The three ladies...

I was driving back home from the dentist's office this morning, just a few minutes ago. I was going slightly less than the speed limit of thirty-five miles per hour since I was driving into the sun. Ahead of me, I saw the shadow of a deer dart across the road, so I hit the brakes. Once I saw the deer was safely to the side of the road, I once more started to accelerate. I never saw the second deer, which probably darted out into the road around the same time I was moving my foot off of the brake and onto the accelerator.

Thankfully, that second deer had better speed than I did, and he gave me more of a glancing blow than I gave him. I was not injured, the deer sped off so I presume he was unharmed. I was very fortunate.

I pulled over immediately after hitting the deer. I wanted to make sure there was not an injured deer anywhere near me and that the car was unharmed. I was petrified of finding any blood on the front of my minivan. I was not hurt, but more than slightly shaky.

I glanced behind me at the traffic, which I noticed had suddenly stopped. One car had stopped next to me, effectively blocking the road, and the female driver rolled down her window to ask if I was hurt or if I needed anything. I informed her I was okay, just startled, and wanted to make sure the car and the deer were okay. She told me the deer had run off, so she assumed the deer was just fine. I thanked her before she drove off, then got out of my car.

By this time, I noticed the car that had pulled over behind me. Another woman got out of that car and came over to ask me if I was okay. I repeated my story, and she commiserated about how quickly the deer darted across the road. She was the one who noticed the dirty-looking marks across my front bumper, and said she presumed that was where the deer hit the car (or vice versa, depending on your viewpoint, I suppose). There was no visible deer-blood or dents. I thanked her for stopping to check on me, then went to get back into my car.

A third female driver blocked traffic to stop and ask if I was okay. I thanked her, said I was fine, and she drove off while I got back in my car and got ready to drive away.

I am very thankful that I did not kill (and hopefully did not injure) an animal. I am exceedingly grateful that I did not do significant damage to my car. I am relieved that I am uninjured. But what I am most thankful for is the three strangers who cared enough to stop and ask if I was okay. None of them had another person in their car with them. I could have been a crazed psycho for all they knew. But each one of them, particularly the lady who got out of her own car to check on me, cared enough about another human being, a stranger, who had just had a run-in with a deer.

I can't speak for the chicken, but I suspect that I know why the deer crossed the road: to teach me that strangers still do care about the welfare of others. Thank you, ladies.