Oh Dear---Part Deux

Ready for this one????  Wait for it....I hit a deer yesterday morning! I was on my way to the middle school with Lily and two of her friends for a field trip. It was really dark out (about 6:15 a.m.) and out of nowhere a deer slammed into the hood of my car! 


Really!!! 


I know this probably sounds like a joke. How can one woman have this many strange events involving a car in less than 5 years! But, it's true. 

Deer fur galore!!!

We are all okay (I had a few minor bumps and bruises)!!! Yay! And the girls handled it all perfectly (they were all fine!).





A friend happened on the scene of the accident and was able to take the three girls with her to the middle school. They made it in time to attend their field trip. I stayed behind to deal with the tire that was stuck in a ditch and to give the state trooper all of my info. Once again, damage to the front of the car---hood, grill, headlights, fog lights, etc., as well as, air bags going off and a broken seat belt to replace.

Deer dent

The car was still operable. So, I made it back home and John drove me to Durham (in his vehicle) to catch up with the kids on the field trip. 

Missing Nissan symbol
(If you see a doe emblazoned with a Nissan logo, I think it might belong to me)

Just another exciting day in the country!!!! To read about my other vehicular incidents...#1, #2, #3.

"Lucky" Incidents

Let me say I have some pretty unusual luck. Like the time the car hit me and Shelly while we were sitting in a golf cart or the time the deer ran out in front of us and hit our car. On one hand, we weren't so lucky to be hit by a car, but on the other hand Shelly walked away from that accident with only a tiny scratch on her face. And, when the deer hit us, the car was pretty beat up but we were fine...scared, but all in one piece.


So, I guess it was time to add to our series of oddly "lucky" incidents. The girls and I were headed to Fredericksburg, VA to see my niece at college. It was a pretty easy and fun drive with the girls. We were on Interstate 95 checking out all of the various car/truck license plates and singing along to an old CD. At right about that moment, we heard a loud bang (much like an explosive gun shot sound) and I turned toward my driver side window to see the glass shattering from the window into the car. I was able to move the car off of the road onto the right shoulder. It was a scary few moments of assessing what had just happened and deciding what to do next.


So, I called 911 and waited as the VDOT assistance guy arrived. Then the EMTs came to check on us and finally the VA state trooper. There was much speculation as to what might have happened, but no clear determination.



We were .4 of a mile from our exit and so we went to our hotel, checked in and I called the auto glass people. We were able to get the car window covered and the glass cleaned up on Friday night with an appointment for the following morning to replace the window.





On Saturday morning they replaced the window in about 30 minutes and we were as good as new.



And, that ends yet another story in our series of "lucky" incidents!

Oh Dear, A Deer!

Last night the girls and I finished up their gymnastics classes, went to dinner at Chik-Fil-A and then stopped off at Harris Teeter for some lunch items for them.

We got back in the car and had the radio playing and we had just started listening to a new song that we all agreed was pretty good. As we continued to head north toward home we were all suddenly jolted to a crashing stop with a loud booming sound and the air bag deploying in front of me. The streets were dark and I never saw him coming. A large 6 point (or perhaps 8) deer slammed into our car. In the last moments of the impact, I could see his huge body flying toward the windshield. In the back seat, the girls were safely buckled into their seats, but I could hear them crying. I asked them if they were ok and then told them we had hit a deer. We were lucky that on this dark street no traffic was right behind us or coming toward us in the opposite direction. I was able to move the car off the road, call 911, and call John. The girls and I carefully exited the car and stood on the side of the road. The firetruck arrived and soon after so did the police. They were all terrific and so good to the girls, who were both cold and very scared. I could see the deer back down the road and he was lying on his side, obviously dead...he was big. We watched as a good ol' red neck arrived in his big truck to shovel the deer into the truck bed. Oddly, as he drove off he tooted the horn at us. I guess that's a red neck's way of saying thanks for the deer meat. I found that all a little surreal. The damage to the car all appears to be underneath the body of the car. I am assuming he hit us and then somehow got caught underneath the vehicle. The back of my car was covered in deer fur...sad. As I recall this scary event I am sooooo thankful that my girls are safe, that I'm ok, and that the circumstances didn't create a worse outcome. For now, we'll wait and see what the insurance people say about the car. If that's the worst of our situation, I feel blessed. 

(Deer photos are not of the actual deer, just one of his many relatives, I assume)