4 Things to Do After Hitting a Deer

When you go on vacation to someplace rural, you get to enjoy the beauty of nature up close. However, sometimes Mother Nature gets a little too close for comfort, and a deer or other large animal may cross the path of your car. A collision can be alarming, but it’s nothing you can’t handle.

Pull Over

Immediately pull off the road and put on your blinkers. If the vehicle can’t be moved, put on the blinkers and leave it where it is. Get yourself and your passengers a safe distance away from the vehicle instead. 

Keep Away

If the animal is alive, do not approach it. Unless you are a trained veterinarian, there is nothing you can do for it, and attempting to care for or euthanize it may result in it attacking you. If it has passed away and you would like the venison, it may be illegal to take the deer unless you get a carcass tag from a responding police officer.

Get Help

If you or your passengers are injured, call emergency services and request an ambulance. If no one is harmed, report the collision to the police and mention if the deer is posing a hazard to other drivers on the road. If your car is undrivable, contact towing services Hugo MN to bring your car to a body shop for repairs.

Document Damage

If it is safe to do so, take pictures at the scene of the accident. Document the animal itself if it is present so you can prove to your insurance company that everything happened as described. If the accident occurred at night, get what pictures you can of the scene, and then document the rest of the damage during daylight after the car is moved somewhere safe.  

Collisions with wildlife are an inconvenience, but driving away from the accident without contacting the police is illegal in some states. When in doubt, call them. It’s better to do too much than too little.