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If you refer to the title of this week's editorial, it is not a typo. I learned the hard way that the rut season for deer is upon us.
On Sunday evening I was on my way into town, and out of nowhere, a young buck jumped out right in front of me and its safe to say that the deer is no longer with us.
It was probably one of the scariest things I've gone through because it happened so fast. I have no idea where the young buck was headed off to, but he sure was in a hurry wherever he was going. Learning defensive driving in Driver's Ed is no joke (shout out to Ron Murphy for his lessons), but sometimes even the most defensive driver can have unexpected circumstances such as this.
I am ok, it could've been way worse. There are things I am learning when it comes to the aftermath of hitting a deer
1) Don't panic. I know easier said then done. I was definitely shaken up, but I knew right away that I needed to get a clear head, clear off the road and proceed to the next step.
2) Call a family member or friend. This happened to be my parents and my supervisor, to let them both know I am ok.
3) Call your insurance agent and take pictures of the damage, that helps them when they file the claim for you. Huge shout out to my insurance agent for all his help.
4) Report the accident. You can either call the sheriff's office or report in on the Wisconsin Department of Transportation website.
5) Wait to hear back what damages are: in my case I will be looking for a new car, but that is ok. As I said before it could have been way worse.
Thank you to my coworkers, my family, my friends, my insurance agent, and Eddie Bossert for their help this weekend. It is greatly appreciated.