CENTRAL — A driver swerving to avoid hitting a deer ended up rolling over off the highway on state Route 18 near Central but escaped uninjured, according to first responders at the scene.
Utah Highway Patrol Trooper Jeff Adams said a little before 7 p.m. Wednesday evening, a 21-year-old female driving north on SR-18 by herself in a 2009 Ford Focus saw a deer on the roadway.
Adams said the driver swerved to avoid the animal but lost control. The vehicle rolled over off the right side of the roadway into the dirt and brush, ending up on its side.
“When we got here, we actually rolled it back on its wheels,” Adams said.
The driver was found uninjured and refused medical transport.
However, Adams said there could have been a very different result. His advice is that if a driver has to choose between taking on a deer or risking having an out-of-control vehicle, the chances are better against the deer.
“It is recommended that you don’t swerve to miss those deer because it results a lot of times in a crash like this. … It’s recommended that you slow down as much as you can,” Adams said, adding that if a collision is unavoidable, it’s better to brace for impact.
“Even if you have to collide with that deer, you’re better off getting in that type of crash rather than your vehicle leaving the roadway resulting in a rollover and possible injuries to yourself,” he said.
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