Doe. A Deer. A Female Deer... RAV. The Car That Hit the Doe.

There is a large open field near our house, and while driving by we often count the number of deer we see. I just didn't count on seeing one up close.

It happened so quickly. One moment I'm driving Charlotte to school in busy traffic, and the next moment I'm watching a large doe bounce off the crumpled hood of my RAV4.

Thank God no one was hurt. I was able to keep my car moving in a straight line, so no other cars were involved. From the lack of blood on my car, I think the deer also survived. She did leave the scene of the accident, so that doe is in trouble if the police catch her.

Luckily, Charlotte was distracted for most of the incident. She was listening to a book with her headphones on. All she remembers is a loud "thump" and an animal's body flying away.

She later told me she thought we had hit a Great Dane. Our neighbors have a Great Dane, and she is as big as a deer, and yeah, thinking that you had killed Scooby Doo would be pretty horrible. Char also said she felt a lot better when I explained it was a deer, not a dog. "Dogs and cats are way smarter than deer, Dad." I agreed.

I also agreed with the police officer who wrote up the accident report. He said the RAV looks rough, but it is safe to drive. The headlights and blinkers still work, and although the radiator is bent inward, it holds fluid, and the engine doesn't overheat. I'll drive it to the repair shop on Monday.

It's going to be tricky managing three schedules with only one vehicle, but we'll see if we can make it work without renting a car. I'm not happy that a deer got all up in my grill, but things can always be worse.

 "Accidents will happen." - Elvis Costello

PS. When the front of your car looks like the mouth of a decomposing jack-o'-lantern, other drivers get out of your way. Also, patrol cars follow you.