Deer

Deer
Yesterday after work it was so beautiful outside that I decided to take a short drive out to Discovery Park near Lucky Peak. I went up Federal Way and took Hwy 21. As I was coming around the curve where Warm Springs turns onto the highway, a deer jumped across the road in front of my car. I was going 60 mph!! I immediately screeched on the brakes and swerved. I slammed on the brakes so hard that the tail end of my car swerved around and I thought the back end might hit her. But it didn't - I would say that I missed her by less than a foot. And while I was still recovering, she jumped back across the other way again! I was still recovering and barely moving, so I didn't hit her, thank god! There was some nasty smoke too from my rubber burning on the road.

Scared the living daylights out of me. And thank god I had enough sense to stop turning the steering wheel. As soon as I was spinning, I began to over correct. I realized that even if I avoided hitting the deer that I could end up flipping the car over and slamming into the side of the hill, or going the other direction could end up in the river (actually there is house right there next to diversion dam between the highway and the river so I could have ended up there if I'd went the other direction). So I immediately let go of the wheel, which I believe prevented the car from rolling over.

It was an extremely close call. I am absolutely certain that if I had hit that deer, it would have killed me. It was a good sized doe, and at 60 mph, she would have rolled right up the hood and slammed into the windshield. I had my seat belt on - I always wear it, so I might have survived had I rolled over towards the river, but I'm not sure I would have made it if I'd slammed into the hill on the other side.

It's amazing to me as well that this all occurred in a matter of about three seconds. It's frightening how quickly one could end up in the arms of death. Very scary. I will be going slower on the highway during spring just to be safe. The speed limit out there is 55 mph, but I am still going to go slower through that stretch by the river for awhile.