Driver swerves to avoid deer, strikes car coming other way, dies

By Paul Walsh, Star Tribune

Last update: December 19, 2007 - 8:40 AM

A pickup truck driver swerved but failed to avoid colliding with a deer on a highway north of Aitkin, Minn., and ended up in a head-on crash with another vehicle that killed her.

The accident happened on Hwy. 169 shortly after 5:30 Tuesday evening, the State Patrol said this morning.

According to the State Patrol:

Janell Hatfield, of Palisade, Minn., was heading north on Hwy. 169, and veered into the southbound lane to avoid a deer. But the animal ran into the driver's side of her pickup. When Hatfield attempted to return to the northbound lane, she overcorrected and struck a southbound car head-on.

Hatfield was dead at the scene. Her 57th birthday was to be Dec. 31.

The driver of the other car and a passenger suffered broken bones, bumps and bruises.

Everyone involved in the accident was wearing their seat belts, and all three airbags deployed.

This time of year is prime time for collisions with deer. That's because it's mating season, and deer are more active.

In the past 10 years, Minnesota has averaged about 5,100 vehicle-deer collisions each year (probably low since many such crashes are never reported), of which nearly 400 annually result in injuries. Since 1995, more than 30 people have been killed in Minnesota in car-deer collisions.

Last year in the state, there were 4,138 deer-vehicle collisions, with 486 people injured, the Department of Public Safety reported. Three people were killed.

Experts offer several tips for avoiding deer on the highways. That includes not veering, which can lead to head-on crashes, collisions with trees or going in the ditch. It's safer to hit a deer if necessary, state officials say.

The state departments of Natural Resources and Transportation also say:

• Slow down and prepare to stop as soon as you see a deer.

* When you see one deer, be mindful that there are likely others nearby. Deer travel in small groups.

• Be extra careful at dawn and dusk, when deer are moving in search of cover and food.

Paul Walsh • 612-673-4482

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