(VIDEO) Deer Crashes Into Motorcyclist

Reader Loren Turner was riding along Highway 3 in Trinity County when a deer ran across the road and crashed into her.

Turner writes:

We were on a weekend ride/camping trip. Just enjoying our local area. Stopped in Hayfork for fuel and something to eat. We ate at the Family Dairy Store, which has incredibly good sandwiches. We met a new friend there,  Wally Overturf. He is a rider as well and President of Trinity Riders, which is a Non Profit group that does toy runs and fund raisers for the community.

Wally made sure we had his phone number before we resumed our journey and it turned out we were glad he did.

You can see what happened in the video. This was just outside Hayfork where Hwy 3 starts the curvy climb and the passing lanes are.

I was not seriously hurt, neither was my bike. The deer actually came back and tried to pick a fight with Toby. Toby threw a chunk of asphalt at it, expecting it to run away, but it kept coming at him so he kicked it in the jaw. At that point the deer decided Toby was more than it wanted to deal with and it moved off back towards the hill it came flying down from. Toby chased it to keep it moving away from us. That part unfortunately I did not get on video since I was still pretty dazed by the blow to my helmet. The deer did not touch the bike, only me, it’s head impacted on my helmet and it’s forelegs kicked me in the left arm as it tried to go over me.

The Trinity Riders all came to our rescue. Wally got one of the guys to bring his truck and trailer and they picked up my bike, Toby rode it up onto the trailer, and they took it to Wally’s house. Toby parked both bikes in the yard, Wally assured him everything would be watched over and handed Toby the keys to his truck.

I had been convinced to go to the hospital for x-rays and ct scan, and the EMT decided to take me to Mercy hospital in Redding instead of the hospital in Weaverville.

I felt fine but I did have some pretty decent bruises and sore spots in places that would warrant at least an x-ray.

X-rays and Ct scan came out good, no fractures so I was discharged and told to go home and rest.

Wally and his wife Marilyn did keep us that night and the next day, they too felt I should rest. I did get back on my bike sunday evening for a short shake out ride, and we packed the bikes the next morning and headed home. All in all, it was actually a fun weekend. Homicidal deer aside, we got to meet some awesome people, joined Trinity Riders, had the best BBQ I have eaten in a while and the ride home was fun and deer free. Wally blessed our bikes before we left.

Reporter’s note: This story has been edited for clarity and length.

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28 Comments
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CLAUDIA Johnson
Guest
CLAUDIA Johnson
5 years ago

There are good people in the world sometimes you wonder You really found them Glad you are ok

Dan Fuller
Guest
Dan Fuller
5 years ago

One wonders if the deer was rabid, it isn’t typical deer behavior this time of year!!! In the Fall when they are in Rut but not now usually!!! Weird for a fact!!!

Guest
Guest
Guest
5 years ago

I wonder if the deer was a doe with a fawn nearby. That would account for coming back to pick a fight.
I’m glad that no one, even the deer with road rage, was seriously hurt.

Dan Fuller
Guest
Dan Fuller
5 years ago
Reply to  Guest

That”s a good possibility also!!! Strange AF for a fact!!!

Silkentek
Guest
Silkentek
5 years ago
Reply to  Guest

The deer was a young buck. His rack was just coming in and still had fuzz on it. He looked like he was going to be a forked horn, so possibly a 2 year old. I got all these details as I watched him come up to challenge Toby.

Guest
Guest
Guest
5 years ago
Reply to  Silkentek

Lol then just an idiot.

Anon Forrest
Guest
Anon Forrest
5 years ago

I’ll bet my socks the deer was protecting a fawn, as would we all if our kids were in danger. Glad to see helmets on and functioning. Slowing down, eyes wide open, anticipate the wildlife. This deer is clearly visible dithering on the side of the road before chancing the crossing. I’m very glad no one was hurt.
A mother deer will take on a cougar to protect her child; I’ve seen it.

Guest
Guest
Guest
5 years ago
Reply to  Anon Forrest

In the video the deer was in full flight out of a wash before it hit the road, no picture of it doing otherwise. I don’t think that there would have been time to stop.

Anon Forrest
Guest
Anon Forrest
5 years ago

Well, we all have our moments, eh?

Rusty Cage
Guest
Rusty Cage
5 years ago

The near-deer collision was one thing, but the exceptional folks selflessly helping was the greater story.

I like hearing how good Wally and the Trinity Riders were to you. Exactly how people can be when help and brotherly friendship are close at hand. I like it when– unlike Hollywood movies– people are good, behaving how you’d like them to behave. Hope the ride home was pleasant and uneventful!

Guest
Guest
Guest
5 years ago
Reply to  Rusty Cage

Yes. It is uplifting to hear of such actions.

Dan Fuller
Guest
Dan Fuller
5 years ago
Reply to  Guest

Absolutely so!!!

Dem deers
Guest
Dem deers
5 years ago

Where i used to live the male hung out with and protected the babies part time, mom always had twins. Only time ive ever seen that but it happens.
A deer can mess you up, i saw one rear up on back legs and literally punch someone in the face and keep pummeling them as they went down.

This one was most likely fleeing something and in fight/flight mode.
Calling a deer stupid just shows ignorance. If it came down to surviving without modern conveniences and directly off the land, we’re the idiots hands down.

I like stars
Guest
I like stars
5 years ago

Did they decide to monetize the video?

Silkentek
Guest
Silkentek
5 years ago
Reply to  I like stars

We haven’t monitized the video. I am just glad my body and motorcycle came through it all in pretty good shape. =)

StrykerToby
Guest
StrykerToby
5 years ago

Well the silver lining to the black cloud was meeting Wally Overturf and the Trinity Riders group. We joined and will be doing toy runs and community events helping troubled youth and just people in need.

To clear a couple things up, questions or assumptions in commentary here.
Firstly it was a buck. It was a forked (2 year old) velvet antler do to just coming in for this season. Thank God it wasn’t a full rack. Probably 175 to 200 lbs. The reason I know this is because I was up close and personal with this buck, as it attacked me. I had to defend myself, not that I wasn’t mad and wanted to kill it anyway. Also we raise goats and I’ve done battle with buck goats before and it was all as big or bigger than the largest goats we’ve had.

The thing that seems to be in question is how fast the buck was going and whether it was visible soon enough to avoid.
The video clearly shows it coming out from behind the brush and trees in the shaded area. It leaped across the wash at speed and accelerated as soon as it’s hooves hit the pavement. It took three strides and leaped into the air attempting to jump over my wife at full speed.
To put this into perspective , time lapse, it was 3 seconds from time the deer hit the pavement to impacting Loren.

Now, I suspect it didn’t hear Loren’s bike with quite pipes, but heard my bike with loader pipes, is why it accelerated in attempt to cross before I got there.
You hear me start to downshift when I saw the deer. This was after it had all four legs down onto the hwy and into it’s first stride before I reacted.
I honestly thought it was going behind Loren and I’d have to dodge it.
The camera is a wide angle and picked up the deer long before even I saw it. I’m 100% sure Loren could not have seen it unless she was looking to the side when it hit the hwy. Also I was several car lengths behind her.
I thought the worst, that was, she was unconscious. She did an amazing job controlling the bike.
This is not the first time we’ve had close calls but seems our luck ran out this time.

J
Guest
J
5 years ago
Reply to  StrykerToby

I’m glad that poor deer survived you. Why the fuck did you want to kill it before it became aggressive towards you? Your pissed that you were in it’s home and your friend got in its way? Stay out of it’s home if you have a problem with it being in its own home [edit].

StrykerToby
Guest
StrykerToby
5 years ago
Reply to  J

J I just don’t know what to say to you people that think wild animals have more right to be on this planet than we humans do. We build houses and roads and have every right to be where we are on this planet.
Unfortunately wild animals cross our path from time to time. They have the the whole fucking forest to live in. We don’t. I’m not a hunter. I don’t go looking to kill animals not even predators . I have livestock and surround my ranch with hot wire. Deer, fox, bear, cougar and more live right outside my yard. I don’t bother them, they don’t bother me.
But again unfortunately they cross the roads we put in to get to and fro, which we have every right to do so.
Now to address me wanting to kill it, I had a lot of things going through my head and killing that deer wasn’t my foremost thought. Me picking up the chunk of asphalt was with mixed thoughts. Just throw it at it, or probably going to have to put it out because it had head injuries. Next thought was just to throw it to chase it away. I missed, it kept coming at me. I even said out loud,” oh your going to keep coming” “come closer” It did. It came right at me. It was crazed. I can’t say what it was thinking but it was on. I went into defensive mode because I do know what deer that size can do.

neverlayup
Guest
neverlayup
5 years ago

hope the deer was ok? did anyone check?

Silkentek
Guest
Silkentek
5 years ago
Reply to  neverlayup

The deer left the scene with his head up and tail up at a trot, flicking his ears back and forth. It was a little dazed but still had plenty of spunk as it pranced on up the hill back the way it came.
We rode around Hayfork a couple times after the incident, and on a side road, where there are a couple good sized ranches, there are large signs with the message ‘SUICIDAL DEER!!!!’ on them.
I believe them now. I really do.

neverlayup
Guest
neverlayup
5 years ago

nice moves! glad you and your bike are ok! that must have been scary as hell bro!

Poppins
Guest
Poppins
5 years ago

So wonderful to read that your dear lady is o.k.! And that the local folks had your back. We do live in wonderful communities.

R -DOG
Guest
R -DOG
5 years ago

That thing came out nowhere i just kind of wonder why he did not keep that bike on the black top i like to know i bit more about how this went down

Divide by Zero
Guest
Divide by Zero
5 years ago
Reply to  R -DOG

My thought too, and why go for the gravel especially on a cruiser. That said, if you’re going down make it on the low side.

StrykerToby
Guest
StrykerToby
5 years ago
Reply to  Divide by Zero

If you take a closer look at the video she was hanging off to the right side of the bike. The impact of the deer was extremely powerful. She was approximately 40 mph. She took full impact of the deer. The deer did not touch the bike at all. I thought she was unconscious hanging sideways on the bike and did nothing for a few seconds. Her weight hanging sideways pulled the bike to the right and into the gravel before she was able to gain her composure and motor control to start reacting. By then it was to late. She did all she could just to keep the bike upright and bring it to a stop before going over the edge.

Silkentek
Guest
Silkentek
5 years ago
Reply to  R -DOG

Firstly, I am not a guy, secondly, I will challenge anyone who thinks I could have done better keeping the bike up, to get hit in the side of the head at 40mph with 200 lbs that is itself traveling at approximately 35 to 40mph and see how well you do, staying in the saddle, and thinking quickly enough to work your controls helmet or not. Toby was sure I was unconscious. I was as close as you can get without actually blacking out, because I just refused to give in and go out.
I was extremely stunned, it was all I could do to get my hands to work at all, I managed to pull my clutch at the time of impact, and work my front brake, but I couldn’t straighten my lean or work my feet at all. The commands just would not go from my stunned brain to my feet.
Trust me, if I could have kept the bike up and brought it to an orderly stop I would have much preferred that over having to fix my bike.
If you have never taken a strong blow to the head, then kindly reserve judgement. You have no idea what you are talking about. The CHP, the fire crew, and the EMT’s all told me I did an extraordinary job to come through that in one piece and with minimal damage to myself and the motorcycle.
But then I guess only people who deal with this sort of thing all the time would have any clue.

R -DOG
Guest
R -DOG
5 years ago
Reply to  Silkentek

Thanks for the info report was not sure how all this happened i know know what happened that dam dear hit you i did not think that dear hit you at first my God you did a extremely good job glad you were able to maintain control to the best of your ability have fun and safe rideing your friend R-DOG

Dave Kirby
Guest
Dave Kirby
5 years ago

I’ve heard that you can tell a happy biker by the bugs in his/her teeth. But a deer?