit it he froze. Adults tend to run but babies freeze ("a deer in headlight"). Maybe after I left and cops went to pick.him up he did get up. I know that 99.999999%  sure that didnt happen but like to think maybe he was in fact in shock. Just trying to get image out of my head of a cop standing over him with well you know. Really dont want to add that last part. Thanks for the kind words. Baby Deer RIP on the Rainbow Bridge. 😥😥😥 Hope to never go through that again. However very grateful I didnt get physicslly hurt, no one else got hurt, no damage to SUV. Thanks to LG PA for telling me about a place I can take a wild animal in an emergency. Just wish I knew last night. Thanks for your kind words uberserge.
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Oh man, I totally relate to this post. I am terrified of hitting an animal while driving. I once went around the block again because I feared I had hit a baby bird and I just could not leave it there. Luckily I must have missed it. Do not beat yourself up though these things happen and I am sure the deer appreciated being put out of its misery.
PS: I am glad you are ok.
Thank you. I included a link to the wild animal refuge in post below. Very interesting. They give you great tips on what wild animals you can handle, how to handle, and what to do for them. Check it out. At least now I can help instead of leaving it up to other people just to dispose of them.Â
Thanks - I can't find the link? I would like this resource! Thanks!
Did you get it? I called there on Monday. One of the choices was to talk to a  woman in Education Dept. I left her a Vm. She did call me back but I was sleeping. Going to try her again tomorrow. I want to know if that township knows about their organization. If so I am going to visit their Police Station to have a talk with their captain. If they dont know going to suggest this place maybe send some info out to surrounding police stations. They are in the Suburbs. Hundreds if not thousands of deer up there. State parks, woods, etc.
Www.aark.org
It's buried under one of my replies:) You know the novels I post:)
Thank you all for your kind words and support. This was very hard. Still not happy about the outcome.
Im so sorry to hear this but glad you are ok. My friends brother passed away from hitting a deer, these things can be really scary.Â
My mom has one of those deer whistle things on the front of her car. I don't know if it works but perhaps you can look into it?
I heard they dont work from multiple prople including police. Here they are cheap though so I am trying it. It cant hurt. Sorry for your loss. One of my riders told me her father died when he hit a deer. Mine was a tiny baby.Â
Im sorry that is just so sad and horrible to have to witness but do know that these things happen and it was not your fault.
Thank you Mariyama! I know. Had I killed it I would've been less upset. Maybe not. To stand over it helplessly and watch it just lie there was hard. He was just a baby. I've been a Medical Assistant & Med Tech my entire life. Trained to help and fix the sick & injured. I was too afraid to touch him. Had I known about the wild life clinic & website I could've saved him. I was 10/15 min away from there. Had a blanket and vehicle to place him in comfortably. All the info how to handle him was on the site. It was safe for me to touch him, pick him up, and take him to the clinic. Kind of surprised that the police officers who showed up didnt know about this place. They obviously work a short distance from it. Now I know what to do if it ever happens again. Thanks again.
A few decades ago I hit a rabbit. Never knew they could scream. And scream a lot. Best to be quick and back over them. As horrible as that sounds it is a mercy. Putting these animals in your car is a great risk to your and your passengers health. We put the rabbit in a towel to bury it and what happened next was absolutely horrid. Hundreds of little ticks were crawling all over the towel. We buried towel too and then everyone had an extremely thorough tick check. I can imagine it would be much worse with a deer and very dangerous for humans to get bitten.
Oh, man. So sorry to hear this. I’ve plowed over a group of turkeys once, and it haunted me for years Â
My worst nightmare is hitting a live person but this comes close.Â
You mean gaggle.Â
Or is it a flock. Â Someone look it up.Â
I felt almost bad upvoting this post. Sorry you had to witness that, no fun.
Your comment about the upvote made me smile. Thanks 🤮
Yep, because at least with vomit you know you will be getting $150 cash soon. No money for hitting a deer....
Your missing the point....
Point missed!!! I see. 😊
Wait, did the policemen just shoot the deer?!
I asked if we could take it somewhere he hesitated then said nothing. I then asked could they at least put it down so it didnt suffer? He said yes. Apparently when wild animals are injured and nowhere to take them or they are really bad off they do shoot them. However there was a place to take it, I truly believe he couldve lived and wasnt badly injured.  He wasnt crying, he was breathing fairly normally not labored or shallow, i didnt run him over, i clipped him with my bumper. No blood at all, no open wounds, all 4 legs were at normal angles, and he did try to get up. I think he may have injured his front legs. I found out they stay still (play dead) its their only defense at that age. This one did move a few times but still for the most part.  I wouldve wrapped him in blanket put him in my SUV and took it myself. I didnt know about it at the time .  I am really angry about how it was handled. The wild life place wasnt far 10/20 min. It's not new. Dont you think …
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I asked if we could take it somewhere he hesitated then said nothing. I then asked could they at least put it down so it didnt suffer? He said yes. Apparently when wild animals are injured and nowhere to take them or they are really bad off they do shoot them. However there was a place to take it, I truly believe he couldve lived and wasnt badly injured. Â He wasnt crying, he was breathing fairly normally not labored or shallow, i didnt run him over, i clipped him with my bumper. No blood at all, no open wounds, all 4 legs were at normal angles, and he did try to get up. I think he may have injured his front legs. I found out they stay still (play dead) its their only defense at that age. This one did move a few times but still for the most part. Â I wouldve wrapped him in blanket put him in my SUV and took it myself. I didnt know about it at the time . Â I am really angry about how it was handled. The wild life place wasnt far 10/20 min. It's not new. Dont you think in an area that has a bunch of wild life these first responders would know about it. They take any wild life 24/7 365 days per year. Â Guaranteed the officer new about it. He is a cop that works in the area. Now I know what to do, how to handle the animal, and where to take it. Unfortunately a little too late for that baby deer. Good info on their site. Hopefully it never happens again. You may not be anywhere near this place but it has a lot of good info.Â
https://www.aark.org/
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Wow, that is terrible. It is like he didn't even think to try and help the animal or think of a different solution. I am so sorry you had to witness that.
That is what annoys me now. Had he told me about AARC I didnt even need him to do anything. Just stand there for a few min so we didnt get hit by another car why I got him off the road. I assume in their mind the deer would probably end up dead soon enough anyway. Being a cop is a tough job, the things they witness, the people they deal with. If they tried to help every wild animal that people injured or ran over there would be no time for real police work. I do have to say that the area I was in was the suburbs, wealthier people not much crime. Bars had just closed so maybe they get a little busy then but its pretty quiet there.