Speed A Factor In Most Animal Collisions

March 19--On the nearly 1,000 miles of Cass County roads, whether you're in the city of Logansport or on a county highway, it's not uncommon to come across animals both large and small.

Even though drivers cannot predict an encounter with an animal, Cass County Sheriff Randy Pryor said drivers should be aware of what to do and what not to do before hitting the road this spring.

Speed is typically a factor in animal collisions, Pryor said. If drivers obey the speed limit, especially on unlit roads at night, it's easier to stop the vehicle before hitting an animal that might dart from side ditches of a highway or wooded areas, such as a deer or raccoon, he said.

And if an animal does jump in front of a vehicle, Pryor said drivers should remain on the road.

"It's better to hit the animal than to swerve off the roadway and hit a tree or something more solid," he said.

With warm weather on the mend, more small animals are out and about on the roads than during the winter months. Pryor said the fall is the most common time for car-deer collisions.

Small animals can still cause significant damage to a vehicle, Pryor said. Newer vehicles have more breakable parts in the front and sit lower to the road, he said, adding that some sheriff's department vehicles have sustained damage to the plastic bumpers after hitting small animals.

Once an animal has been hit, Pryor said the person involved should contact 911 in case of a medical emergency or Cass County Dispatch if it's a non-emergency situation. An officer can make a report on the damage at the scene so the driver can submit that to an insurance company.

The Cass County Highway Department retrieves roadkill throughout the county, while the Logansport Street Department handles animals within the city. Jeff Smith, county highway superintendent, said the department picks up roadkill on a per-call basis.

Smith said disposing animals is not an "easy task." If the carcass is near a wooded area, Smith said highway workers will try to get it off the road and "leave it there for nature to take its course." For cases where it's not near the woods, they must carry the remains away.

Reach Ben Middelkamp at [email protected] or 574-732-5117.

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