Castle Hill Crash is a Good Sign to Look for Wildlife in the Road

A crash in Castle Hill over the weekend is a good reminder that it's time to start watching for wildlife in the roadway.

It's true that there's never really a time in Maine when we shouldn't be watching for deer, moose, and other animals on the roads. But in the Spring, those animals are as excited about the budding leaves as we are. More, actually, since they now have a food source that's been missing all winter. And much like a kid who's running after the ice cream truck with Mom's dollar bill, the animals are zipping across the road after a tasty treat, without looking both ways first.

Maine State Police say it was Sunday evening, just after 5:00, when the crash happened. 57-year-old David Bernier of Mapleton was driving his Chevrolet Silverado eastbound on Route 163 in Castle Hill when an animal entered the roadway. Bernier swerved to avoid it but hit some loose gravel on the side of the road and lost control of the vehicle. He tried to regain control but overcorrected, causing the Silverado to go off the left side of the road and run into a patch of trees. At this point, the vehicle rolled onto its passenger side.

Luckily, Bernier sustained only minor injuries in the crash. I'm glad that Mr. Bernier is okay and sorry that his vehicle didn't fare quite as well.

There isn't a lot we can do to stop the animals from running across the roads, but we can try to slow down in areas where they're likely to be. (okay, that's most of Maine, but some places are more prone to animal crossings than others) And keep your eyes moving all the time, scanning the sides of the road for movement.