deer collision
(Image: Words and pictures on screen: Deer ion in Mankato, Minnesota, 
11/06/2010. Interview: 12/13/2010.  Chris Blake, Driver; Sue Blake Passenger; 
Don Schroeder, Other Driver
(Speaker: Sue Blake)
We had just actually said to each other, hunting season had started, we know 
there are deer on that road occasionally, be aware of that. 
(Speaker: Chris Blake) And Sue said, "deer!" 
(Speaker: Sue Blake) I remember seeing, illuminated in our headlights and the 
oncoming car's headlights, four legs. 
(Speaker: Don Schroeder) I never seen him where he came from, he just all of a 
sudden was there. 
(Speaker: Chris Blake) And another car had been approaching us in the other 
lane, and that's all I remember. 
(Speaker: Don Schroeder) I hit the brakes. The deer-- I hit him. He went up over
the car, or it looked to me like he went up over the car, right over the 
driver's side corner of the windshield. And I was just hoping somebody wouldn't 
hit him. But I heard the second impact. 
(Speaker: Sue Blake) But it came through the windshield, which I really honestly
was unaware of. I was aware of a strong rush of air and I realized the 
windshield had broken. I remember trying to stop the car, realizing he wasn't in
control. And I was reaching for the ignition and then I thought, oh I could just
slam it into park, it's right in between us. And about that time the car came to
a stop. And then Chris sat up covered in blood, some of it his, some of it 
belonged to the creature. Wasn't until later in the hospital that the trooper 
told me the deer had actually gone completely through the car. 
(Speaker: Chris Blake) So it took the windshield out. It took a good portion of 
the dashboard out where the CD player is and part of the seat. And then it took 
out the back windshield and part of the door. 
(Speaker: Sue Blake) The surgeon estimated that the deer hit him at about 140 
miles an hour, impact wise. So he has quite a few plates in his face holding it 
together. And actually said it was the worst he had ever seen. He's had 20 hours
of facial reconstruction already. 
(Speaker: Chris Blake) Where they basically had to put this part of my face, 
this middle part of my face, back together. There are still a lot of things that
I'm concerned about, like inability to see. I still can't see very good out of 
my right eye. And I still have a lot of numbness, and I can't use my teeth very 
well right now because that's all still in the course of healing. But I'm 
thankful to be alive, and I'm thankful my family all survived too. So. 
(Speaker: Sue Blake) Absolutely it could have been worse. The car could have 
veered into oncoming traffic, we could have rolled as we went down the ditch, he
could have been killed instantly. Any one of us could have-- my understanding 
when deer go through cars, now that this has happened to us, most of the time 
when a deer goes through a car, one or more occupants dies. 
(Image: Interior and exterior of wrecked car)
(Image: Words on screen) Bob Webb, State Farm Agent, New Ulm, Minnesota)
(Speaker: Bob Webb) Deer around this area, you could get up to 250, 280 pounds. 
And when you hit an animal like that going 55 miles an hour, it does substantial
damage to the vehicle. If you hit them straight on, they can come up over the 
car and into the windshield, where you can create some really bad damage and 
some injuries to the people inside. Anywhere from $1,400, $1,500 damage to 
totalling your car. Most deer hits are well in the $1,200 plus range.