I have to ask....was the DFIC and AGS hurt? Glad you are okay, I tapped a deer once, and it scared the living hell out of me...let alone actually hitting one at 70mph!

-Cody

 

First of all, you're ok, so that's what counts. Little MINI put herself in between you and that big deer - you can't ask for any more than that.

Deers are dangerous creatures - if it's any consolation - today is the first day of deer hunting season, in my area.

Look what happened to this poor guy...http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=2628331

Take care and be thankful for MINI safety features.

 

The important thing is that you are alright. A car, any car, even a MINI is replaceable. I was in an accident several years ago that totaled my first new car, a Miata. Yes I was bummed, injured even, but luckily I healed and my vehicle was replaced. Just take it as one of the less than agreeable events that occur during life. Be thankful for not having serious injuries, a buck can kill you if hit at speed.

 

honestly i didn't even think to look my dads taking pictures of it with the insurance guy, i was in like shock, i couldn't believe what i was like seeing.

 

I would think the deer would have evolved enough to know better.

Glad you are okay.

 

Not like they've had millions of years to co-evolve alongside automobiles or other things that go 70mph They don't know what to do which is why they look like a "deer in the headlights."

Automobiles have been around for what, ten deer generations? Not much time for selection pressure to work. A buck weighs ~100kg so hitting a pedestrian at 70mph could actually cause the same damage. While there have been three human generations in that time, cell phones have been around less than one so pedestrians may also be less than attentive...

If they don't total it, then refuse to accept the car back until you are completely satisfied with the work.

 

Mikey,
Sorry to hear about your ordeal. Coming all the way to Alaska from Irvine California, the Alta light bar was definately a worthwhile investment. For bad weather I added amber lights on the outside two and two clear spot lights in the middle. All of them have 100 watt bulbs. The amber really helps with snow or fog conditions. Altho its a very unfortunate experience, imagine what it would have been like with a 2000lbs bull moose coming at you. Hopefully I will never be able to tell anyone what that is like. Good luck with your re-build and remember to keep your head down and your lights on high.
Mike

 

OMG Jesus! Glad to hear you're ok (save a few brusies and scratches)! Dude that is so totally crazy! BTW, I agree with everyone in that you're what matters.....the car can ALWAYS be replaced. Best of luck with the repairs or repurchase.

 

Glad you're okay, of course !! Sorry to read about your MINI !

You might find a little comfort in knowing this will be treated as a comprehensive claim by your insurance company and will not be an at-fault accident (no premium increase).

There's an important tip for everyone: You swerve to miss an animal and wreck your car, it's a Collision loss, you are at-fault, and your premiums will almost assuredly go up. Hit the animal first and it's totally different... as I pointed out in the paragraph above.

One poster mentioned deer whistles. The company I work for has done extensive studies on them (you can't even imagine how much we payout due to deer strikes every year) and there is no evidence they are effective. Not saying don't get one. They're very cheap and they certainly can't hurt. Just don't get a false sense of security if you have one.

 

I used to ba a hunter..... there are some very compelling reasons to hunt..... most of them revolve around herd management...... it used to be in my home county Erie (Buffalo) more deer were killed by cars than hunters..... because we eradicated the natural predetors in many parts of the country the deer have no checks and balances to their population.....

 

Mikey, I just read all this. I am so sorry to hear about your horrible ordeal, but like everybody says, just glad YOU are ok - car is awesome. Those engineers really did it right. It sounds like your process is moving along really quickly which means you get back in your MINI fast, and that is a Good thing. Try to get the pics from your dad and keep us posted - the Wrecked Mini Support Group thing.

 

Mikey, glad you are ok, and CP&PW makes a good point. My wife bagged a couple with our van and our agent said we could hit as many as we want without directly affecting our rates. I told her though if she kept it up I'd buy her a gun because it is a far more cost-effective way to hunt if y ou are going to do that kind of thing.

 

Oopps wrong thread...

 

Install one of these...it's more fun...

 

Those "deer" whistles also scare away Great White Sharks, Bengal Tigers, Big Foot, Sasquatch, and Leprechauns. Since installing them on my MINI, I haven't even seen one of these, much less hit one. . .

 

Sorry to hear about accident. Yesterday, we were driving our day old GP and a buck ran out in front of us. However it was a good hundred feet away, but I was thinking what would have happened if we hit it .

 

HAHAHAHA that's awesome!

sorry to hear about your car Mikey, hope it can be repaired.

 

In the grand tradition of NAM snarkiness, I'm going to have to call BS on you:

I personally tagged a leprechaun while sporting a deer whistle. He was in the middle of a planted median smoking his pipe. He thought he saw a potato on the other side of the road and made a dash for it.

Later when I visited him in the hospital, he claimed he never heard the deer whistle.

I can check on the Big Foot thing tomorrow. My lead operator on one of my projects is Elvis. He and Big Foot hang out together at the local Burger King with Jim Morrision.

 

First, glad you are OK with only bumps and scratches... that is a gift.

Second, you are so incredibly lucky that you came away with so few injuries after hitting a dear at 70mph!

Deer ~100kg

100kg@70mph = ~96100 J or 70870 ft*lbs of energy! That's a lot!

Sounds like your MINI did its job, and did its job well. I don't know of ANY other small car that could take such a punch and be repairable!

ciao
RM2k5

 

Did FORD really go out of business, I knew they where having fincial truoble but I didn't realize they got shut down.


Yucca where did you mount your deer whistles? I keep knocking mine off on curbs and such.

 

Oh, Mikey! I just found this thread! I am so sorry about your accident. Did you go to the doctor to get a thorough check-up? You may be in shock and not realize you're injured.

Keep us posted about the repairs. Hope it all goes smoothly for you.

 

I've been told that if the airbags go off, unless it's almost a brand new car and still worth a lot there's a good chance it's totaled. Good to hear everyone, omit deer, made it out safe.

As for the deer whistles, they can be placed anywhere that air flows. I use to have them mounted upside down up behind the lower grille of my Civic. Worked fine and you couldn't see them.

 

Lights will often dazzle a deer into immobility. When I was driving trains over the Donner Pass at night, and saw deer on the tracks, we always dimmed our lights and laid on the horn. I've actually seen a few deer carcasses cut in two on the rails. Oh, and in case you're wondering why deer would be on the tracks, they're feeding on the grain-corn that always dribbles a little from the grain cars on the way to cattle ranches in CA.

 

70 mph. WOW WOW WOW.

Your Mini sure gets props for protecting you so well. Amazing.

Glad you are okay.

Keep us posted.

 

Which can be a good thing if you see them before they jump out and you have time to react, my one truephysical encounter with a deer was because I was on top of it by the time I saw it. Good lighting buys you time.