Hit a deer tonight - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

psfred · #1 02-25-2004, 10:26 PM

Stinking rodent ran out onto the road in front of me and I couldn't stop. Stupid rat!

Punched out the left headlight, turn signal has been reduced to the bulb and holder -- not even the clip is there -- and there is a small roll-over on the edge of the hood.

Lucky, I guess. I was expecting the whole front end to be squashed. No sheetmetal damage to the fender, just a scratch in the paint behind the turn signal. No fur, blood, or such, so the damned rat got away clean. It would have gone in the freezer otherwise, but I couldn't find any traces of it after I checked out the damage.

I guess I'll go junkyard shopping tomorrow. I've got a perfectly good turn signal, but it's the right side, left over from replacing Mom's when the trash man stepped out if front of here a couple years ago.

I don't drive down that particular road at night -- was coming home from work and I'm not familar with where the deer are. All the other routes I know where they cross and am watching.

Peter

WANT '71 280SEL · #2 02-25-2004, 10:35 PM

Sorry to hear that. I presume it's your '87 300D?
Sorry again
David

psfred · #3 02-25-2004, 10:38 PM

Yup. Better than the 280, probably would have done more damage.

I was probably only going 40 when I saw it, much less when I hit it -- just put new brakes on the 300D.

Peter

MS Fowler · #4 02-25-2004, 10:46 PM

Ditto your original post.
I got one tonight. A car was behind me with his highbeams up, and the traffic coming at me also had headlights lit. All the glare totally obscured the rodent. At least the damage to the deer was fatal. The damage to my car was almost identical to what you described, except, I also lost the fender molding. The bummer is that while performing some routine maintenance a few weeks ago, I noticed the left side headlight ass'y was broken, so I made a trip to the junkyard and got a good one for $11. I hope there's another, because the stupid critter reduced it to mostly dust. Stupid over populated varmints, vermin scum....

Stevo · #5 02-25-2004, 10:51 PM

Sorry to hear about that Peter. Big problem around here too. Wife got one and so did I a few years back. I wonder if those little whistling things you mount on the bumper do any good. they are so cheap, I figure why not. I actually have them mounted under the bumper.

Palangi · #6 02-25-2004, 11:29 PM

Mmmmmm.... Deer jerky.

I remember reading an article some time ago where the State of Maine tested deer whistles on their State Police cars. The result ended up being that the test cars with the whistles were actually hitting more deer than the ones without whistles.

BoostnBenz · #7 02-25-2004, 11:53 PM

Sorry to hear that psfred, at least the damage was minimal.

Yes I heard a similiar report on those whistlers. They don't know what the sound is, another thing to stun them in the middle of the road I guess.

mechmagcn · #8 02-26-2004, 08:12 AM

I have been there before. I totalled a 88 Ford Ranger 4X4 several years ago when I hit one doing about 70. Also, my other half did about 2K damage to a 88 BroncoII about 2 weeks later when she hit one in town, she was only doing about 30!
Glad you were in a MB where the damage was minimal.

#9 02-26-2004, 09:10 AM

About 12 or 13 years ago my wife hit a deer with her beloved '83 300DT. She went by the Highway Patrol office to file a report for insurance. The officer made a comment when she said what she was there for that "she shouldn't be hunting out of season." When she left, he said "don't be doing any more hunting out of season."

He was just joking, but she took it wrong and was not happy with him. I thought it was hilarious, but the car wasn't. It was probably the most serious of any deer damage to any of our cars. We have had numerous incidents since we drive 20 miles of narrow, winding, hilly, paved farm road just to get to the highway.

For our family the term "deer in the headlights" has real meaning.

Have a great day,

BoostnBenz · #10 02-26-2004, 11:48 AM

If I get a CTD (cummins turbo diesel) I want to get a bumper like this one:

It is made of 3/16" thick steel, imagine hitting a deer with that? Unless you were going insanely fast and didn't try to slow down I doubt it'd do any damage! No more fearing the deer lurking in the ditches, makes me think of the Geico commercial with the squirrels. :-D

Habanero · #11 02-26-2004, 01:10 PM

When we move out to the country, the Chevy is getting a Ranchhand replacement front bumper for just such incidents. Kind of spendy, but a lot cheaper than replacing all the plastic on the front end.

BoostnBenz · #12 02-26-2004, 01:45 PM

It seems like I seen on TDR where somebody from road armor was trying to sell their product in a group buy. I guess they are the only ones who do the 3/16" thick plating most are more like thick sheet metal. I think he said their product would take 300lb force to yield it where as the other ones only take about 60lb force.

#13 02-26-2004, 06:52 PM

Yes, it would do a pretty good job on a deer, but it still wouldn't help if you hit a Bull. I've had several close scrapes with cattle and horses on the road. They are much more dangerous than a deer. Hitting one can kill you easily.

Regardless of how many pounds of iron you decide to cantilever out over the front of your vehicle, be careful.

Have a great day,

MonsieurBon · #14 02-26-2004, 08:17 PM

Perhaps a trunk-deploying drogue chute would be more safe? It could sense excessive pedal pressure at moderate to high speeds and pop out of the back to pull you to a stop.

-Aaron

BoostnBenz · #15 02-26-2004, 09:19 PM

Very true Larry, but it is very rare to have a cow or horse wandering in the roads here. I've heard of people seeing them before but I've never seen one first hand. I doubt it'd kill you in something so tall and huge as the CTD but it surely would do a lot of damage to the vehicle!

Well if you were going so fast that a trunk chute would help something is already wrong and you may just as well start praying.... I can't imagine those making much difference at speeds below 40mph, but it is "free" braking in the sense that it isn't tire dependent.