Connect Bridgeport
Ad
FacebookTwitterInstagramYouTubeRSS
  • Home
  • News
  • Sports
  • Community
    • Community News
    • Anniversaries
    • Announcements
    • Arts & Entertainment
    • Calendar
    • Churches
    • Clubs & Organizations
    • Directory
    • Farmer's Market
    • File Complaint
    • Greeting Cards
    • Library
    • Lost And Found
    • Obituaries
    • Parks & Recreation
    • Sponsorships
  • Trading Post
    • For Sale
    • Local Deals
    • Services
    • Yard Sales
  • Visitors
  • Relocation
  • Education
  • Jobs
  • Alumni
Ad

West Virginia Leads Nation in Deer Struck by Motorists as Nearly 11,000 Incidents by Nov. 20 of This Year

By Connect-Bridgeport Staff on November 28, 2023

Hunting isn't all we think about when it comes to deer. According to insurance statistics, the Mountain State leads the nation in deer strike accidents on the state’s roads.
 
“We live in a mountainous, rural area where wildlife is prevalent,” said Joe Pack, P.E. West Virginia Division of Highways (WVDOH) Chief Engineer of Operations. “The more rural the area, the more likely accidents are to happen.”
 
Between January 1, 2023, and Monday, November 20, 2023, 10,618 deer were hit on West Virginia highways, as well as 15 bears. Coyotes and other wild animals are also occasionally struck by cars on Mountain State roads.
 
Cleaning up after those accidents falls to the men and women who work in the WVDOH field offices spread throughout the state.
 
“We treat it just like any other road obstruction,” Pack said. A deer in the middle of an interstate poses more of a threat to the public than a deer on the side of a rural road, so the WVDOH takes care of the most dangerous sites first.
 
But WVDOH work crews might not be aware of every single animal strike. If you see a dead deer or other animal in or near a state roadway, you can report it through the Safety With Action Today (SWAT) hotline. Call 1-833-WVROADS, email WVROADS@wv.gov, or visit https://dotforms.wv.gov/cra to file a report of an animal strike online.
 
Citizens may also contact their local WVDOH field office. 
 
Editor's Note: No one is immune from getting struck as this Bridgeport Police vehicle shows damage from a deer strike. With some vehicles having 100,000 miles on them, the possiblity of a deer strike increases.

Share


Sign up/stay connected

Create your profile to start adding photos, posting comments, and more.

SIGN UP

Ad
Ad
Ad

Blogs [ view all ]

  • Photo

    From the Bench: Past Players, Community ...

    For perhaps the first time ever, former players and eventually members of the community will have a chance to own a pi...

    Posted by Jeff Toquinto

  • Photo

    Time Travel: Bridgeport High School Bask...

    This photo, courtesy of Frank Yerkey, is of him lining up a picture perfect jump shot from the baseline in 1962 again...

    Posted by Dick Duez

  • Photo

    It's Happening: Baylor Comes Home

    Many have been following the journey of 2-year-old Baylor Waggamon since early-2025 when he was awaiting a heart transplan...

    Posted by Julie Perine

  • Photo

    ToquiNotes: When a Thank You Simply is N...

    Sometimes, a thank you is not enough. Being able to look back with a little clearer mind in recent days, I do not beli...

    Posted by Jeff Toquinto

  • Photo

    The Grapevine: New Book Review Features ...

    Arrivederci is a cookbook that I compiled and made available to the public around 2000. The book was an immediate succ...

    Posted by Rosalyn Queen

Calendar [ view all ]

Fri
18

Bridgeport Cattle Battle

Sat
19

Mario Kart Tournament (Bridgeport Public Library)

Fri
25

Christmas in July at Bridgeport City Pool

 



Bridgeport, WV
Editorial Board Advertise Privacy Policy Contact Us
FacebookTwitterInstagramYouTubeRSS

©2014 Connect Bridgeport.