GREENSBURG, Pa. — It’s normal to get at least one car in the shop every day for repairs after hitting a deer, according to Ed Sagan, the body shop manager at the Sendell Motors Greensburg Collision Center.
But, things have been different lately.
“Now it seems we’re getting multiple every day of the week,” Sagan told Channel 11′s Andrew Havranek.
Right now, deer are in rut, which means it’s deer mating season. That typically brings out more deer than other times of the year.
With more deer out and about, the odds of hitting a deer on the road tend to go up.
“Now it’s like a normal everyday thing anymore,” Sagan said. “It’s more now because of the rut, but usually, right now it seems deer season lasts all year round.”
Last week, AAA told Channel 11 there were more than 5,800 deer-related crashes in 2022. That was about 300 more than in 2021. Just in this past week alone, the Pittsburgh region has seen at least two fatal motorcycle crashes with deer, and yesterday, a motorcyclist in Bell Township was found 30 feet off an embankment after hitting a deer.
Sagan believes there may be a reason for the increase in deer crashes.
“From what everybody says, they say there are less hunters out in the woods, and the deer population has just increased,” he said.
Unfortunately, he says, he doesn’t see the trend changing any time soon.
“No. Not really,” Sagan told Havranek. “Right now it doesn’t seem like there’s any slowdown at all. At all.”
If you hit a deer while driving and you’re not hurt, and it’s safe to do so, the best thing to do is to take pictures for your insurance company.
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