Car Meets Cow

[raevyncait]

Those of you on my FB have already heard the story and seen the pics, but for those who haven't.

I walked away with bruises, scrapes, 2 staples in my forehead, and ALL the parts of my body that I left home with intact, and for that I'm intensely grateful.

My route to work is mostly unlit, country highway (65 mph limits). I've driven it daily for months now, plus the months I drove it daily before I spent a year in the jobsite office near my house. In that time, on this particular road (there are 2 that I drive daily), I've only ever seen deer along the roadway, and the periodic roadkill (skunks, possums, small wildcats, coyotes), all livestock has always been fenced appropriately.

Yesterday morning, as I was driving about 60, I suddenly encountered a large BLACK cow. Unfortunately, as it was before 7 a.m., it was pitch black, and the cow was not visible until seconds before my bumper encountered her legs. As near as I can tell, since my airbag deployed properly, her weed puller (literally) met my windshield and she rolled over the roof into the road behind me, and into the path of pickup #1, a full sized newish truck with a big ole grill guard on it. I, in my car, slid off the road down into a gully and landed, thankfully right side up, having stayed upright the whole time, wedged between a piperail fence and a small tree.   Truck #1 stopped and came to check on me, when he got to me, I was already out of my car through the barely openable driver's door, and had gotten the overnight bag out of the back seat. He had already called 911. Cow was still in the road at this point. A girl in a hyundai sedan said she hit the cow, but she must've just clipped it because  her car was drivable and she parked in front of truck #1. A Cadillac pulled up behind truck 1 to see if he could help. He was standing outside his car, in the grass, a few feet from his car, I'm guessing that truck 1's driver was up talking to Hyundai girl. Truck #2 hit the cow, knocking it to the shoulder, flipping the truck onto its roof and skidding probably 25 ft until it slammed into the back of the Cadillac, completely crushing the back end.  Cadillac bounced or shifted somehow, hard enough to throw it's driver from where he was standing in the grass through the air about 10 feet or so farther from the road, still in the grass. Truck #2's driver got himself out of his upside down truck, and came down, with someone who'd pulled over on the opposite side of the highway, to see if I needed help, they helped me walk up out of the gully to the roadside up near where Cadillac driver had landed, so everybody was well away from the road until emergency vehicles could arrive.

The good news is that everyone who HIT the cow was ambulatory, and only 2 of the 4 of us had to be transported or have cars towed. Cadillac driver was lucid, wiggling toes, could feel his feet, knew his name, DL number, date, etc., at least while he was in the ambulance with me before the 2nd one arrived to take him to the hospital. I was released after a couple of hours, I have 2 staples in my forehead near the hairline, and lots of bruises, but nothing is broken and no teeth are missing. I don't think the other guy who was transported with me had anything broken either. I am EXTREMELY grateful that I wasn't killed, or injured more severely. 

I'm sore as hell, and working on figuring out what to do about a vehicle, since I only carried liability, as she wasn't worth what 6 months of full coverage would cost me.   At any rate, if you could spare good thoughts, healing energies, whatever, not only for me, but for the others involved, I'd appreciate it!



Link to all the photos http://s205.beta.photobucket.com/user/raevyncait/library/HOLY%20COW

[Baron Frederick]

Holy Cow Raevyncait,boy where you lucky. I sure feel for you,I bet you are stiff and sore all over. Lots of good thoughts coming your way.Just remember this you came out better than the cow! Wishing you good luck from now on out.

                                             Baron Frederick

[DonaCatalina]

I'm hoping something comes through for you soon on the vehicle. And I'm very glad you're still alive. <hugs>

[LadyStitch]

I am glad you are alright.  A friend from collage's grandmother was killed when she hit a deer.  instead of going over the car like your cow did, her deer went through the windshield.  You are very lucky.

[Rani Zemirah]

Hmmm... wonder if the owner of the cow could be held liable? 

Awfully glad you're going to be ok, and sending healing energy for all the owie spots! 

[LadyStitch]

Depends on how the laws are written.  In the small town where I did my student teaching they had places where cow crossings were posted.  If you didn't slow down in those areas it was your fault and YOU paid for the loss of the cow.  However the guy who's herd  got out on the road and were hit by 3 teenagers in a convertible sports car going 60 mph and were late for school.  He was liable for the damages to the car and removal of fecal matter from the car's interior.  The students were liable for the traffic violations because the speed limit was 30 mph just in case a situation like this was to happen. 

Given the stories of car vs cow my teacher who was a rural volunteer fire and rescue member, you are very lucky.   

[raevyncait]

As I understant TX law, if the owner is clearly negligent, such as leaving a gate open, he is DEFINITELY liable.  The owner did come claim the cow and check to see if everyone was ok (I was already gone when this happened), and the Trooper told me on the phone that he walked the fence with the owner and did find a damaged section of fence, where it was partially down, but not all the way, however he said it will be up to the insurance company (s) to determine liability. My personal contention is that if it was the pipe rail type fencing that runs along most of that stretch of roadway, there's NO WAY it happened in ONE NIGHT, and certainly NOT from one cow running into it, but since I don't know specifically WHERE the section is, I don't know. The fence I hit was on the adjacent property. 
Because my car was so old, I was only able to put liability on it with my insurance company, so unless the owner is found liable, I am totally on my own replacing my car.
My immediate concern is finding one that I can at least borrow (and insure myself on) from someone until I can shop and find something permanent. Because I have only a prepaid debit card, and not a major credit card, I can only rent a car when I am out of town, and I HAVE to present my return flight ticket to the rental company to even do that.

It's proving to be a huge pain, but I am so very grateful to be alive, unbroken, and completely ambulatory, so I'm focusing on that... and the humour of the absurdity of the situation, because in reality, it IS funny.... and seeing a cow flying through the air MUST have been scary , yet funny for the driver behind me as well.

[Rani Zemirah]

Wouldn't it be nice if that farmer had an extra vehicle you could use while you're shopping! 

I understand completely about the prepaid debit card situation, because that's what I use, also.  It does present difficulties occasionally, but it's so much safer than the whole credit card potential pitfall scenario... 

And now I'm picturing the whole cow catapulting scene from MPHG!