Our hometown newspaper, The Stanly News and Press, had this as their HEADLINE story in their January 15, 2009 edition. Only in the South would this be a lead story, and only in the South would the lead story end with these last three words. I actually spit coffee when I read them.
The story, in all its glory, is below.
2 drivers escape serious injury after deer becomes pinballed into windshield
Incident happened Monday near Richfield
By Jo Anne Efird, Lifestyles Editor
Thursday, January 15, 2009 — Although a deer hit two vehicles and ended up in the front passenger seat of a 2005 Nissan, both drivers escaped injury in a freak accident Monday on N.C. 49 near Richfield.
N.C. Highway Patrol Trooper D.L. Jackson reported the accident occured at 7:20 a.m. when a buck ran into the road from the west shoulder and collided with a northbound 2006 Ford driven by Clifton Blake Metcalf Jr. of Matthews.
The collision catapulted the deer into the air and it crashed into the front of a southbound 2005 Nissan driven by Patricia Mitchell Tabor of Charlotte, entering the car through the front windshield and coming to rest on the right front floor board.
The Nissan sustained $8,000 in damages and the Ford $2,500.
The deer died.