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Which area roads have the most frequent deer encounters?

PITTSBURGH — It's getting dark during the evening commute, and that can mean more drivers coming across deer on the road. Target 11 went through the accident reports and found out where drivers frequently encounter deer on state roads.

Target 11's Rick Earle took at look at all the PennDOT crash reports for 2017. He found hundreds of crashes involving deer in our area.

Allegheny County led the way with 262 crashes, followed by Westmoreland with 198, 145 in Butler and 127 in Washington County.

Target 11 broke down those reports even further, to the road. In Allegheny County, the Turnpike near Pearce Mill Road in Pine Township had six accidents.  In Westmoreland County, there were 13 crashes on Toll Road 66.  In Butler County on I-79 between Rowan Road and Mars Crider Road, PennDOT has records for five crashes.  In Washington County, there were 27 crashes on Toll Road 43.

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We talked to a frequent traveler of Toll Road 43.

"I just got this new car and my biggest thing to my dad was I need good headlights," Lilly Ferguson said. "I can never see the sides of the road where the deer usually are."

Out of the 732 crashes, two were deadly. Both were in Westmoreland County in October.  One person died on Hayden Boulevard near the Rostraver Airport.  Another person died on Route 711 near Country Club Road in Ligonier. On that same road, there were three other deer car collisions.

What can you do to avoid colliding with a deer?

  • Be especially vigilant during dawn and dusk when deer are most likely to be on the move.
  • If you see one deer, more are likely nearby.
  • Use high beams to spot them sooner, and look for the reflection in their eyes.