Look Out, Dwight! Here It Comes!

IT WAS one of the most awful things I've ever experienced in life. And it happened right here in the city of Nashville,  just a block or so from the governor's mansion.

Not in a rural area, as it did to my colleague, but in the city. I still can't get over it, nor can I believe it happened to me, at least where it did. That is until I take a look at my SUV. There's a dent, there's a dent, and there's a dent. I'm lucky, though. It could have been much worse. Some people have lost their lives after it happened to them.

I'm talking about a doggone deer running into my automobile. It happened around 7:30 p.m. Saturday. There was nothing I could have done to avoid the huge creature; at least, I don't think so. Headed home, just a mile or so away. All of a sudden, I glanced to my left out the driver's-side window and there it was—barreling toward me. I didn't even have time to say a prayer, or even a bad word.

Bam!

Up in the air the deer went after first running into the front driver's side of my automobile. As I attempted to slow down—and I couldn't have been driving more than 30-35 mph—the deer hit the ground and I ran over it.

It was a strange and creepy feeling. "Are you all right?'' some other motorists asked as I stopped my vehicle. Yes, I was lucky. No injuries, just a broken spirit and some damage to my Dodge Nitro.

Just two weeks earlier, there had been a story in The Tennessean quoting wildlife authorities cautioning drivers to pay extra attention from October to early December, when deer mate and are on the move.

Tell me about it. Officials said there are a lot more deer now than there used to be. According to the story, the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency estimates about five times more than 30 years ago.

I have seen young deer on the street where I live, but didn't think a whole lot about it with all the development taking place in Nashville. That is, until Saturday night. I don't know that I will ever drive on Franklin Road again at night. Drivers surely need to cautious and alert because a deer can be on you before you know it.

And, my only wish is nobody else will have to experience hitting a deer. It's no fun at all.

Dwight Lewis
Editorial Page Editor
The Tennessean
Nashville, TN

Comments

[Susan B]

Hitting a deer must be a terrible experience. I do live rurally and need to slow down, really slow down when traveling at night. There was a lot of frustration voiced but no solution? We can't just go around eliminating wildlife to suit selfish needs. What about feeding the hungry? "Hunters for Hunger" I really love all of the critters, a life is a life. If one needs to be lost, it may as well be for a good cause.