<p>cartera - I agree with you and was thinking the same thing, and almost added a qualifier about jurisdictional influence in my earlier post, but I didn’t want to worry OP with one more thing to think about! I always like to think that sane and reasonable adjudicators oversee such matters, but that is maybe wishful thinking on my part. </p>
<p>I imagine the “worse case scenario” is printed on the ticket somewhere (the greatest possible fine, which of course is extremely unlikely to be invoked) and that would equal the cost of legal representation. So another factor to consider.</p>
<p>Maybe someone in PA with experience can offer more thoughts on the lawyer thing… still my inclination would be to go in fresh-faced and with facts on one’s side and be confident that reason prevails.</p>
<p>Governments are desperate for money, those “tickets” are really a TAX. If you contest them the money penalty may be reduced but it will not totally go away. They want your money. In NJ, several municipalities are introducing fees for fire and police responses even if you where not the one to call them. They want your money, and if they don’t get they can take your property and even jail you. Our judges are supposed to be the firewall between the government and citizens and prevent this kind of thing, but they take their substance from the same public trough.</p>
<p>yeah, what toblin said. Why else would they give you a ticket (let alone 2) when you hit a deer? You are out of state = best source of revenue, unlikely to have pull with local authorities, no vote. (You don’t live in PA do you?)</p>
<p>I think I’d try to fight it. An almost identical thing happened to our son at age 17. He was on the way to school and both my husband and I were on our way to our offices. Instead of calling a the tow truck he flagged down a police officer who happened to be going down the same road. He got a ticket for “driving too fast for conditions.” What the ****. He never told us about the ticket and paid the fine himself because after he got his wits together he called my husband and the tow truck was already on the way. We only found out because the state sent us a letter and extended his driving restrictions 6 months (we have restricted licenses until age 18). My husband and I were totally irate. This happened in Michigan where the deer often love to love out in front of cars. I guess in our state during deer jumping season one is supposed to crawl along at 10 miles per hour looking for the darlings in the roads at the side of the roads or one can get a ticket of one happens to hit one mid-leap. Outrageous.</p>
<p>Unless the deer is testifying, I cannot see how they have evidence upon which to issue tickets. I was hit by a deer once and it was terrifying. The police were not called but I should have never driven with the windshield buckled inward and shattered.</p>
<p>I have learned my lesson well. Unless there are physical injuries or an accident involving another vehicle, I am never going to call the police. I have lost my faith in the justice system. It is a sad state of affairs when law-abiding citizens get penalized for having an accident through no fault of their own. It is despicable that jurisdictions are getting away with it over and over again.</p>
<p>Between my husband and me, we’ve hit about 5 deer. They are very sneaky and like to jump out right into traffic. My husband has had three deer hit his vehicle here in PA but has never called the police or gotten a ticket.</p>
<p>^ I’d be careful on whether to report a deer-car accident to police. I believe in some states it may be a legal requirement, and/or your car insurance may not recognize the claim absent a police report.</p>
<p>It’s not a requirement in Maryland. I didn’t report it and had no problem with coverage. This is gross, but if there is hair and blood on the car, leave it there for the insurance company to see. </p>
<p>This reminds me of a practical joke that a gas station attendant played on a friend of mine in college. We went in a caravan to Florida for spring break. One of the cars hit something large on I95 so we exited to a gas station. My friend told the attendant that she hit something big but didn’t see anything - it was dark. He leaned over to look at the damage to the grill, said there was something stuck there and popped up holding a wallet. My friend almost died right there. Of course, it was his wallet. Turns out - she hit a wild boar.</p>
<p>I hit a deer a couple of years ago in upstate NY. It was an awful experience, so I sympathize with what you are going through! I called 911 and an officer arrived quickly. He was very nice, and did not give me any kind of ticket. Now, granted, this was a different place, but, as others have said, the same sort of thing. I can’t imagine why you received a ticket except for filling local coffers. I agree that you should check it out. Perhaps you can get more info without hiring a lawyer. Google is a great resource. Good luck!</p>
<p>There is no legal requirement to report hitting a deer to the police unless the deer dies and is lying on the road or your car is obstructing traffic, or there is another car involved. Most times when people hit a deer it’s on a back road, near a corn field or woods. It’s very common to hit a deer around here and that’s one of the first thing we talk to our kids about when they start driving - If you see one deer, look for it’s companion because they never travel alone. And as catera has pointed out, it’s usually obvious with the deer hair what happened.</p>
<p>Many public safety officers here in Michigan will tell you that it is actually safer to hit the deer than to swerve or panic brake in an effort to avoid it.</p>
<p>Thank goodness the insurance company went to see the car the very next morning. When we got the car towed back to our mechanic, I went to see it in daylight and there was still fur attached to the engine. </p>
<p>When I think about how it could have ended, this seems like a walk in the park. </p>
<p>Next time, I would report it if my insurance company sends me a police report to fill out or tells me I have to report it. </p>
<p>It is so foreign to me that I have to think of ways around authority so I won’t get taken by the very people that citizens’ tax dollars pay to protect us. :-/ </p>
<p>This is the first time either of us has hit a deer. </p>
<p>I am at work and wish I had the time to answer you all but then I’d be here for hours! LOL</p>
<p>Pengo…I know it feels bad right now…but my advice would be to try not to generalize to all police. They’re not ALL bad…in fact…I think most of them are great and are there to help. They have really tough jobs and get cranky sometimes. Some are also under pressure to produce revenue. Believe me, I’ve run into some bad eggs, including a cop who told me to “You can’t be here” after I broke down on a bridge, pushed me to an unsafe inner-city area and LEFT!
But remember, many of them put their lives on the line for us. I really believe most of them are good guys. Go ahead and fight this thing but I hope this doesn’t color your view of ALL police officers. Good luck.</p>
<p>Pengo, I live in PA and empathize. But you are so right that it so easily could have been worse. I live in the suburbs of Philly but we have significant deer issues. Some years ago, in daylight, the father of a student in my D’s fourth-grade class was killed on a local road. He was going east when a woman traveling in the opposite direction hit a deer which went up into the air and then landed on *his *car, crashing through the windshield and landing on him. His son was in the car with him and called for help. The father was pronounced dead at the hospital. A real tragedy that deeply affected our community. This was on a road on which the speed limit is 40 mph.</p>
<p>I do hope you get a fair resolution of this story. What happened to innocent until proven guilty? I do know that in some areas they depend on ticketing to make the budget. We know of some “hot spot” towns along the NY State thruway where the police lie in wait to catch people.</p>
<p>Glad your family is OK.</p>
<p>college essay material for your son, perhaps? ;)</p>
<p>When the deer hit me, it seemed to jump on the hood of the car out of nowhere. It bounced to the roof of the car and just as I breathed a sigh of relief that it avoided the windshield, it bounced back down to the hood and right into the windshield - shattering it, but it held. It was a huge buck who was still scrambling wildly and no doubt would have killed me had it broken through the window onto to me. Amazingly, it managed to run off. I sat in the car with my head in my hands sobbing when I heard a knock on the window. Two hunters were there. They asked me if I saw which way the deer went. Good thing for those two that I didn’t have a gun with me.</p>
<p>Another Pennsylvanian, I’ve hit two deer in the last five years. I called the police both times, thinking the insurance company might want some kind of an incident report. The police were nothing but helpful; the second time the cop went after the injured deer and put it down. I have never heard of anyone around here being ticketed for this sort of thing.</p>
<p>I haven’t hit a deer, but one spring afternoon coming around a wooded offramp I saw a momma duck and her babies all behind her- but I wasn’t able to miss the last one.
:(</p>
<p>I agree it sounds like tax the out of staters.</p>
true. it is nearly always best to brake hard and steer straight. I taught my kids this. Up north - same for moose. </p>
<p>I am in PA too. I always use my high beams at night - deer are sneaky. I have never heard of anyone being ticketed for hitting a deer. You don’t have to be going fast for it to do some real damage and/or kill you.<br>
Pengo - thank goodness no one was hurt. Your insurance company has probably already told you this will be covered by your comprehensive insurance and won’t be a chargable accident.
I think you could place a call to the state police barracks and inquire if this is SOP in PA since you are out of state. Maybe they can take care of the ticket if it was given improperly. If you can come back to PA for court, I would. I can’t believe this trooper would show up in front of a judge. </p>
<p>BTW - my daughter’s car was recently totaled in a flood. She doesn’t have a credit card either but does have rental/towing. The insurance company set her up with a rental even though she is only 20. I was very impressed.</p>