Holy Cow....I hit a cow!

Not good to drive in my area after dark. Returning from Phx to my home...a 3.5 hour drive though the countryside. Rounded a curve and towards a straight line of highway...ahead is a car with it's bright lights on. Upon sight I could tell the car was moving very slowly. Pitch dark and way out in nowhere. I am thinking this poor fellow has car trouble. I may have to stop and offer assistance. Here in our area you FLASH YOU LIGHTS AND TURN ON EMERGENCY 4WAY BLINKERS when there animals on the road or nearby. This person did not do that. So I am thinking he has car trouble and I slow down (65mph speed limit) but am blinded by his bright lights on, and cannot see ANYTHING past his oncoming car on my side of the road.....until it's too late. Four cows. I plowed into them...and the other vehicle LEFT THE SCENE AS FAST AS HE COULD ACCELERATE! I swerved and tried to go between two of them. Nailed one in the head and broke her neck I am sure. I think it killed her instantly. I am ok. Truck gonna take thousands to repair. Nobody else hurt. Cell phone in dead area....I backed up, three cows scattered out of my way....I backed my truck off the road facing the big dead cow on the highway with my bright lights and emergency flashers going, I ran up the road in the dark and would flag cars down as they came near. Sleeveless T-Shirt and 25 degrees. Finally a person showed up, stopped to help and had the Onstar system. Works great...where phones do not.

Just fyi

good y'all ok. cows can be a rel big mess.

Yes, you can check DNA under my truck......
ONSTAR really worked out good. I don't have it but a good samaritan did.
Except for the poor cow all is ok.

sorry to hear about your troubles, its amazing how hard it is to see somthing the size of a cow when there standing in the road.

Eric

I hope you at least got a side of beef out of it.

"I hope you at least got a side of beef out of it."

and some fly tying material!!!!!

Glad your ok so glad sorry about your truck. hugs

Tough luck Jim, :( Glad you're ok though, could have been ALOT worse.

That's got to be worse even than nailing a deer -- a frequent occurrence where I live. At least cows don't jump up to windshield height.

Glad to hear you're ok.

Dude you are lucky. Glad you are okay.

That's tough Jim, I'm glad you weren't injured were you coming through Salt River Canyon or Payson? The road through Payson is great the Salt River route, I will avoid.

I was returning to via Globe to Show Low via Salt River Canyon. 'tis about 30 miles believe it or not...maybe 20....across the valley....meaning a distance to traverse if you want to cross from one exit toward Show Low....to the Other exit toward Show Low. Like goint up to Globe or over to Payson highway. Anyway if I am heading to the valley near Mesa/Tempe I go down via Payson. If I am in East Mesa I go home via Globe. The canyon does not bother me. I just choose the route on convienence. However no more. I will take my chances with the elk 'tween Payson and Heber/Show Low. I told the patrolman too bad it's open range. He said AZ IS an open range state. But where I hit the cow is NOT open range. The cattle are just not controlled adequately as the fences are not maintaind that well. So, I wonder if I should sue someone? It was some rancher making money off cattle, that did not control his stock properly and I have to pay the price. I know, unfortunately others have paid a worse price. A person came by and exclaimed, "holy crap (not his words) they can't keep the cows off this road? Those cows were here this morning when I drove thru..."

I am lucky. And I know it. If I hit that cow straight on instead of just in the head I and my truck would not be around anymore. I would be 6' under.

Since AZ is an open range state, you will be lucky if the rancher does not demand payment for his loss of beef. If the fences are not maintained that well, it's a safe bet the rancher won't be held liable. If there was a chance that he would be, the fences would be good.

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Originally Posted by redietz

That's got to be worse even than nailing a deer -- a frequent occurrence where I live. At least cows don't jump up to windshield height.

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My son hit a black cow one dark night, and it not only jumped to windshield height, it squashed the roof of the car down considerably. He was lucky it did, instead of coming through the window. Hitting a critter of any substantial mass results in varying degrees of unpleasantness. Saw a car that was totalled after hitting a pig. Not pretty.

I can relate.
Back in about 1992, I was driving from Iowa to NW Nebraska, up in the Sandhills area. I'd been driving for like 9 hours straight. Driving condtions were white-knuckle...There had been long stretches of some 100% ice-covered roads I had been traveling on. It was dark. I was on a blacktop road, this particular section not ice-covered, fortunately, but I was still driving under the speedlimit because of the conditions (it was drizzling, and temps were hovering around the freezing mark). I was coming around a curve, heading into a small town. So, I flipped my bright headlights to the normal headlights, and just then a black cow was in the roadway right in front of me. I was probably going 35mph by this time, and I hit the brakes, but still hit the cow. I mostly just pushed it off to the side of the road into the ditch. I think it survived. I dunno, I didn't stop. I still had another hour+ of driving to get to my destination. I ended up with a big dented front-end, and the radiator had been pushed back onto the fan-shaft. I wanted to stop in the little town and notify someone...but all the businesses were closed, even the gas station. So I kept going, and reached my destination. I got the truck fixed the next day. Fortunately, it was the company's vehicle, and not my personal vehicle.

Had the road/weather conditions been better, I might have been going faster upon impact. Had I not switched off my brights when I did, I might have seen the cow in time to avoid hitting it. There were a few other cows there, too, but I only hit the one.

Glad to hear you're ok! Back home it's moose you need to worry about most at night.

- Jeff

glad you're ok---we had llamas wondering the interstate last week in Ohio.

The area of the incident was on the Indian reservation. But the patrolman said it was NOT an open range area. That there was indeed fencing, which I could not see in the dark. I presume this will turn out to be their PRIZE cow worth $10,000.

Oh woe is me.......

Coming across from that road I'm just glad you didn't run off the road, some of those shoulders drop several 100 ft. I'm guessing. I'm too much of a flat lander to be driving that road, especially at night. Seems like I remember seeing some pretty flimsy looking fencing, I always figured it was just hard digging a post hole in rock. Again, glad you were not hurt physically and I hope the fiscal pain in minimum also. Does uninsured motorists coverge cover cows?

I have hit 8 deer, 6 in Michiagn and 2 here in Tennessee burning up the roads, or should I say they hit me :) I know what kind of damage a deer can do to a vehicle/truck, but a COW!!!! OMG no telling what all happen.

Thank GOD!! you're OK

I dunno Jesse. Patrolman made an interesting comment. He stated "whenever a cow is involved in a vehicle accident...the cow is never at fault"

I thought...oh oh....this is not starting out well at all......

But he just wrote a report. no ticket

Jim all i can say is thank god to that. your too young to die. you got another 50 years still.

Jesus Jim, i am glad you are okay, front end of the truck probably, not good. Pmme when you calm down.
best, heinrich

Jim,

Glad to hear your alright! Cows and cars don't play well together! Only one thing to do from now on. Carry along one of those Grills To Go and a big bottle of barbecue sauce. Mesquite flavor is pretty good! If you can't get mad - get even. I've hit a few critters, but nothing big. Been close - real close and real close is close enough - thank you very much! Hope everything works out getting the damage fixed.

Best Regards, Dave S.

Glad you are alright. Hit one of those Texas Brahma Longhorns one night on Ft. Hood. Late at night, coming back from the Belton Lake Recreation Area, pretty well tied from drinking beer all day. Driving a 1978 Monte Carlo. Came around a bend and there was three of them lined up across the road. I picked the smallest one. Clipped it in the rear, it ran away into the brush. If you know anything about Ft Hood, Texas you know not to be walking the roads or poking about in the brush at night time unless you have a good flash lite and a long heavy stick because they have so big diamond back rattlers there. Drove the car back to the barracks but it was a mess!

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Originally Posted by Lew

My son hit a black cow one dark night, and it not only jumped to windshield height, it squashed the roof of the car down considerably. He was lucky it did, instead of coming through the window. Hitting a critter of any substantial mass results in varying degrees of unpleasantness. Saw a car that was totalled after hitting a pig. Not pretty.

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Yow! I didn't think a cow could do that.

I had to go and mention deer -- I hit one this evening.

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Originally Posted by popperfly

I have hit 8 deer, 6 in Michiagn and 2 here in Tennessee burning up the roads, or should I say they hit me :) I know what kind of damage a deer can do to a vehicle/truck, but a COW!!!! OMG no telling what all happen.

Thank GOD!! you're OK

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Popperfly,
If you're that short of bucktail, I'm sure I can find an extra one for you.

Gemrod,
I'm glad that you weren't injured. Good luck with your insurance claim.
Ed

Thanks. I tried to go between them. Hard to do when there are 4 of them. I managed to miss on the right, but the left side of my truck is pretty much toast. I got a ride home, so left it at repair shop next day. No pictures. But the left side is caved in, the pick up bed is caved in form the front of the bed to almost the end, and then scratch marks on the end, like from the horns. I swerved to aim between them..but there just wasn't enough room. I was going 5mph below the speed limit already, it's the way I drive at night to avoid outrunning my headlights, and I let off the gas when I went by the slow moving car...but you just can't see what is immediately next to a car with it's bright lights on.

But I got by very lucky and I thank you guys for caring and giving me someone to talk about it with.

mucho appreciated

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Originally Posted by Gemrod

I dunno Jesse. Patrolman made an interesting comment. He stated "whenever a cow is involved in a vehicle accident...the cow is never at fault"

I thought...oh oh....this is not starting out well at all......

But he just wrote a report. no ticket

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That is the case in California. It is drivers responsibility to not hit livestock. Technically you or your insurance should be reimbursing the rancher for the cost of the cow at current market value. It sucks but that is the way it is. We had someone cut the locks on two of our gates into the field where our entire cow herd was pastured. We had about 20 head get out in the middle of the night and a semi truck hit 4 of them - 1 cow and 3 steer calves. The truck was totaled, as were the animals. The driver tried to sue us for negligance, but the fact that the locks were cut and because we maintain our fences and rarely have animals get out prevented that from happening. Our insurance did pay for the engine on the truck (which was based on the current value of the engine) but the drivers insurance had to pay for the loss of the 4 animals, which was way more than the cost of the engine.

If the area where you hit the cow was supposed to be fenced, then if I were you, I would contact the local highway patrol and ask for any and all reports of cattle on the highway at that particular place, or within 2-3 miles from there. Find the land owner, and contact their insurance and see if they will pay for damages on your vehicle and cite them all the reports from highway patrol. They may or may not pay, and you may end up owing for the dead cow, but it is always an option.

We had a rancher up this way that didn't maintain fences and was always having animals hit. It got to be so bad, that he was brought to court by the highway patrol, had to pay many fines, and was ordered to repair all the fence along the highway. There haven't been any animals hit since then.

I'm glad you weren't hurt. We always panic when we hear animals are out because we fear someone being killed. We have local CHP call us whenever there are cattle out in the valley. With the exception of the 4 that were hit in the 20 that were out that night, we don't have animals out. Our neighbors, on the other hand, are sitting ducks for animals being hit.

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Originally Posted by Gemrod

He stated "whenever a cow is involved in a vehicle accident...the cow is never at fault"

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But a cow has an owner, I have ask my insurance broker friend about coverage. Your choices on that road are not when you can't get stopped: 1-run into the side of the mountain: 2-run off the side of the mountain; 3-hit the cow. I'll take no. 3 most days.

Too bad about the cow but lucky for you your O.K. - cars & trucks can be fixed or replaced.

Reminds of years ago when I had to attend a driving school, seems the company I worked for (driving their car) would get an insurance cost break if we all went to the safe driving class. One of the major topics that I remembered very well was that if you were driving 55 mph at night you would not be able to stop in time with the headlight low beams ... in other words you would be overdriving your headlights. Wouldn't you guess that on the way home that night, driving 55 mph (speed limit), with the low beams on, there suddenly appeared before me, in my lane, a dog just standing there! I put that car on it's nose trying to come to a screaching halt, but ran over the dog! Geeze I felt bad! But there I was in the middle of nowhere, no houses around - so I drug the poor old dog off the road and drove on. Really bothered me. But I remember it very well and so if your ever behind me at night on some stretch of road and I can't use my brights, look for me doing about 45.

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Originally Posted by DaleW

But I remember it very well and so if your ever behind me at night on some stretch of road and I can't use my brights, look for me doing about 45.

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I live 20 miles out of town and often have to drive that stretch in the dark. I will not drive over 55 in the dark for that same reason, and always slow down when faced with an oncoming vehicle.

Thank you rahchwife for the information. Very informative and good information for me.

Dale, you pretty much nailed it. That was exackery my problem, right past the headlights of the other car were the cows!

I have done the slow down bit before oncoming cars many many times due to wiping the hiney of a big bull elk one time. I don't think there is any speed at which you can really see past the oncoming car. I probably should have put MY bright lights on but didn't. Courtesy to the oncoming car. The bozo. If he had flashed his lights only one time, or turned on his 4way's I would have had a clue. He did not behave that way at all. Totally fooled me. I was thinking he had car trouble and was slowing down to help him. He fled the seen as fast as he could go!

oh well.....good thing is I am ok. Poor cow was not a youngun....so I assume she had a good life.

My thanks to you know who for my safety.

Well, Jim, I been away awhile, and first thing I see when I get back here is you slammed a cow. Way bummer, bro...
I lived in heavy cow and deer country for most of my life, sticks and puckerbrush country. I know the drill about "can't see what's comin' when lights are in yer eyes" Totalled a nice van hittin' a big ol' mule deer doe like that once. Sorry to hear it, bro. , but I'm glad you're OK.
Back in Modoc county where I'm from we got a sayin' "There's two kinds of drivers around here, them that's hit a deer and them that's gonna"
However, I've seen the difference, and hittin a cow's a bigger deal, usually...............later ModocDan

My brother ran into a cow late one nite flipped on the hood and in the windshield.... Ranch owner had a fence in need of repair
and the herd wondered out into the road..

Brother was injured badly and did sue the Ranch owner,,,
No question cattle are the responsibility of their owners at least that is what my bro found out and it
was a good thing for him as he still is hurting and this happened years ago..

Glad you were not injured

Be safe

people drive way too fast on the country roads here at night. Lots of suicidal deer. I usually do 35 and have people behind me all mad and passing. One day I know I'll catch up to one who had slammed a deer .