2 from Eau Claire killed in separate crashes with deer
Two people from Eau Claire, Wisconsin, were killed in crashes with deer over the Memorial Day weekend.
On Sunday night, a 69-year-old motorcyclist died when he struck a deer south of Eau Claire, the Leader-Telegram reports.
On Monday morning, a car hit a deer head-on on Interstate 94 near Watertown, east of Madison, and the animal when up onto the hood and through the windshield, WTAQ reports. The Associated Press and WKOW report that a 54-year-old male passenger from Eau Claire was killed, and that a 53-year-old female driver was injured, although WTAQ says it was the woman who died.
Drivers, take note: Deer-related crashes are frequent in the fall months, but next month is one of the worst months for driver and passenger injuries in such crashes in Wisconsin, the Appleton Post Crescent reports.
In four of the past five years, June was the worst or second-worst month for motorists’ injuries from deer crashes, the newspaper reported. From 2006 to 2012, annual deer crash fatalities numbered between five and 14, the state reported.
In Minnesota in 2012, there were nearly 2,500 crashes with deer, resulting in 342 injuries and five deaths, according to state statistics.
The state breaks down the crashes by county here. Sherburne (178) and Dakota (162) counties reported the most deer crashes.
