leanin' H
Well-known member
Thought i'd share with ya'll waht happened to me last night in hopes you might not have it happen to you or a family member. I left my day job and headed for the house in a dense bank of fog. We get fogged in now and then but it usually isnt for too long or very thick. But last night it was thicker than the inside of a cow. I left the paved road and headed across 29 miles of the gravel raod i commute daily. I thought i could see pretty well but was traveling faster than i should of been. I had made it about 2 miles when i noticed fresh cow tracks along the road in the snow and saw where a bunch had crossed the road. A little voice told me to slow down as i was going about 45 trying to get home so my wife wouldnt be late for a meeting. (Me and the kids were gonna keep and eye on each other) :wink: So i backed it down to 30-35 and kept driving being very attentive and focused. At about the 6th mile a black cow was suddenly right in the road about 20 feet off my dashboard. I tried to stop or swerve but the snowpacked roads covered in horefrost wouldnt let me and i hit her dead center. She acted like a bowling ball and knocked the other 4 cows with her to safety without hurting them. She was in a bad way and soon died. 
I wasnt wearning my seat belt and smacked the windshield hard enough to break it and the steering wheel has my chest and arm pretty sore tonight as well. I feel like a troll and know i should of been going slower than 35 but i thought i could see. Now for the spooky part! :shock: Cow is dying and my 1990 4 runner is totaled and i am in the middle of a lonely road at -7F after dark. The wreck took out the battery and the fuses and i didnt even have hazard flashers with no way to move the outfit or cow out of the road way. I called my wife and then the sherrif and was on the phone with dispatch when i heard a truck coming out in the fog. I ran toward the direction it was approaching from hoping to signal it to miss the wreck ahead but only got 25 yards when it barrelled out of the fog and dang near ended my career. I was on the side of the road but he was going about 50mph and barely saw me and then was past. I just knew he was dead when he passed me and would hit my 4runner/cow! But he saw the cow at the last second and swerved to the side missing the cow and my car by about 2 feet! Snow went everywhere as he blasted through the barditch and the 4 feet of snow that had been graded there. But he was able to get out of the ditch and back onto the road where he stopped. I ran up the road and we were both shaking. It was sooooo close to being the death of me or him or both! He stayed with me and kept his flashers on til help arrived from my family and the deputy sherrif. Then my neighbor from skull valley came to get his cow out of the road and i apologized to him and gave him my insurance info. We towed the 4 runner out of the road and then went back today and come-a-longed it onto a trailer and got it home. I hope ya'll will learn something that i learned last night. BE SURE YOU HAVE ROAD FLARES OR A BEACON OR EVEN JUST A FLASHLIGHT in all your outfits. It was so close to turning out completely different than just killing a cow. (which is bad enough) We will get us another SUV to drive and the insurance will pay for another cow, but my lack of preparedness almost cost me and a guy headed for his own home a lot more than a dented fender. Here's a picture i took tonight ot the 4 runner. It doesnt look too bad from here.
But it knocked the stuffing out of it pretty good. As old as it is, we arent sure if we'll try and fix it or just salvage it at a wrecking yard. Our insurance was just liability (thats all they would insure it for) as its 23 years old.
Drivers side wasnt as bad as passenger side. The cow was down and kept trying to get up and beat the side of the door up pretty good with her head. Cant say as i blame her for trying to get even. I had no way to put her down as i work on a government facility and cannot carry a firearm on my person or in my automobile. 
Moral of the story>>> Wear your selt belt! It's easy to go too fast even when your going slow! Be prepared with emergency gear and lights of some kind just incase! You may even be of service to somebody else who wrecks and doesnt have flares or lights! Hug your kids and wife or husband! Last night was almost my last night. My hard head left a lasting impression on my windshield. Nothing you walk away from is very bad but it was close. It's a good thing i was already homely and didnt damage something important.
Have a fine evening. Drive safe!
I wasnt wearning my seat belt and smacked the windshield hard enough to break it and the steering wheel has my chest and arm pretty sore tonight as well. I feel like a troll and know i should of been going slower than 35 but i thought i could see. Now for the spooky part! :shock: Cow is dying and my 1990 4 runner is totaled and i am in the middle of a lonely road at -7F after dark. The wreck took out the battery and the fuses and i didnt even have hazard flashers with no way to move the outfit or cow out of the road way. I called my wife and then the sherrif and was on the phone with dispatch when i heard a truck coming out in the fog. I ran toward the direction it was approaching from hoping to signal it to miss the wreck ahead but only got 25 yards when it barrelled out of the fog and dang near ended my career. I was on the side of the road but he was going about 50mph and barely saw me and then was past. I just knew he was dead when he passed me and would hit my 4runner/cow! But he saw the cow at the last second and swerved to the side missing the cow and my car by about 2 feet! Snow went everywhere as he blasted through the barditch and the 4 feet of snow that had been graded there. But he was able to get out of the ditch and back onto the road where he stopped. I ran up the road and we were both shaking. It was sooooo close to being the death of me or him or both! He stayed with me and kept his flashers on til help arrived from my family and the deputy sherrif. Then my neighbor from skull valley came to get his cow out of the road and i apologized to him and gave him my insurance info. We towed the 4 runner out of the road and then went back today and come-a-longed it onto a trailer and got it home. I hope ya'll will learn something that i learned last night. BE SURE YOU HAVE ROAD FLARES OR A BEACON OR EVEN JUST A FLASHLIGHT in all your outfits. It was so close to turning out completely different than just killing a cow. (which is bad enough) We will get us another SUV to drive and the insurance will pay for another cow, but my lack of preparedness almost cost me and a guy headed for his own home a lot more than a dented fender. Here's a picture i took tonight ot the 4 runner. It doesnt look too bad from here.
But it knocked the stuffing out of it pretty good. As old as it is, we arent sure if we'll try and fix it or just salvage it at a wrecking yard. Our insurance was just liability (thats all they would insure it for) as its 23 years old.
Drivers side wasnt as bad as passenger side. The cow was down and kept trying to get up and beat the side of the door up pretty good with her head. Cant say as i blame her for trying to get even.
I had no way to put her down as i work on a government facility and cannot carry a firearm on my person or in my automobile.
Moral of the story>>> Wear your selt belt! It's easy to go too fast even when your going slow! Be prepared with emergency gear and lights of some kind just incase! You may even be of service to somebody else who wrecks and doesnt have flares or lights! Hug your kids and wife or husband! Last night was almost my last night. My hard head left a lasting impression on my windshield. Nothing you walk away from is very bad but it was close. It's a good thing i was already homely and didnt damage something important.
Have a fine evening. Drive safe!
