Dog Suicide

[Polar]

Going to work today, on cruise control at 55 mph, a medium sized mutt (maybe 40 pounds) ran flat out of the grasses onto highway. And, BOOOM, I nailed the beast HARD under my passenger side wheels. My first reaction, after a yelp and the collision, was to look in the rear view; and there was mans best friend, V shaped, spinning like a boomerang across the road. What I thought was my tire tread was flying in the air as I drove undulating having been shunted onto the shoulder. At that time, I thought my whole front axle and front wheel were destroyed. But, after some steering correction and teeth gritting I came to a stop; and alas very little damage. I lost the right front wheel well cover and the right front plastic air damn. Also, there was dent on the front bumper, that I popped out and that is now a small 2" dent, and a 3" crack to that same bumper filled with dog bristle. So far as I can tell there is no mechanical damage, no vibration, noises, or pulling. Although, after that impact I suspect something may wear or fail prematurely. Now, I know it's true, Toyota's are tough; go Yaris!

Sorry, no pics because there's not much to look at. Would have been a cool video. Any advice about replacement parts or avoiding road kills would be appreciated.

[kargoboy]

Glad you're ok, a lot of bad could have happened if you'd reacted in a more panicked manner, but dude...a cool video?

[PETERPOOP]

Would have been a cool video. .

sick freak! lol

[eric81]

I hit a raccoon in Kentucky about a month ago while attending a wedding, and I was doing over 80 mph. Man was it loud, and did it tear up my car BAD. The entire middle of the bumper was dented in (yes, it actually got the dead center of my car) and there was blood underneath the body of my car. I never found the raccoon or the parts it broke off my car (those little plastic things that hold the bumper to the frame, right under the lip of the hood), but there was plenty of evidence I hit something. Can't imagine a 40 to 55 lb dog... that must have sucked. Glad you are ok though.

[manlyyaris]

I was going about 25mph one day driving home late. Just barely nicked a bear. I hit his rear end with the right side corner of my yaris. All it did was pop the plastic fender well out of place. Zip-tied it back together and good as new! The Yaris is a BEAST! lol

[Loren]

My first car accident when I was 16 was rolling my mothers car as a result of trying to hit a dog. Lesson learned: Hit the dog!

I've got one better than your suicidal dog, though. I was driving past a busy shopping mall when I saw this kamikaze cat come flying across 3 lanes of the oncoming traffic and ran into my driver's door! Poor thing snapped it's neck and was back there flopping in the street. :(

[GeneW]

Thought that a Yaris would not take medium sized animals. This proves my supposition.

My pet dog got smacked by a car when I was a kid. He had a depressed skull fracture, unevenly dilated pupils, was bleeding out of his ears and leaking cerebral spinal fluid too. When we came on him he was breathing agonally. He died shortly thereafter.

I go to great trouble not to run over any animal. The Yaris won't take it, and little kids who get their dogs smashed don't take it well either.

Gene

[GeneW]

One time I ran over a deer carcass in my Honda CRX. The CRX has a lower ground clearance than the Yaris.

It was disgusting..... ground meat, fur and other trash congealed on the bottom of the car, around suspension parts and cooked into the exhaust system. Damn thing smelled like carrion for days afterwards.

I hate deer.

Gene

[GeneW]

My first reaction, after a yelp and the collision, was to look in the rear view; and there was mans best friend, V shaped, spinning like a boomerang across the road.

I used to live along a four lane highway. We would have pets get smashed from time to time.

What astonishes me is how people will go out of their way to run over animals. One time we saw a cat crossing the road, minding its own business. Some guy crossed into the other lane just to hit it.

We heard a soft "crack" as the car passed over it. Shortly thereafter the cat crawled onto the median strip, where it shortly thereafter died. Took the local road crews a few days to dispose of the carcass.

Gene

[IsLNdbOi]

Lots of sick bastards out there. Why would you go out of your way to run over an innocent animal?

[tomato]

Lots of sick bastards out there. Why would you go out of your way to run over an innocent animal?

:headbang: +1

[Yaris Hilton]

A squirrel did itself in under my left rear tire Sunday. Its playmate ran across in front of me, safely. This one had plenty of time to stop and stay on the side, and I thought it was doing that. But it tried to run under the car, and the wheel ran over the back part of the body. I saw it dragging itself away by its front legs. Felt awful about that, but couldn't do a thing about it.

[1NZYaris1]

sick freak! lol

:laughabove:

:wink: your just jealous he beat you too it :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

[baked_limabeans]

A squirrel did itself in under my left rear tire Sunday. Its playmate ran across in front of me, safely. This one had plenty of time to stop and stay on the side, and I thought it was doing that. But it tried to run under the car, and the wheel ran over the back part of the body. I saw it dragging itself away by its front legs. Felt awful about that, but couldn't do a thing about it.

same happened to me. leaving my house to go to work driving about 25 mph. saw a squirrel stop at the side of the road and just right before i pass by it shoots across... or at least tries to. take a look in the rearview and see 2 squirrel tails flapping in the air. apparently it's mate followed it's lead.

[twowheels]

Five squirrels jumped in front of my bicycle today... those things scare me!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bike/76039319/

http://www.bustedcarbon.com/2008/10/road-kill-2.html

[2006fronty]

The other day some drunk guy tried to jump in front of my Yaris, I almost hit him but his friend ran in the street and pulled him away, if I was in my Tundra he would have been roadkill ( less agile handling and 35 inch tires would do the trick I'm sure.) I almost hit the center divider/island thing trying to swerve away, I can only imagine the damage a drunk idiot would do to a Yaris going 50mph. If I would have hit him it would have been worth 1000 points though haha j/k :evil:

[gonzo452001]

I hit a raccoom going 55mph did 800.00 damange

[Red Horse]

Last year I hit a pegion and rolled under the car, I din't look back so I don't know if its dead

[roxy1]

Would have been a cool video.

as a dog lover, no, it would not have been cool.

[41magmag41]

Nice of you to be more worried about a repairable car than going back and checking on the animal. Doesn't suprise me though since this is what our society has lowered itself to. On the up side, I guess, glad you as the human is alright.

[mrbond]

as a dog lover, no, it would not have been cool.

+1

[mrbond]

Nice of you to be more worried about a repairable car than going back and checking on the animal. Doesn't suprise me though since this is what our society has lowered itself to. On the up side, I guess, glad you as the human is alright.

+3. I always hate seeing so much roadkill on the road. Especially domestic animals. People have got to be some pretty sick motherfuckers to kill animals for fun or enjoyment. Karma will catch up to them, though.

[auxmike]

Nice of you to be more worried about a repairable car than going back and checking on the animal. Doesn't suprise me though since this is what our society has lowered itself to. On the up side, I guess, glad you as the human is alright.

I think here in NY you HAVE to stop and report it when you hit a domestic animal.

[ZING]

My pet dog got smacked by a car when I was a kid. He had a depressed skull fracture, unevenly dilated pupils, was bleeding out of his ears and leaking cerebral spinal fluid too. When we came on him he was breathing agonally. He died shortly thereafter.

Gene


That image must have haunted you for a while.


We hit a deer while driving in Norway once, destroyed most of the cars front. Deer died. Another time hit a Deers behind, he survived, but he broke both his hind legs, poor bastard was crawling the whole time..called some guy, brought the rifle, one shot to the head, dead. And another time we almost hit a damn moose driving around 80km/hr, safe to say that if we hit it I wouldn't be here to tell the story. That's about it.

[scape]

I hit a squirrel once, terrible how I saw him concuss behind me in the rear-view mirror, like he stood up and spun around falling down, like a damned cartoon character...scarred me to be honest, haha. not much damage to report ;D

a friend with me hit a huge ass jackrabbit going 75mph on the highway, now that sucked.

least your car is ok, poor puppy. what is he doing on the highway?

[Polar]

Guess I should have said "cool educational video". The incident was faster than my brain could react. Yes, it's true, lots of people hit animals intentionally. My neighbor said he knew a bus driver that admitted to aiming to kill turtles. That's a rare excuse having smushed a slow poke turtle. I've seen deer being hit that were already dead clear on the shoulder.

These days it's either laugh or cry for me. My sisters fiances' late fiance was killed in the road trying to assist a dog. A couple of years ago I heard on the news a little ten year old girl was killed trying to free an American pit bull terrier from a chain link fence. Then on the flip of all this is one my earliest traumatic memories. I was 4 sitting on the side of the road calling a neighbor's puppy across the street, when blam a truck ran right over him. What bothered me was that I was certain that driver had seen both me and the puppy.

Yes, I thought the squirrels were hilarious. I will update if/when my Yari, "the Brute", buggers out.

[Forrest]

I think here in NY you HAVE to stop and report it when you hit a domestic animal.

That's true but I am sure many people hit and take off. It is not fun hitting someone's pet dog or cat and certainly not fun to have car damage. However, there are times when the driver may not have any alternative due to traffic, someone close behind them and no time to react. It is unfortunate, but sadly, hitting an animal at times, is the only safe alternative.

[dg4rez]

:needpics:

:needpics:

:needpics:

:needpics:

:needpics:

:laughabove: :laughabove: :laughabove: :laughabove:

[Polar]

Ha, you want a pic of the dog.

[Yaris Hilton]

I think the absolute scum of the earth are people who knowingly run over turtles. They're totally helpless.

[R2D2]

What astonishes me is how people will go out of their way to run over animals. One time we saw a cat crossing the road, minding its own business. Some guy crossed into the other lane just to hit it.



This type of behavior makes a loud statement about the moral and psychological status of individuals. Anyone who would go out of there way to kill an innocent animal for no reason is void of empathy to the point they are not fit to walk among us. Imagine how they may choose to treat another human being who has actually wronged them in some way!

R2

[R2D2]

I think the absolute scum of the earth are people who knowingly run over turtles. They're totally helpless.

+1.

[eric81]

I accidently ran over a turtle once... I thought it was just a rock or bag or something (80 mph or so), but my wife said it was a turtle... I am pretty sure it didn't make it. But I sure didn't mean to hit it. I avoid animals when I can.
Also, when I worked for DirecTV, I hit a suicidal bird at over 50 mph... it hit the front bumper, bounced on something underneath the van, then I saw feathers everywhere in the rear view mirror, and couldn't stop laughing for over 20 mins. I had to explain to my customer what was so funny, and he didn't laugh, but then again, he didn't see all the feathers. It was like a cartoon. The bird was this little sparrow, and there were enough feathers to cover an ostrich.
Not long after that, a deer ran out of the woods, and paced my van at almost 30 mph on a back road. I freaked out, hit the brakes, and it ran in front of the van, and decided to help me slow down. We were in Washington, and of course the roads were wet, and it was slightly downhill, so I wasn't really slowing fast enough for him (or her) I guess. I felt the van hit the deer, and then about two seconds later, the deer takes off from the front of my van and heads into the woods on the other side of the road with a limp. I drove a ways before I got out to check the damages, but all that was there was this huge scuff mark where the deer rubbed all the dirt off the front bumper and left a little bit of hair. I called it in, and they asked about the damage or if the animal was hurt/ dead, then told me to just go home and they would check the van in the morning.
I have had plenty of dogs run out at my vehicle when I was with DirecTV, but I would just drive really slow, and they would eventually lose interest. Animals are not all that smart, if you ask me.

[wiirenet]

i started reading the begining on this thread and got sick reading about a cat with a broken neck flopping still and can't read te rest. please guys, this is a life, if you don't think an animals life is important atleast please just take one minute to see if the animal is still alive and call someone.

please please especially if its a dog or cat. please! if you really don't want to take any time, while youre online researching how to fix your car, google animal emergency numbers for the city your were in and call them and just tell them where you left the animal. even if its dead, someone might love this animal as much as you love your family.

it feels the same pain as we do. its really not that hard to look up a number and have someone else take care if it if you dont want to. i apologize for the preaching. i just equate the hitting of an animal, especially domestic ones, so a person. Yes the animal was 'stupid' for running in the street, but if a mentally challenged person ran into the street, would their life be worth less than a 'smart' persons?

please think about the animal you accidentally hit and its pain, its family, and how easy it is to google a number and call it.

i just cant imagine accidentally causing horrible pain or death to a living thing and caring about your car damage. i'm sorry.

but my point is not to berate, just to say, even if you think there is nothing you can do, its not that hard to google a number, i know there are animal emergengy services out there. and if they foot you with some awful bill i willsay right here on this car forum, i will fucking pay the bill, if you hit something and it costs you to save it. i rather pay for it than have you not try to help it.

[mrbond]

^ you have a good heart, and I'm with you with everything you just said. Our society unfortunately doesn't place enough importance on life other than a person's. I know that if one of my pets were to somehow escape my property and it got hit, I'd feel like I lost one of my parents or other family members. If someone deliberately hurt one of my pets, they'd get that pain delivered right back to them, care of me.

[puetato89]

im glad i have never hit an animal, ever.. but about 2 months ago, in a 2 lane road the car next 2 me hit a squirrel and the poor dead body rolled under my car, i went back 2 look 2 see if it was still ok, sad 2 say it was dead, i felt like an shit for about 2 days... :( not kool

[wiirenet]

thanks for the kind reply, i'm kind of waiting to be flamed for making a 'preaching' post, but maybe i'm just used to some not-so-nice forums. plus i havent been posting much so people will probably be like 'who the eff is this?'

i actually have a 24hour emergency vet number in my phone. Look, I did some of the work for you guys, http://www.pets911.com/services/emergency/ write in your zipcode and get the closest 24 hour hospital and just put it in your phone. heck, even if you call them and they say you need to bring in the animal and pay for it, and you dont care to, just tell them what happened and where. Maybe whoever answers the phone will care enough to get the animal. its really not that hard just to call and let someone know.

[41magmag41]

Thank you for some human compassion out there. There is hope for human kind.

[auxmike]

I searched for and wrote down the local 24HR ER for pets by me.
Great idea, thanks!:headbang:

[roxy1]

please think about the animal you accidentally hit and its pain, its family, and how easy it is to google a number and call it.

i just cant imagine accidentally causing horrible pain or death to a living thing and caring about your car damage. i'm sorry.
.

im with you 100%, especially an animal that is likely a family pet. i really wouldn't gove a rats *ss about my car.

[aeipee13]

i've seen suicidal deer before up in the local mountains around Los Angeles. the group of them run along the sides of your car (similar to what dolphins do with boats) then one will suddenly dart 90 degrees in front of your car. after a few accidents my friends and i realized that once they get ahead of your car the headlights spook them so they dart towards them.

because the deer are basically surrounding your car while you drive you can't hit the breaks because they just slam into the sides and rear breaking stuff along the way. so we learned you have to turn your headlights off and keep some speed so the the deer don't get spooked and can run around you.

same works with a "deer in the headlights" situation. shut your lights off and start honking, they just snap out of it and get out of the way. your speed can be a problem but it works better than slamming on your breaks with your buddies following close behind you.

[auxmike]

This can ruin your day....

[Yaris Hilton]

What spooks deer out in front of cars is that the headlights cast moving shadows from the trees behind the deer that look something like a pack of wolves charging in behind them. They look suicidal, but they're trying to escape what looks like a worse threat than the car. They don't have instincts to avoid a lighted moving object, but dark shadowy ones.

[RABYARIS]

This can ruin your day....

Wow...that is scary...hate to see what would have happened if it were a Yaris instead of a truck.

[Yaris Hilton]

http://crazy-jokes.com/pictures/horse-car.jpg

[eric81]

^ One day, Mr. Ed comes home to find Stan with his mare, Sally. Having a loss for words for the first time in his life, he runs to the big city to join the Budweisser Clydesdales. Unfortunately for him, he was also color blind, and didn't see the black car that forgot to turn it's headlights on.

[Yaris Hilton]

http://trigar.com/coolstuff/moose/Moose01.jpg

[GeneW]

Then we have this horror show....

http://gleenglobes.files.wordpress.com/2008/11/image002.jpg


http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o99/ToddOlason/BMW-Deer3.jpg


Gene

[GeneW]

That image must have haunted you for a while.

I've seen worse since then but at the time it upset me a lot.


We hit a deer while driving in Norway once, destroyed most of the cars front. Deer died. Another time hit a Deers behind, he survived, but he broke both his hind legs, poor bastard was crawling the whole time..called some guy, brought the rifle, one shot to the head, dead. And another time we almost hit a damn moose driving around 80km/hr, safe to say that if we hit it I wouldn't be here to tell the story. That's about it.

Where I work is located next to a research complex, whose Corporate owner is run by the spouse of an "Animal Rights" activist. As a consequence the deer there are as thick as flies. I've seen herds of up to six or seven standing placidly along the roads, watching cars.

Last fall the deer hunters came out with bows and arrows in force so perhaps that's not as much of a problem as it used to be.

Gene

[auxmike]

Then we have this horror show....

http://gleenglobes.files.wordpress.com/2008/11/image002.jpg


http://i118.photobucket.com/albums/o99/ToddOlason/BMW-Deer3.jpg


Gene

Looks like a fox, not a deer....

[Polar]

WOW! Was that Beemer going 190 mph on the autobahn?

I saw a show on Discovery called Pig Bomb, and well, wild pigs are out of control. There is evidence of Eurasian boar blood mixed with current feral wild pig populations. And the pigs are reportedly getting bigger (up to 400+pounds), and more cold hardy. Apparently hunters have been releasing Russian boars into the wild purposed for sport hunting. I don't know how accurate the claims are; I mean, where does one exactly acquire a Russian boar. Supposedly, wild pig populations are about to blow up. Where I'm from people hit more deer, and even more cows, than wild pigs. Although, I suspect wild pigs are smart, and smarter than DOGS! At least until I hit one going 190 mph.

Dogs are most active (20-35 mph) in the morning and evening; an unaccredited expert (12th man at the bar) told me this. Cats can run 30 mph! In Europe they make land bridges over the highway so critters can cross (Discovery).

[Yaris Hilton]

Hunters have been importing European boars for generations. We're seeing an explosion of wildlife coming into contact with people, partly because of habitat destruction, encroachment of human habitation into former wilderness, and I suspect improved survival as winters become milder. 2 years ago there was a mountain lion in my neighborhood for several weeks. Bears are rather common. I've got to go take in the cat dishes and bird feeders in a few minutes. The raccoons will be out, and I don't want to encourage the thugs.

[eric81]

I saw that BMW picture and story over a year ago. The whole story is the guy was driving on the auto-bon doing almost 200 mph. He hit the deer, then managed to drive the car to the dealership before turning it off. From the outside, it looked like something hit the grill and bounced off. Except it smelled like something was burning badly. And there was blood on the windshield. But then they opened the hood, and there was the deer, stuck inside the engine. The car wouldn't start again, and they ended up totalling the car.

[regal]

I hit a 40 lb deer and did $5k damage

[eric81]

I got hit by a car once, and it hurt BAD! I was on my bike, and I flipped completely over it from front to back. I managed to walk away after the medics revived me. Still, some of those deer are just plain crazy.

[frownonfun]

i've hit a few birds, one road runner, and a jackrabbit. the jackrabbit did considerably more damage than i expected as i was only going about 35-40mph. i was kind of pissed at the damn thing but then again it was dead so i guess it all worked out. lol.

[GeneW]

The raccoons will be out, and I don't want to encourage the thugs.

They also carry rabies. Some can be extremely bold but most will avoid an area where the traces of death can be smelled.

Gene

[l2a3k2a3i]

The only thing ive hit in the yaris is an armadillo at like 60. I hit him dead center and all it did was scratch the underside of my front bumper. Not too bad for me but i hate hitting any animals.

Once in my 240sx i hit a raccoon going almost 100mph. I honestly don't know what happened to it. It did no damage to my car and it wasn't anywhere around where i hit it after i turned around to come back.

Also had a friend who swerved once to miss a dog while going 60mph in an explorer. Needless to say it didnt turn out well. He still hit the dog and hit a guard rail ended up smashing his face into the steering wheel and his passenger ended up with like a fractured wrist and broken femur. It was a bad deal.

As far as domestic pets go I will do anything i can to avoid hitting them but sometimes its unavoidable..

[andru47]

Take a look at that bumper slowly but surely that crack will begin to grow and then you will find yourself bumper less. Try to replace the bumper asap although a warning to you, it's a ~$500 job, just the bumper is $160 but labor and paint that is where they get you!

[elmo]

I ran over a skunk this moring

thing just ran into the road a stopped, wonder how long the smell will hang around ?

[wornways]

After reading this and the various responses, I think I feel inspired to buy a pair of deer whistles and install them.

[JustAnotherAsian]

After reading this and the various responses, I think I feel inspired to buy a pair of deer whistles and install them.
^do those work? if they do, that's honestly my next mod. i see deer crossings every now and then in norcal. heck, last wednesday, i had to slow down on a residential street to let bambi and his mother cross the street. i just stopped, since there was no one behind me. its not their fault we stuck a neighborhood on their area in the first place.

and i'm sorry, but unless i'm reading some of these posts, there are some sick fucks in here.

sure i eat meat. sure i make fun of my vegeterian friends sometimes. but i don't think i can just leave a dog laying on the road after i hit it. i'd at least call the owner if there was a tag.

[Yaris Hilton]

Once in my 240sx i hit a raccoon going almost 100mph. I honestly don't know what happened to it. It did no damage to my car and it wasn't anywhere around where i hit it after i turned around to come back.

Man, a raccoon going almost 100 MPH is something I want to stay out of the way of!

Careful, it may still be zipping around out there...

[gammaray]

I ran over a skunk this moring

thing just ran into the road a stopped, wonder how long the smell will hang around ?


Feel for ya. I hit one years ago in a Celica, and I couldnt drive the car for a couple of days.

[frownonfun]

Man, a raccoon going almost 100 MPH is something I want to stay out of the way of!

Careful, it may still be zipping around out there...

lol... thats funny.

[yaris prime]

I hit a deer the other week hard enough to knock it across the road. No damage to the car whatsoever. I couldn't believe it.

A couple of months ago I made a very tall turtle a little less tall.
Next time I was changing my oil I found a perfectly scalped, round peice of turtle shell wedged in the frame of my car.

[The Marshall]

Driving in north-ish Ontario, one thing to remmeber is that the highbeam flashes aren't just for the cops, if someone does it to you, you slow the F down. In my old Cavy on 17 East I think I came about 20 feet in front of a deer, thinking my 105 in a 90 wasn't fast enough for the cops to nab me. Sure enough, when I turn the corner there is this big ass deer just standing in the middle of the highway.

Next time I saw a clueless deer on the side of 69 you can bet I was flashing by highbeams like it was the law!

[enobmort42]

i've had my share of encounters with deer... here's my latest one while in new york last christmas.

[eric81]

Did you get in a bar fight with the deer and he decided to take a baseball bat to your car? WOW!!! He did plenty of damage to your car. Did you at least keep the hide and meat?