Two Injured In Highway 97 Rollover Crash Blamed On Deer

October 16, 2011

A driver told authorities she ran off the road after hitting or almost hitting a deer early Sunday morning on Highway 97 in Walnut Hill.

The accident happened just north of Howell Road about 3:15 a.m. After reportedly seeing the deer in the road, the woman ran off the road into a ditch, struck a pecan tree and overturned. The female driver and a male passenger were transported by ambulance to a Pensacola hospital.

The accident is under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol. The names of those involved have not yet been released. The Walnut Hill Station of Escambia Fire Rescue and Atmore Ambulance also responded to the crash.

The accident was the second of the weekend in North Escambia blamed on deer. For details on a Saturday night crash on Highway 29 north of Molino, click here.

Pictured above and below: Two people were injured in this crash after reportedly avoiding deer on Highway 97 early Sunday morning. Pictured inset: The vehicle struck this pecan tree before overturning. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.

Comments

4 Responses to “Two Injured In Highway 97 Rollover Crash Blamed On Deer”

  1. LJ on October 18th, 2011 10:28 pm

    i heard about this from a friend this morning. I know the male driver that was in the accident. i wonder…were they wearing seatbelts?

  2. Becky on October 17th, 2011 6:59 pm

    We saw 4 deer on Highway 97 on Sunday – hazard to drivers! BB

  3. Sparky on October 16th, 2011 6:14 pm

    I’ve always believed that you’re better off hitting the deer then swerving and getting in a wreck. Also it’s a bad idea to slam on your brakes when an animal runs out in front of you. Slamming on your brakes causes your vehicle to hunker down in the front and the animal has a lot higher chance of coming through the windshield…

  4. 429SCJ on October 16th, 2011 8:01 am

    Some Deer. Glad no one was killed.

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News