Whether or not you have a soft spot for wildlife, there’s no denying that deer sometimes are seemingly just begging to become roadkill. That being said, one Colorado driver was heading down a mountain road when a deer saw their oncoming car and thought, “It’s my time to shine.” The deer jumped in front of the vehicle, causing the driver to quickly swerve into a ditch to avoid a collision.
“My car is absolutely demolished,” the driver groaned, “But hey, deer’s probably still vibing somewhere, so that’s cool, I guess.” However, after contacting their insurance company about the incident, they were shocked by “the most unhinged take” on what they should have done. The representative said that they “should’ve just hit the deer,” sending it “straight to the shadow realm instead of swerving.” They couldn’t believe the response they received. “Apparently, deer murder equals comprehensive claim (good), but swerving equals collision claim (RIP my rates)….like apparently I’m the problem here?“
The now-totaled vehicle wasn’t some decade-old family station wagon either. It was their brand-new Corolla that they bought three weeks ago. “[Things] went from ‘new car energy’ to ‘well, this is my life now real quick,” they groaned. Their new ride is now likely on a one-way trip to a junkyard, but they still couldn’t get over what their insurance told them. “Are they just trolling me at this point…because I feel like I’m taking crazy pills here,” they tell Reddit.
As inhumane as it is to deliberately run over wildlife, many people in the comment section of the driver’s post believe the insurance is 100% right. “It’s an easier claim to make when there’s proof you hit something that was in the road versus you maybe doing something that caused you to run off the road,” explains a commenter. “the risk the deer poses to you, your car, and other drivers, is far less than the risk you’ll lose control during your avoidance maneuver,” adds in another.
Of course, there are exceptions to this. Running into a moose, which is twice the size and weight of a deer, is definitely not the move. But for smaller critters, like rabbits, foxes, or a small deer, you’re better off running over them for insurance claims and the protection of those inside the vehicle. It’s traumatic, yes, but you’re objectively better off accidentally sacrificing the life of a wild animal than risking your car or your safety.
