Pacifica vs Deer... I hate deer

[471_Magnum]

Just wrapped up our holiday travel obligations for yet one more Christmas.

This year will go down in infamy though.

We were cruising down the two lane in southern Illinois heading back to Indiana when a buck decided to cross the street before looking both ways. No chance to swerve enough to avoid him. THUNK!

I'm considering my family and I to be fortunate: nobody hurt (if you don't count Bambi), no air bags deployed, and the vehicle is drivable. We were doing 60 mph, and I got on the brakes and veered just enough to avoid a direct hit. Tore the crap out of the car though.

Hood, fender and door are all wrinkled. I'm sure there is plenty of damage below the skin as well. Fender is pushed into the door, so it won't open.  I'll wait for daylight for a better assessment, but no doubt it exceeds my $500 deductible.

Deer got knocked off the side of the road. I would have liked to have gone back to get a better look at him, but the pregnant wife and five year old daughter were already freaked out enough.

I almost drove my Mazda Protege5 today instead. I'm glad I didn't. Nobody would have fared as well.

[Ghoste]

I'm glad the family are all okay. 

[69bronzeT5]

I'm glad you and your family are okay. Seems like the car faired pretty well based on the pictures. My dad hit a buck head on back in 2003 or so and totalled my mom's '90 Bonneville SSE. Toasted the whole front end. He was lucky, it jumped over the meridian and he hit it just as the front legs came down. If it was already grounded it probally would of gone through the windshield.

[471_Magnum]

We were very fortunate that it wasn't a direct hit where he went over the hood. That's how people get killed.

The Pacifica rides pretty high, and the buck seemed to have his head down as he was stepping onto the roadway. A split second later, he would have been in the middle of the lane and it would have been really ugly.

I've replayed it in my head a thousand times already. Not so much to second guess myself, but more to reaffirm my reactions. Had I braked harder, I still wouldn't have stopped in time (road was wet/icy) and that buck would have made it further into the roadway. A more evasive maneuver could have spun the car. All things considered, that situation played out a well as it could have.

Been making those trips through rural southern Illinois for many years now and seen many deer carcasses, and had a few near misses. This is the first time either my wife or I have nailed one. Guess we were due.

[bull]

Crap. Sorry about that. I've never been able to talk to anyone who's owned a Pacifica and I've always wondered if they're good cars. Other than being attracted to deer, do you like yours?

[66chargerkid]

Well I am just glad you and your family are safe.
Insurance companies hate dear I am sure. They are the reason we shoot them because of *overpopulation* LMAO 

[BBKNARF]

Frightening feeling happen to me years ago.

[Skinypete]

I hit a small deer last year in my 1994 Cherokee and it did about $1100 in damage, just a fender and the grill. So yeah it definitely will exceed the deductible.  Glad to hear that everyone was okay.

[b5blue]

Glad you are all OK! Had a friend years ago who had a deer jump into the rear door widow of a 4 door Impala! He drove home with it hanging 1/2 out, butchered it an ate it!