By ALEX PIAZZA
TRAVERSE CITY -- The third time is not always a charm.
Just ask Brian Giddis.
Giddis, a sergeant with the Grand Traverse County Sheriff's department, crashed into a deer Friday morning on U.S. 31 South near McRae Hill Road.
It wasn't his first encounter with a deer. Nor his second.
Friday's collision was Giddis' third such meeting with a deer, all in the same county patrol vehicle, all along the same stretch of road.
"I saw the deer, it saw me, and it lowered its head and ran right toward me," said Giddis, a 12-year sheriff's veteran. "It was like a quarterback and linebacker collided."
Repairs to the driver's side fender cost $100, and Giddis returned to his patrol duties Friday afternoon. But he always keeps his eyes peeled when he approaches that area along U.S. 31 South.
Law enforcement officials are at risk for deer accidents because "we're always on the road," he said.
The department usually requests three bids from local body shops, and then goes with the lowest cost. An average cost to repair a vehicle after a deer-related accident is $2,100, said Lori Conarton, of the Insurance Institute of Michigan.
"It's a costly problem here in Michigan," she said.
And it's not a rare occurrence in these parts. Grand Traverse County accounts for the most reported deer accidents in northwest Michigan.
Nearly 600 crashes involving deer occurred in the county in 2008, according to the Michigan State Police Deer Traffic Report. The 2009 report has yet to be finalized.
Antrim County reported about 450 deer-related collisions, but Sheriff Dan Bean said only a few involved patrol vehicles.
"We were pretty fortunate," he said.
The Benzie County Sheriff's Department handles about two deer accidents a day, said Sheriff Rory Heckman.
One of those accidents involved a deputy, who slammed into a deer last week. Heckman said repairs to the bumper, hood and headlights will cost about $2,200.
Road salt attracts deer to the pavement in winter and sets the table for run-ins with vehicles, Heckman said.
"It's a bad combination," he said.
Deer-related crashes in southern Michigan are more frequent than in the north because traffic numbers are higher. Jackson and Kent counties paced the state in 2008. Each totaled more than 2,000 reported deer accidents.
Deer crash frequency
Deer crashes aren't uncommon on Michigan roadways, and Grand Traverse County accounts for the most reported collisions with deer in northwest Michigan.
Grand Traverse County -- 573
Antrim County -- 454
Benzie County -- 289
Leelanau County -- 253
Kalkaska County -- 233
Information from the Michigan State Police 2008 Deer Crash Report
