I stopped the truck and accessed the contents of my cargo. Neither me, nor the boys, were any worse for the wear, so I drove forward making sure the truck was still drivable. Everything appeared functional, therefore I continued to drive home, and under the outdoor porch lights, I could better access the damage to my poor baby.
I had called my husband and he stood under the porch waiting for me to pull up into the driveway, then he came down the stairs, and looked at the front end of the truck. He shook his head. Yep, I had hurt her. I had hurt her bad. I cussed for a few moments, more because I didn’t think we had the money to fix her. Yes, we had insurance, but I didn’t think we had the deductible, not with the huge vet bill we had paid only a few weeks prior.
However, accessing the damage I realized how lucky we all were. First, no one was injured. I know people have been seriously hurt or killed in accidents involving deer. Miraculously, the deer flew to the side of the road and not up and over and into the windshield. Second, I am grateful I was driving the pickup and not some small sedan, which without a doubt would have resulted in much more damage to the vehicle and possibly the occupants. Third, I am grateful my teenage son was not driving. An accident like this could have set us back months in his confidence as a driver. (No, he still does not have his license, although he is getting better and after a few more hours of night driving and maybe some more time on the freeways, he should be ready for his exam). Finally, I am grateful after talking to the insurance company run-ins with deer is considered a comprehensive claim and not collision, so a much less out of pocket expense. Whew!