Deer Related Wreck in Wilkesboro

Thankfully, no one was injured in a one car wreck involving a deer yesterday morning.  About 1am Thursday, a Millers Creek man was traveling on Hwy 268 when he swerved and left the roadway to avoid colliding with a deer.  His 2004 Ford went down an embankment and hit a tree.  Again the driver reported no injuries, but his vehicle sustained 4000 dollars in damages and he was charged in the incident with unsafe movement.  According to the UNC Highway Safety Research Center (HSRC), there are about 15,000 deer accidents in North Carolina every year resulting in millions of dollars in property damage.  Half of these crashes occur in the months of October, November, and December.  As temperatures drop both male and female deer are on the move to find new sources of food.  This amounts to more deer crossing more roads.  Finally, experts say, most deer-related injuries and deaths are a result of motorists swerving off the road to avoid a collision as was the case in yesterday’s wreck in Wilkesboro.  So, if a deer bounds in front of you, be careful to not lose control of your vehicle.