This weekend, two riders where injured when they hit a deer in West Union Township. The motorcycle was headed east on Todd County Road 2 when the collision took place. Each was taken to the St Cloud Hospital.
The Minnesota Department of Traffic Safety’s "Crash Facts 2007" indicated that there were 3,144 vehicle-deer accidents reported last year with 336 injuries and six fatalities.
The Duluth News Tribune recently published some helpful suggestions:
Rule 1: Treat every deer as if it’s going to cross in front of you. If you assume a deer feeding on the shoulder is going to hold its position until you have gone by, you’re just an accident waiting to happen.
Rule 2: Drive according to the conditions. If the night is foggy, rainy, or slippery, you might not be able to prevent a collision, but you can minimize the damage if you’re driving slowly enough. Don’t just speed along and hope nothing gets in your way.
Rule 3: Keep your eyes on the road at all times. You may only have a second or two to react to a deer crossing the highway. If you’re not an attentive driver, you can get hurt.
While there is no liability claim for the driver of the car, passengers may still have a claim for liability depending on the facts of the collision. It is important that these case be investigated early by an Attorney who does this type of work. Hopefully, both of these people will heal up quickly.
