What were the odds that I would hit a deer on the Bluegrass Parkway, driving an ugly rental vehicle that resembles a tank while my sensible Toyota Highlander is in the body shop being repaired from a deer strike on another Kentucky road?
It almost happened Friday morning. I was driving the gray tank home from a University of Kentucky journalism banquet when a big doe dashed across the median and entered the lanes right ahead of me.
I’d like to think smart driving kept me and my passenger from making contact with the animal. But it was probably just the luck of timing. I braked while the deer kept going. She did not hesitate or attempt to turn in another direction. Thank goodness she ran straight. Otherwise, she likely would have crashed into the grille or through the windshield.
We saw plenty of evidence that numerous cars and trucks had recently collided with deer on each of the three parkways between Hopkinsville and Lexington. Some of the carcasses were reduced to red mush in the middle of the road. Others were in a heap on the shoulders and median. A driver could crash into another car just trying to avoid dead deer on the road.
My other deer strike, the one that put my Highlander into the body shop, occurred a few weeks earlier.
For reasons that are hard to explain, I took a drive one day to a tiny community called Keysburg in Logan County. I didn’t have a logical reason for being there. It was the tug of nostalgia, the kind that happens on beautiful September days. I drove over because I wanted to see the horse farm where I learned to ride American Saddlebreds in the 1970s. I’d spent the best part of a decade there at Mose Wall’s stable.
The farm has been sold to new owners, so I didn’t stay long after pulling into the gravel lane off Orndorff Mill Road. I shot a few photos and turned to leave. Another vehicle pulled in, and the driver rolled down his window to say, “Sorry. We’re just turning around.” I laughed and told him I wasn’t supposed to be there either.
I got about 50 yards down the road when I saw a huge buck flying from Mose’s old place toward me. And I do mean flying. He was airborne. I let off the gas and hoped the deer would pass in front of me. Instead, he flew straight into the rear passenger area.
Yeah, this time my timing was off.
The hit sounded like parts of the vehicle fell into the road, but the damage was only cosmetic. I was able to drive home. I didn’t see what happened to the deer. He crossed the road into the woods.
You might say my deer collision was self-inflicted. I didn’t have to take off in the middle of the week for a drive down memory lane.
But all of us on Kentucky roads this fall need to be aware of deer activity.
The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet warns that deer mating season runs from late October through December. During this period, deer are more likely to get into traffic.
The cabinet recently ran this humorous video on Facebook to make a point about driver safety when the deer are most active.
Christian and Muhlenberg counties tied for seventh place among Kentucky counties with the most reported deer collisions in 2024. Each had 89 collisions. Hopkins County had the most at 133.
In 2025, there were 3,411 reported deer collisions on Kentucky roads, which was the most in seven years. No deaths were reported, but 30 people were injured in those collisions.
The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet recently published these driving tips to stay safe when deer are active:
- Stay aware: Be vigilant, especially in forested terrain, and during dusk and dawn when deer are most active. Deer often travel in groups so others may be close behind if you see one.
- Be prepared: Always wear a seat belt (it’s the law) and eliminate distractions (phones down!).
- Turn on headlights: Keep them on bright unless other vehicles are approaching.
- Slow down: Take your foot off the gas immediately if you spot a deer crossing the roadway.
- Don’t swerve: Trying to avoid a deer can result in a more serious crash with an oncoming vehicle or roadside object.
- If there’s a crash: Keep both hands on the wheel and apply brakes steadily until stopped.
Stay safe, everyone.
Jennifer P. Brown is co-founder, publisher and editor of Hoptown Chronicle. You can reach her at editor@hoptownchronicle.org. Brown was a reporter and editor at the Kentucky New Era, where she worked for 30 years. She is a co-chair of the national advisory board to the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, governing board past president for the Kentucky Historical Society, and co-founder of the Kentucky Open Government Coalition. She serves on the Hopkinsville History Foundation's board.
