Deer warning as crash causes £10k damage to couple's car

Dave and Janaine Davies, of Leighton Buzzard, who plan to push the Highways Agency to install warning signs, were driving north on the A5 from the Hockliffe junction when their Audi A6 estate hit a deer.

Of the accident on on Wednesday, July 27, Janaine said: “It was about 10.30pm, the road was dry and we were travelling at 60mph. As we came down the hill towards the waterworks there was a sudden thump, the flash of a blond rump and two hooves disappearing under the driver side front wheel. We slammed on the brakes and stopped nearly 300 yards down the road.

“We discovered the wing, bumper and fog light below the headlight housing had gone and electrical wires were wound around the wheel. There was a leakage of fluid - type unknown - and a strong smell of hot metal and rubber. The driver side door had a large patch of blood and hair.

“Walking back up the road we recovered pieces of the car and saw that on the opposite verge there were the remains of a largish deer, clearly dead.”

The car was recovered and is now at a body repair shop in Aylesbury and will not be returned to the couple till after Christmas.

Mrs Davies added: “They estimate there is about £10,500 of damage, the electrical wiring loom will need replacing.

“We want to advise others that deer can appear in front of your car with little or no warning. At speed the impact can do serious damage, we were lucky that only the car was affected.”

Mrs Davies is going to contact the Highways Agency to address the issue of no warning signs in the area.

She said: “None of our local roads are immune from this type of accident, in some places the risk is higher than others but appropriate warning signs have not been erected. For unsuspecting travellers, no warning signs is not good, not that it would stop accidents.”

A spokesperson for The Highways Agency said: “Highways England is working with the Deer Initiative to gain a better understanding of the frequency and distribution of deer throughout the country in order to improve our targeting of interventions to reduce the risk of collision of deer with road users.

“Once the lady has reported this incident to us, we will investigate the situation along the A5 to see if any action which may include signage should be undertaken.”