01/27/10 — Deer herd causes wreck on U.S. 117 South

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Deer herd causes wreck on U.S. 117 South

By Nick Hiltunen
Published in News on January 27, 2010 1:46 PM

A Faison man reported a herd of five deer crossed the intersection of U.S. 117 South and George Street on Tuesday morning, at least two of them striking his truck and leaving at least four dead deer in the roadway, he said.

Derek Oates of Suttontown Road, Faison, said he was entering U.S. 117 South from George Street when he saw a herd of at least five deer.

"I was coming down into Goldsboro on (U.S. 117) and five deer come out running full blast," Oates said, adding that the deer seemed to have come from behind a business on South George Street.

Two struck his truck, causing about $2,220 worth of damage, "crinkling all in" a passenger door and putting dents into an area on the back of the truck's bed, Oates said.

The driver said he saw at least four dead deer in the roadway, and assumed that other drivers hit the other two deer but did not stop.

"I guess the cars behind me, kind of got them -- there were at least four or five laying in the road afterwards," the Faison resident said. "I know all of them didn't get hit by me."

Goldsboro police reports showed only Oates stopped after striking the two deer.

It isn't the first time Oates has seen deer within the city limits, said the driver, who was on his way to work at Knox Upholstery, owned by his grandfather Charles Knox.

Oates' mother Rita Oates was traveling with him. Neither of them were injured.

"She (my mom) was just kind of surprised, I guess," Oates said.