On January 31, Mr. Martis, 10th-grade biology teacher and JV Boys Basketball assistant coach, was on his way home after a basketball game. He was taking Highway E, going past Swallow, when a deer sprinted out of a field next to a barn in front of his car. It ended up colliding with the front left of his car by the headlights. After the collision, Martis parked his car and exited to process what had just happened and examine his vehicle’s condition. The smell of smoke rose, and Martis stepped back to call 911. While on the phone with an operator, he turned and found his car engulfed in flames, standing about 20-30 feet tall.
“My car was ‘cooked’ figuratively and literally,” Martis said. “The fire department and police all came swiftly, but it was too late to save the car and my belongings inside.”
The fire department believed the deer had jumped out and collided with the battery of Martis’ car perfectly enough to spark the fire. Thankfully, nobody was injured or harmed in the collision, besides the deer, which tragically did not make it. Kind citizens even stopped to help Martis out once they saw the crash.
“A special shout-out to Mr. Haase,” Martis said. “He was an amazing friend and gave me a ride home from the crash!”
Here are some tips for safe driving:
- To stay safe from deer collisions at night, reduce your speed, especially when driving near woods or farmland.
- Always stay alert, keep your eyes peeled for glowing eyes or movement on the shoulders of the road.
- Whenever there is no oncoming traffic, activate your high beams to increase the visibility of deer eyes.
- Deer activity is peak during dusk (5 p.m to 9 p.m) to dawn (5 a.m to 8 p.m), and usually in late autumn (October to December).
“Keep your head on a swivel at night for deer,” Martis said. “They come out of nowhere.”
Always stay watchful for deer or other road hazards, and remember to be safe on the road.
