Elk vs car

[MeepDog]

I was driving up 395 past colville the night before the modern opener. It was pitch black and I'm alone when I see a huge cow elk in the center lane of the highway dead. I flip a u-turn thinking this is a great chance to fill the freezer so I point my lights at it. Her head pops up because she's still alive but she can't get up. Now I'm thinking roadkill doesn't get any fresher than this, but then I see headlights from oncoming traffic. Uh oh. This elk was in the dead center of the passing lane. I called 911 telling them where it was at and I tried to signal, had my hazards on and flashed my brights. It didnt matter. A full size truck ran straight over the top of it and almost crashes then 2 SUVs clip it and almost crash. I looked around thinking I need to get behind cover because theyre gonna fly into me. Then I turn back around to see a compact car hit the cow square on and launch through the air cartwheeling off the highway into the abyss because it's so dark. Luckily 2 ambulance showed up 15 seconds later with a whole troop of cops because I had called it in early. It was a bummer. I stayed but never did find out what happened to the driver and the cow got turned into road hamburger from getting hit so many times.

[dlow]

Geez, that must have been pretty intense. Too bad she got wasted.

[h2ofowlr]

People just don't pay attention.  You would think they would slow with the hazards on and everything going on.  Bummer deal and a preventable accident.

[NOCK NOCK]

   Was recently in Portland, there was an already hamburgered deer on the road, broad day light, light traffic. Watched 4-5 more cars run right over the 10" tall pile of goo.  How can you not see it? 

[HntnFsh]

The same way drivers don't see a person in the crosswalk in a town that has a crosswalk at 2 intersections. Drives me nuts how many drivers don't pay attention to their surroundings. Witnessed this again today. It's a regular occurrence. 

[hunter399]

Not sure what time of night this occurred.
I was driving home from work around midnight.
Didn't get to see it I guess.
Cause I remember,went to bed at 1am,got up to go hunting at 5am.
Been running around,ever since the opening.
Probably better I did miss it.
Thinking on it,think I did go around some accident,maybe they had moved the animal. I can't remember,sorry.

Was it by Arden.

[BA Mongor]

We have a stretch of highway, from Seal River to the Church, that probably has at least half a dozen or more deer get hit every year. Very few people ever stop to either put them out of their misery or drag them off the road. It's pretty dangerous to stop even with your flashers on. Last week I had to put a doe down that was in the middle of the road and it was frightening with the razor clam traffic. Heck, I had a few rigs that didn't even slow down and just went in the other lane. Some people just don't care and are oblivious to everything else.

My buddy almost got hit a few years back trying to remove a deer in the same area. I was behind him with flashers on, his flashers were on and it was a straight stretch of road. Steve had to jump in the ditch as the truck ran over the deer. The driver missed him by a foot.

[MeepDog]

Not sure what time of night this occurred.
I was driving home from work around midnight.
Didn't get to see it I guess.
Cause I remember,went to bed at 1am,got up to go hunting at 5am.
Been running around,ever since the opening.
Probably better I did miss it.
Thinking on it,think I did go around some accident,maybe they had moved the animal. I can't remember,sorry.

Was it by Arden.

It was just south of chewelah around 830ish. It was off the road shortly after that car used it as a dirt bike ramp.

[robinhoodish]

We have a stretch of highway, from Seal River to the Church, that probably has at least half a dozen or more deer get hit every year. Very few people ever stop to either put them out of their misery or drag them off the road. It's pretty dangerous to stop even with your flashers on. Last week I had to put a doe down that was in the middle of the road and it was frightening with the razor clam traffic. Heck, I had a few rigs that didn't even slow down and just went in the other lane. Some people just don't care and are oblivious to everything else.

My buddy almost got hit a few years back trying to remove a deer in the same area. I was behind him with flashers on, his flashers were on and it was a straight stretch of road. Steve had to jump in the ditch as the truck ran over the deer. The driver missed him by a foot.

are you talking about the old church?

[hunter399]

Not sure what time of night this occurred.
I was driving home from work around midnight.
Didn't get to see it I guess.
Cause I remember,went to bed at 1am,got up to go hunting at 5am.
Been running around,ever since the opening.
Probably better I did miss it.
Thinking on it,think I did go around some accident,maybe they had moved the animal. I can't remember,sorry.

Was it by Arden.

It was just south of chewelah around 830ish. It was off the road shortly after that car used it as a dirt bike ramp.

Ohh wow.
Ya that spot,Arden,just past colville,is where they like to hang.
The spot by chewelah even has elk crossing signs.

[dilleytech]

Sadly the fact you had your hazards on probably distracted the drivers into to seeing what was going on with you and not focusing on the large thing laying in the road.

[Sandberm]

Back in 92-93 I was driving home from my chicks house at probably 1-2 in the morning. 2 lane 50 mph country road with 5 acre lots bordering the north side of the road, desert on the right when I passed in a split second something large in the middle of the road. I backed up to look and it was a dead horse. What ever hit it made it explode in a big pile of guts. There was no cratered in car laying off the side of the road, nothing but darkness.

It was gone later that morning when i came back to see it. Thank God I didn't hit it in my little 2wd Nissan pickup.

And as far as folks slowing down when coming up to a car with its flashers on...I think a lot of folks have the Days of Thunder mentality. Punch it to get through the area faster!

[boneaddict]

What a crazy thing!   That had to have been hairy

[nwwanderer]

And how many times a year does this happen on Vantage hill, nasty business

[EmeraldBullet2]

People just don't pay attention.  You would think they would slow with the hazards on and everything going on.  Bummer deal and a preventable accident.

I ALWAYS slow down if I see someone with hazards on. But I guess most people dont.