Triple-H

Well I figured I would share some photos with ya from this weekend.

Saturday after driving home from washing the truck to get the crusted layer of white salt off of the Titan, I got my 1st deer with this truck. The last deer I got was with my '95 Nissan XE-V6 4x4 KC Hardbody, and I have to admit, the Titan and the XE-V6 both endured very well.

I was driving straight along a section of road where the woods is close to the side of the road, across the road was an open field, I was looking right where the deer was and nothing, then all of us sudden it jumps out of the woods in a direct path across the road to the field, and WHACK! As you can see from the pics, the front right bumper was the primary impact point. However, after that 1st impact the deer spun around and it's rump crashed into the right rear quarter panel, just in front of the rear tire. After looking over the Titan closely I can see the entire front bumper has mover to the right, moving everything off center.

The amazing thing is I'm the guy who had his local Dunn Tire store drive my Titan into a concrete wall in November, and they crashed in the left rear quarter panel in almost the exact same spot, so in a matter of less than 6 months both sides on my trucks bed will have undergone body work. Oh well, as the cop said, "it's just a matter of time when you live out here before you hit a deer."

This dent is good and deep


This is the initial point of impact


[b]You can see the whole bumper has shifter to the driver's side


[b]The driver's side front fender is even out of allignment with the door



Titan took a bite right out of this forest rodent to prove to the insurance company that this was going to be a comprhensive claim.


I'm strangly feeling rather calm about all this damage, I'm not hurt at all, and when I saw the deer pop out in front of me I made no stupid jerking reaction, I just paused a nanosecond before the impact and then applied the brakes and came to a nice stop. And yes, the stup[id forest rodent never stood a chance of living, the 5,000 pound Titan made sure of that. I can't even imagine how nasty this could have turned out had I been in the S, for both the S AND me...

S1997

Does that mean you are stocking up on deer sausage? Seriously, Doug, good to hear you are not hurt. I guess if those guys come up over the hood and into the windshield it could be dangerous...even in a Titan. Too bad about the damage to your hunk-of-a truck! Nissans are tough, though, and they can be fixed.

NNY S2k

A classic example why we have insurance, glad your OK. So, just what became of the deer?
Levi

Triple-H

Sausage is right, not to be too crude, but that deer did not fair well at all...

Yup, had I hit that thing in the center of the truck I have no idea how much damage it would have done, I was moving right along... At the very least it would have taken out the radiator and destroyed the hood, and who know, may have joined me in the cab.

I have an appointment for the estimate on Wednesday, I suspect the damage is going to really add up because of the way the front bumper and fenders have shifted. The interesting thing is the truck still drives smooth and straight, but the wind makes the headlight and front bumper section shake like heck and I'm afraid of them falling off, so I'll have the honor of driving a rental car, a cheap one too as the insurance coverage is for only $30/day.

Front of the truck has a 3M clear bra, that will have to be replaced
Front spoiler is not even a Titan part, it's a part from an Armada
Rear quarter panel to get extensive body work
Left headlight to be replaced
Right lower bumbersection to be replaced
Supports that hold front bumper and fenders to be straightened
Lots of repainting
I'm thinking 3 grand...

Triple-H

The mangled carcass was left on the shoulder.

What's interesting is when the cop came to my house to do the report and I told here where the accident was she asked how long ago did this happen. My reply was just because the accident site is about 1.5 miles from home, so I just drove home to call, and to get a beer of course. She asked because 2.5 hours earlier she had been to the same spot to shoot a deer that had been hit but not killed.

I'm a very alert driver, and I have to say, that deer just flat out ran out of the woods and was on the road, the woods come right up tot he sholder through there so there was virtually no warning at all, just driving along fine, then oh shit, there's a deer, then whack, then "oh crap, that's going to leave a mark..."

Kyras

Glad you are okay, Doug. Thanks for sharing.

I have a friend who had a deer run into the side of his truck at Kennedy Meadows here in Cali. It just plowed into the side.

Triple-H

Deer are just plain dumb...

Same thing here Patty, I worked with a guy who was sitting stopped at a railroad crossing, he could not more forward or back, and as he sat there in his new Buick he watched as a huge buck run across the field, onto the road and crashed right into his driver's side front fender. The deek got up, jumped over his car and kept on running. He said it was the wildest thing, he was trapped in traffic and the deer just bolted right into his car after having run in a perfectly straight line for quite a while.

martha

Glad you weren't hurt! My niece had stopped for a herd (or gaggle or flock or whatever deer travel in) to cross the road and as she restarted, a straggler came through the passenger window and into her lap. Really screwed up her neck, not to mention the car. My brother hit 3 (or was hit by 3) in his Dodge Ram before buying one of those giant front bumper/grill thingies. Not a deer since. I guess deer know to avoid those shiny big bumpers!

valentine

sorry, Doug, but glad you're not hurt.

Triple-H

[QUOTE=valentine,Mar 12 2007, 03:26 PM]