This is what a deer strike looks like

[roadhog]

This is the damage after hitting a deer at ~60mph just before dawn on a two-lane highway a couple weeks ago.

Thank goodness for good insurance. $10,080 for parts and labor. Yikes!

[BillAileo]

Unfortunately, we already well know what a deer strike looks like: twice with our S80, and three times with our older Volvos. The good news is that each time we have been uninjured and the deer damage is covered under comprehensive component of car insurance. I understand that there are now well over half a million incidents of deer damage per year and the number is expected to continue to grow....

Bill

[tgwillard]

We hit a deer while driving my wife's old 240 and suffered about $2,000 in damage.

[roadhog]

Yes, this one was under comprehensive as well. Only $50 deductible. Nice. I've never hit a deer before this so not sure what is "normal". But it was a good sized deer and aside from crumpling of course, my xc70 didn't even flinch. Just plowed right through it without the slightest force felt by me. Quite happy with that.

I glanced in my mirror and noticed the deer about 6 feet in the air spinning wildly amid the cloud of volvo debris. When I pulled over and walked back it was deader than a doornail.

[Rustpot]

While I've been close a few times (swerved into the clear oncoming lane, slammed brakes with no one behind me, deer ran at last second, car just ahead of me got hit in the door by a runner) my dad has gotten hit by one;) twice.

First in northern Minnesota while taking a trip along northern Superior shore. Took out the headlight, popped the crumple zone on his '05 Impala lease.

Second was outside Lansing on a freeway onramp in my '99 Bonneville. Car was deemed totaled, insurance payoff got me the '01 XC I have today, which is now sitting invalid after $6000 in falling snow damage.

I want to get a lightbar or bumper bar and wire them into my highbeams so I can keep a better eye on the treeline at the side of the road and around corners better. For the ~5 close calls, I've had a dozen that were easily avoided by being alert and slowing down for deer on/by the road. Makes me wonder if the close calls could've been nothing worth noting had I had better vision. I find the coverage from the XC lights to be lacking.

[budrichard]

Did you have the LEO tag the deer and did you then take possesion?-Dick

[ellita]

A friend of mine hit a deer on a Maine country rd several years back. The deer bounced off the front of his 240 wagon, and then crushed the hood.

The deer was not killed immediately, but was screaming on the side of road when another motorist stopped to assist. Although this good samaritan had a gun in her car, she was too squeamish to shoot it. Eventually, a cop showed up to put the deer out of its misery and tag it.

My friend could have taken the deer home at that point, but he was not enthusiastic about eating roadkill. He gave the carcass to the cop, ripped off the hood from his car, and drove it home. The only thing that it took to fix the 240 was a new hood, although it looked like a typical Maine beater car after that--since the colors didn't match.

[JRL]

Glad you're OK, a friend of mine got killed when he hit a deer.
It flew throught the windshield, somehow that killed him :(

[budrichard]

Remember, when you see one, there are MORE with that one!-Dick

[jmeljr]

My parents hit 3 deer in one year about a decade ago about an hour north of Detroit on a two lane road in the "country" by their house. I had several close calls growing up, once in a 78 silver anniversary vette. Slammed on the brakes, went sideways pointing into the woods and decided to get off the brakes and back on the gas as deer move and tree's dont! Straightened right out and sure enough the deer moved.

Like JRL's friend, a lady that lived on a dirt road by us hit a deer and it flew right through the windshield and killed her instantly. You do not hear much of that happening but it does from time to time.

Glad you are ok.