ROCKINGHAM — A Richmond County Sheriff’s deputy was slightly injured Thursday morning after hitting a deer.
According to the N.C. State Highway Patrol, the call came in around 4:47 a.m. and the incident occurred on U.S. 220 near exit 23.
Chief Deputy Mark Gulledge said the unnamed deputy sustained minor injuries and was treated and released from FirstHealth Moore Regional Hospital-Richmond.
The patrol car, on the other hand, sustained “substantial damage,” Gulledge added.
The sheriff’s office is waiting to hear back from the insurance adjuster, he said.
Both Gulledge and the Highway Patrol said there have been several wrecks involving deer in recent weeks.
According to the N.C. Department of Transportation, there were 18,826 animal-related collisions across the state in 2018. In the past three years, nine people have been killed and nearly 3,000 injured.
Most deer-related crashes (22%) happen during the month of November, according to the DOT.
Last month, the DOT issued the following safety tips to help decrease the chance of a collision:
- Slow down in areas posted with deer crossing signs and in heavily wooded areas, especially during the late afternoon and evening.
- Always be sure to wear your seat belt. Most people injured in deer-vehicle crashes were not wearing their seat belt.
- Results indicate that most deer-vehicle crashes occur in areas where deer are more likely to travel, such as near bridges or overpasses, railroad tracks, streams and ditches. Therefore, be vigilant when passing through potentially risky landscapes.
- Drive with high beams on when possible and watch for eyes reflecting in the headlights.
- Keep in mind that deer often travel in groups, so if you see one deer fly across the road there may be another not far behind!
- To alert and scare an oncoming deer off the road, slow down and blow your horn with one long blast. Do not rely on devices such as deer whistles or reflectors to deter deer. These devices have not been proven to actually reduce deer-vehicle crashes.
- Always maintain a safe amount of distance between your vehicle and other cars, especially at night. If the car ahead of you hits a deer, you could also become involved in the crash.
- Do not swerve to avoid a collision with deer. This could cause you to lose control of your vehicle, and increases the risk of it flipping over, veering it into oncoming traffic or overcorrecting and running off the road and/or causing a more serious crash.
- Lastly, if your vehicle does strike a deer, do not touch the animal. A frightened and wounded deer can hurt you or further injure itself. The best procedure is to get your car off the road if possible and call 911.
