Man Killed After Driver Swerves to Miss Deer on Scottsville Road in Glasgow

Of all the different hazards on the road in Kentucky, one that’s pretty familiar during the Fall months is deer. Although they’re plentiful, this also means that they can dart across the road at very inopportune times and cause serious accidents. A story from Fox 56 detailed a recent accident in Glasgow. One man was killed, and another was seriously injured in a head-on collision on Sunday, October 20, 2024.

According to the Kentucky State Police (KSP), a man driving a pickup truck was driving north on Scottsville Road when he swerved to miss a deer, sending him into the southbound lane where he collided head-on with an SUV with a man and a woman. The man in the SUV was pronounced dead at the scene by the Barren County Coroner’s Office, while the woman had unknown injuries. The driver of the pickup truck was sent to a local hospital and then transferred to Skyline Medical Center with serious injuries.

KSP is still investigating the crash.

Who’s Responsible For a Crash Caused By Deer?

Accidents like the one in the story above provide a window into an important issue: swerving to miss a deer. Unfortunately, these types of accidents are pretty common. And it’s also fairly easy to see how swerving into another lane to avoid one can lead to serious accidents. But it does raise an interesting question: who’s responsible?

The answer is that, no matter what the reasoning is, crossing the centerline for any reason is against the law and as such, the driver that does so is going to carry most of the responsibility for any resulting damage. However, when you’re in one of these accidents, you have to do certain things to protect your health and rights:

Call 911 – As with any accident, the first thing you need to do is call 911 for an ambulance. They’ll take care of any injuries at the scene and then take you to a hospital for further care. If you’re able, though, you should get some information at the scene before getting further care.

Call the police – Also have the 911 dispatcher send the police to the scene, whether it’s KSP or the Glasgow PD. Officers will take down important insurance and contact details from everyone involved and make sure the scene is cleared. Also, let the police know that there were deer that caused the other driver to swerve.

Take pictures – Take pictures of any damage to the vehicles, skidmarks, injuries, and any other important visuals from the crash scene. This will show what happened more clearly.

Exchange information – You can also get contact and insurance information from the other driver before the police arrive. This will make the insurance process go a little quicker.

Be careful with statements – Whenever you talk to police or insurance, be careful with what you say. Stick to the facts and be truthful about what happened. Even though you aren’t at fault, an insurance company will try to devalue your claim any way they can.

You obviously never want to be in any type of car accident, especially one that’s caused by deer or some other animal. And even though it’s more understandable than other car accidents, it doesn’t take away the fact that you’re likely going to have to deal with pretty heavy losses. Our team of Glasgow car accident lawyers can help you through this situation, though.

Legal Support After a Glasgow Car Accident

At Kaufman & Stigger, PLLC, our Glasgow car accident lawyers know that there’s many different factors and causes that lead to accidents and injuries. No matter what causes the accident you’re in, our team will be there to guide and support you through the legal process. We can make sure you have a strong claim for your damages, like: