Head-on collision caused by deer

Two vehicles collided head-on trying to avoid a deer on U.S. 50 in Martin County Tuesday night.

Trooper Andrew Beaver was patrolling U.S. 50 at about 6:09 p.m. when he turned around to initiate a traffic stop for a speeding violation. He turned his patrol vehicle around to head west on U.S. 50 and found a pick-up truck on its side and an SUV in the roadway.

According to Beaver, the investigation determined that 41-year-old Deanna Smith of Shoals was driving westbound on U.S. 50 when a deer entered the roadway and stood near the center line. At the same time, Jason Robbins of Shoals was driving east towards Smith and the deer. Both Smith and Robbins swerved to miss the deer but each swerved towards the center line. When the two collided, Robbins’ truck overturned onto its passenger side trapping him inside the vehicle.

Robbins was cut from the truck by Martin County Civil Defense and the Loogootee Fire Department. He was transported to Memorial Hospital in Jasper with complaints of pain to his ribs and legs. Smith was treated at the scene for minor injuries.

Both drivers were wearing their seatbelts at the time of the crash, greatly reducing the extent of injuries to each driver.

The Indiana State Police would like to remind motorists that, particularly during deer season, drivers should not swerve to avoid deer in the roadway. Evasive maneuvers in which a motorist drives off of the roadway or leaves their lane poses a greater risk of having a severe crash as opposed to colliding with the animal. In this crash, even though both drivers attempted to avoid the deer, the deer was still struck prior to the vehicles crashing into each other.