Car Accident - What to do

[Navy Ship]

Hi there. I was coming home from work and hit a deer in the middle of the night (working night shift). This "accident" did not involve damage to any private or public property. To avoid the deer I did go off the side and long story short, ended up hitting a tree. If the roads weren't so muddy from all the rain recently, this situation would not have happened. Luckily I hit the tree at a good angle, so the only damage is a dent in my car. The car itself is running perfectly fine otherwise. The accident happened when I was a minute away from home. The car was still running fine and all the electronics were functional. I reported what happened to the people living close by and went home. This accident was not my fault but I don't know how it will be categorized.

I was thinking about calling the police. But I was on a single lane road far from the town, it would have taken a long time for them to get there. I figured since the car was working, I should just be happy that the damage was minimal and figure this situation out in the morning. So I drove home.

Now looking back should I have reported this to the police? Should I claim it on my insurance? I'm trying to apply to be a Pilot or NFO. Will this have any affect on my OCS application or my security clearance? I do not have any speeding tickets or any other violations.

Thank you for your help.

 

[picklesuit]

You may be hosed for hit and run on an unarmed tree...better get a good lawyer and burn your car...
Pickle

 

[wink]

Shouldn't be a problem for the Navy.

 

[BusyBee604]

Now looking back should I have reported this to the police? Should I claim it on my insurance? I'm trying to apply to be a Pilot or NFO. Will this have any affect on my OCS application or my security clearance? I do not have any speeding tickets or any other violations.

Looks like pretty much "no harm, no foul". Is it a new, high value car? If not, resume course and steam as before. As for repair, get a quick estimate on repair cost (somehow even minor dent repair costs can be shocking). Compare repair cost v deductible, then decide if the difference is/is not worth a future rise in insurance premium.

FWIW, seems like banging a tree, would produce more than a minor dent?
BzB

 

[exNavyOffRec]

You are fine, don't worry about it.

and also just in case you were wondering, you don't have to divulge to the USN every time you exceeded the speed limit but were never caught

 

[exNavyOffRec]

FWIW, seems like banging a tree, would produce more than a minor dent?

at the very least splinters in a very uncomfortable area!

 

[Renegade One]

You may be hosed for hit and run on an unarmed tree...better get a good lawyer and burn your car...Pickle

Well played...

Hi there. I was coming home from work and hit a deer...To avoid the deer I did go off the side and long story short, ended up hitting a tree.
Now looking back should I have reported this to the police? Should I claim it on my insurance? I'm trying to apply to be a Pilot or NFO. Will this have any affect on my OCS application or my security clearance? I do not have any speeding tickets or any other violations.

Thank you for your help.

Did you or did you not "hit the deer"? Unclear from the OP. Some suggestions:
1. Yes, report to your insurance company. That's what you pay them for, yes?
2. Local LEOs won't care…unless you left a dead deer on the road...nor will the Navy.
3. Hit a deer? Might want to report it to local Fish and Game…depending. Was it "whacked"? Did it run off? Happens all the time…
4. As to "If the roads weren't so muddy from all the rain recently, this situation would not have happened...This accident was not my fault…single-lane road far from town..."… You just might want to rethink your perception of personal accountability. Muddy roads? Late at night? Single-lane road in the boonies, may I assume no road lights?

Sounds like a slower speed appropriate for the conditions may have avoided everything…but I wasn't there.

 

[zab1001]

For God's sake, it was incidental, not a question of character or judgment. "Personal accountability" - get real, shit happens. Maybe he should have stayed home locked in his room.

 

[BusyBee604]

FWIW, seems like banging a tree, would produce more than a minor dent?

I'm thinkin' Bam Bam took his avatar name from your incident...Bam - deer, Bam - tree!
BzB

 

[Spekkio]

Breathe.

Next time call the police so your insurance company can't accuse you of falsifying a claim. Not saying they will, but they can.

 

[Renegade One]

For God's sake, it was incidental, not a question of character or judgment. "Personal accountability" - get real, shit happens. Maybe he should have stayed home locked in his room.

You clearly come from the "It just blew!" school of thought.

Perhaps my choice of words [personal accountability] was insensitive given the benign outcome…all I'm saying is that OP could have mitigated some of the existing driving conditions he described. No character judgements involved at all…but maybe just a wee bit on the whole judgement thingie.

Just thinking ahead to how he might approach Instructor and LSO debriefs in the future…that's all.

 

[Gatordev]

Just to be clear, the record for deer collisions is 3 at the same time...mid air. The OP will have to work a little harder at upping his kill numbers if he wants to earn his wings of gold.

<---- (Has lost count of how many times I've almost hit deer while at Whiting, both in the car doing the base speed limit and on the taxiway).

 

[exNavyOffRec]

Just to be clear, the record for deer collisions is 3 at the same time...mid air. The OP will have to work a little harder at upping his kill numbers if he wants to earn his wings of gold.

<---- (Has lost count of how many times I've almost hit deer while at Whiting, both in the car doing the base speed limit and on the taxiway).

I know a deputy who came over a hill to find a heard of cows in the road, he hit 3, one went and rolled over the top of the car, result 2 dead cows, 1 cow missing tail, 1 cruiser totaled

This deputy totaled 3 cars in less than 1 year, 1 by cows, 1 when his parked cruiser was hit by DUI driver, another when DUI driver driving wrong lane, deputy swerved and hit black ice.

 

[Navy Ship]

Looks like pretty much "no harm, no foul". Is it a new, high value car? If not, resume course and steam as before. As for repair, get a quick estimate on repair cost (somehow even minor dent repair costs can be shocking). Compare repair cost v deductible, then decide if the difference is/is not worth a future rise in insurance premium.
View attachment 12664
FWIW, seems like banging a tree, would produce more than a minor dent?
BzB

Hmm. . .it wasn't quite a minor dent. But it was far from the damaged car in the picture you posted. Let me put it this way. The car was functional and not leaking fluids or anything. Even the window is still rolling down on the damaged door.

 

[Bam Bam]

I'm thinkin' Bam Bam took his avatar name from your incident...Bam - deer, Bam - tree!
BzB

Very close! It came from my insatiable desire to fix aircraft and get sorties back in the air. Unfortunately, I had that desire even when I was a young Airman (E3+) and I didn't have the maintenance prowess that I currently hold (joking!). Soooooooooo I broke some aircraft parts because I went feet first trying to fix the old girls and hence the name Bam Bam. Some of those parts were pretty expensive because I was on special misson C-130's and the F/A-22 during those years. Later on in my career I learned that they had leather bound books specially made to fix aircraft, who knew!! Plus it helped that I am 6'3 with light brown hair and blue eyes, just like the famed charchter from the Flintstones. I took it as a plus that my Cheif Master Seargant (E-9) gave me a nick name instead of recommending NJP! Good times!