An hour into dark on Interstate 90 in WA state. Going 65, (65 mph = 95 ft/sec) with headlights on low beam
Using cruise control, damp straight road - in headlamps, spot large buck mule deer walking across freeway,
I braked hard and it looked like I would miss his rump; at last second he wheeled around into the driver side front wheel well, still at speed maybe 40,
his shoulder then hit my driver's outside mirror, and I saw his head and antlers through my side window.
Heard him hit the rest of the car driver's side (I'm guessing he was 'wheeling around' rapidly). Over quickly.

But car headlights behind didn't veer around anything so he must have gotten off the roadway.
I quickly stopped on shoulder - with 4 way flashers, (wouldn't do that again for safety reasons).
and no car damage at all, not even to left outside mirror. Next day saw a small indent on front wheel well that possibly came from deer.

'Twas a very lucky glancing blow on a large deer at speed, yes, but thinking also that Ford 500 is one tough car!

 

I actually had a near-hit on a deer that jumped out because my Montego (sister car to your 500) braked and swerved like a champ. I couldn't believe I didn't clip that thing.

I think these things are based on the platform Volvo used for the s80 and XC90. They are solid, heavy, and strong. But slow...

 

I hit a deer with my old 05 S/D that someone else hit first.
They hit it on the rump down low and launched it high, spinning though the air like Bambi on Ice or a helicopter blade! Their car was destroyed.
I hit the binders 'hard' and took it low on my truck down in the bumper area. Fairly minor repairs..
Had I not hit the brakes hard, it would have come across my hood, probably in through the windshield.. Knowing what damaged the can do, glad it seems we all have escaped that bullet....

 

Your very lucky. I know a couple guys that have hit deers. One guy is totalled his car, a small car, the other guy hit the deer straight on dead center, flipped it over the hood, busted their windshield, glanced off the roof and hit the ground and the deer ran off. They were driving a full size Ford F-150. I've heard of deer coming thru the windshield.

 

Had a situation a while back where deer were grazing along the side of the road where state keeps the grass cut and this was on parkway where cars did 60-70 almost all the time and van drivers were always worried if one of those deer would decide to cross the 3 lanes. I installed those deer hi freq whistles and the drivers were amazed how well they worked.The deer ran off into the bushes way before the van got near. I guess they work !

 

I had a 73 Jag XKE in the 1980’s, and sold it to a guy in CA. He hit a deer with it..10k to fix it. 6 months later he hit another one. Not sure where it is now.

 

D*mn. I started this thread 8 months ago, and lightning struck twice.
Last week on way to Mt Ranier Nat'l Park (Washington State) via Chinook Pass I hit a big mule deer head on.

A 2 lane road going 55 w/ cruise control, my first sight was the deer - airborne having leapt up out of the brush covered ditch onto the asphalt right ahead of car. Braked hard but no time; deer likely didn't know car was on the road and tried to change direction as soon as landed causing hooves to slip - falling down as I hit it dead center. Ford went over it, dragging deer a bit, airbags weren't activated as fallen/pushed down deer mangled the lower part of the bumper below the sensors. Lost the undercarriage plastic sheet and one fog lamp. Scrapping noise as dragged the parts.

Looking back at the deer cross-ways on road, man that's one big deer. Car behind stopped to ask if we were OK; utility crew 50 yards away asked the same and then dragged off the carcass.

No bent metal. Drove car home after putting plastic stuff in trunk the scrapping noise went away. Am taking it to repair in couple days; hope just plastic, bumper and fog lamp should make it good. Ford 500 is sturdy, yes, but was really lucky to hit the deer as it was falling to the pavement so I rode / bumped / dragged over it.

Not that it matters, but the location was Cliffdell, WA shown on this map:
https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Clif...d46.946389!1m0

 

We have a lot of deer his year.
A few weeks ago our local ranchers had moved their cattle.They drive them down or main roadway from ranch to ranch. I guess one had strayed and was left behind till the next day. I was heading to town and this huge black cow jumps up onto the road from a brush hidden low ditch that runs along the road just as I was approaching. Full ABS, swerved as much as I could and just barely missed her. Lucky she dodged away from a head on. Had she continued a crossing, I would have been out a truck, but would have had a freezer load of beef...

 

To conclude this car / deer incident: the Ford 500 was repaired for $1760; State Farm Insurance covered all but $100 deductible.

 

Good deal!