My first roadkill
Discussion
When I was 17 I was riding along on my Honda 125 minding my own business. I got to about 40 mph and took my hand off the handle bar to close the visor on my helmet and ... BANG! got hit straight in the face through the open visor by a pigeon. It may as well been a bloody albatross because it knocked me right off course and I ended up veering off the road and onto the pavement where I took out a female cyclist head on.
The bird was dead but flapping as a nervous state and was wedged in my helmet. I got hysterical and was literally spitting feathers. I completely lost it (the plot) and ripped off my crash helemet and threw it down the road, complete with bird. Then to make matters worse, some old biddy had a go at me for crashing into the young lady I had hit on the bike. I was severely messed up and traumatized from the incident, and the girl on the bike was very helpfull. My face was also covered in blood and when the police arrived they took me straight to hospital. I had a very small cut on my cheek (caused by the beak they thought) and a also had a very inflamed eye (nurse thought I was allergic to the bird 'dust' - no shit!?!). The next day I had massive neck pain which lasted for a few days. I think it was directly caused by the pigeon hitting me in the face as it was an awful force like being punched in the face. When I eventually recovered the helmet, it was clear that the plastic visor had cut the bird nearly in half from the back down
Later on, the nice girl on the bike claimed against me for a new bike, and pair of shoes and a pair of jeans.. she wasn't supposed to be on the pavement, but the police advised me to replace the things she asked for as neither was I!
The only good news is that there was no damage to the bike at all, the women on the bike saved my fall
The bird was dead but flapping as a nervous state and was wedged in my helmet. I got hysterical and was literally spitting feathers. I completely lost it (the plot) and ripped off my crash helemet and threw it down the road, complete with bird. Then to make matters worse, some old biddy had a go at me for crashing into the young lady I had hit on the bike. I was severely messed up and traumatized from the incident, and the girl on the bike was very helpfull. My face was also covered in blood and when the police arrived they took me straight to hospital. I had a very small cut on my cheek (caused by the beak they thought) and a also had a very inflamed eye (nurse thought I was allergic to the bird 'dust' - no shit!?!). The next day I had massive neck pain which lasted for a few days. I think it was directly caused by the pigeon hitting me in the face as it was an awful force like being punched in the face. When I eventually recovered the helmet, it was clear that the plastic visor had cut the bird nearly in half from the back down
Later on, the nice girl on the bike claimed against me for a new bike, and pair of shoes and a pair of jeans.. she wasn't supposed to be on the pavement, but the police advised me to replace the things she asked for as neither was I!
The only good news is that there was no damage to the bike at all, the women on the bike saved my fall
I have run a couple of things over..
Blue tongue lizards are a favourite here in Aus, they arent exactly fast critters so tend to dawdle across the road.
I hit something small, brown and furry a few weeks back that darted out of the long grass at the side of the road and saw it tumbling along the road in my mirrors, I pulled over to go and see what it was and if I could try and help it but by the time I got back it had gone and I wasnt about to go crashing through the long gras to look for it...Snakes!!
I was nearly cleaned up by a kangaroo last year, they tend to be around during sunrise/sunset and can make a horrendous mess of your car. I was driving in the country at about 7am when I saw one out of the corner of my eye at the last second....he jumped across the road right behind the car.
I hate running animals over....it makes you feel so sick knowing you hurt another creature even if there was nothing you could do about it.
I did run a cyclist over 2 years ago which didnt make me feel sick at all. I was quite pleased with myself
Blue tongue lizards are a favourite here in Aus, they arent exactly fast critters so tend to dawdle across the road.
I hit something small, brown and furry a few weeks back that darted out of the long grass at the side of the road and saw it tumbling along the road in my mirrors, I pulled over to go and see what it was and if I could try and help it but by the time I got back it had gone and I wasnt about to go crashing through the long gras to look for it...Snakes!!
I was nearly cleaned up by a kangaroo last year, they tend to be around during sunrise/sunset and can make a horrendous mess of your car. I was driving in the country at about 7am when I saw one out of the corner of my eye at the last second....he jumped across the road right behind the car.
I hate running animals over....it makes you feel so sick knowing you hurt another creature even if there was nothing you could do about it.
I did run a cyclist over 2 years ago which didnt make me feel sick at all. I was quite pleased with myself
Ran over a bloody great snake once in Singapore - I didnt stop!
Had to 'despatch' a rabbit once that someone had run over the rear of and left.
I also spent a year or so looking for a road kill badger eventually found one and a taxidermist friend cured the head and hide. Then took it to a sporran maker and had it made into an Argyle & Sutherland Highlanders sporran. And very nice it looks too!
G
Had to 'despatch' a rabbit once that someone had run over the rear of and left.
I also spent a year or so looking for a road kill badger eventually found one and a taxidermist friend cured the head and hide. Then took it to a sporran maker and had it made into an Argyle & Sutherland Highlanders sporran. And very nice it looks too!
G
I’ve run over a variety of small furrys due to the fact my favourite type of driving is late night B-Road blasts in my track car… the thing that compounds to the horror is the fact my car is that low NOTHING will pass safely underneath without being collected up….and the fact it has no carpets/sound deadening etc… means you can hear [and feel] everything!!
Rabbits at 70mph seem to be a fairly regular occurance!
Lovely!!
Rabbits at 70mph seem to be a fairly regular occurance!
Lovely!!
I've lost count of th number of wild animals I've dispatched over the years, the worst being a fully grown deer I think.
I hit it, it bounced off, I hit it again, it bounced off, I ran over it.
Insurance would have written my car off, but I repaired it.
Also managed to get a small bird wedged between the headlamp and the bonnet on my old Mk4 Escort.
numerous rabbits, pheasants etc
Never a domestic pet though, thank god.
I hit it, it bounced off, I hit it again, it bounced off, I ran over it.
Insurance would have written my car off, but I repaired it.
Also managed to get a small bird wedged between the headlamp and the bonnet on my old Mk4 Escort.
numerous rabbits, pheasants etc
Never a domestic pet though, thank god.
Being a Devon resident, I've hit a few of the local wildlife, a hare, a pheasant and a few birds. I very nearly hit a stag many years ago whilst doing v-max in a Morris Marina. Was very, very scary. Would have been certain death for both of us had it not been for serious avoiding action by the both of us.
puggit said:
Was driving down a lovely backroad in Somerset on Saturday at hooning speed +1 when a pheasant ran out in front of us. I only had time to see the whites of his eyes before impact. Looking behind me it was a mess of feathers and bits...
Stopped immediately and checked the car - not a single mark. The underside of the Mazda 5 has a plate underneath which protects everything (I didn't know it was there, but you can't even see the axles easily). Not a mark of a feather to be seen
Can't believe it's taken more then 15 years of driving to notch up my first kill (other than invertebrates!).
Drove back past it today - no sign of the poor bugger.
Stopped immediately and checked the car - not a single mark. The underside of the Mazda 5 has a plate underneath which protects everything (I didn't know it was there, but you can't even see the axles easily). Not a mark of a feather to be seen
Can't believe it's taken more then 15 years of driving to notch up my first kill (other than invertebrates!).
Drove back past it today - no sign of the poor bugger.
I'm afraid I hit one with Eileen's Fiesta at about 85 mph a year or two ago. The poor blighter just ran straight across the road and I hit it with the front number plate area. When I looked in the mirror there was a huge cloud of feathers, but not a mark on the car when I checked later.
Best wishes all,
Dave.
UncleDave said:
Yikes.. that half Pheasant half Porsche is pretty bad.. 
You've got to be quite unlucky for that to happen..
You've got to be quite unlucky for that to happen..Some time ago somebody (maybe not on PH) put up some pictures of a car that had hit a deer at highish speed, and that was a spectacularly dreadful mess both inside and outside the car.
Best wishes all,
Dave.
TripleS said:
UncleDave said:
Yikes.. that half Pheasant half Porsche is pretty bad.. You've got to be quite unlucky for that to happen..
You've got to be quite unlucky for that to happen..Some time ago somebody (maybe not on PH) put up some pictures of a car that had hit a deer at highish speed, and that was a spectacularly dreadful mess both inside and outside the car.
Best wishes all,
Dave.
I do have a link to that, but I think it was taken off PH because it was too gruesome.
I had the joy of despatching a sheep one day. Over the brow of a hill in open country (no fences) to find 30 of the woolly-backed-b&stards crossing in front of me. The baaarmy crowd split as fast as it could, aside from one poor sod who looked straight at me before being launched like a pogo'd beanbag for about 30 yards.
Two passing guys in a van stopped, got an end of the sheep each and threw it off the road Chuckle Brothers style, before it became a deceased animal.
£1200 worth of damage by that little accident!
Two passing guys in a van stopped, got an end of the sheep each and threw it off the road Chuckle Brothers style, before it became a deceased animal.
£1200 worth of damage by that little accident!
360boy said:
TripleS said:
UncleDave said:
Yikes.. that half Pheasant half Porsche is pretty bad.. You've got to be quite unlucky for that to happen..
You've got to be quite unlucky for that to happen..Some time ago somebody (maybe not on PH) put up some pictures of a car that had hit a deer at highish speed, and that was a spectacularly dreadful mess both inside and outside the car.
Best wishes all,
Dave.
I do have a link to that, but I think it was taken off PH because it was too gruesome.
Ah, thanks Peter. It certainly was a sobering sight.
Best wishes all,
Dave.
I've chalked up two kills to my name.
First was a cat. I was doing <30mph in an unlit village at night and it just ran out. Horrible feeling running it over. I did'nt kill it, but it looked pretty
ed all the same. My friend and I got out and were walking up to it thinking we might have to pick it up 
Then a Transit came round the corner and finished the job. No way we were picking it up then 
Second was a low flying pigeon. I took it out at >70mph with the offside wing mirror of my parents Astra. It took the wing mirror with it in a burst of feathers. Watching it pirouette into a nearby field in my mirror was quite amusing!
First was a cat. I was doing <30mph in an unlit village at night and it just ran out. Horrible feeling running it over. I did'nt kill it, but it looked pretty
ed all the same. My friend and I got out and were walking up to it thinking we might have to pick it up Then a Transit came round the corner and finished the job. No way we were picking it up then Second was a low flying pigeon. I took it out at >70mph with the offside wing mirror of my parents Astra. It took the wing mirror with it in a burst of feathers. Watching it pirouette into a nearby field in my mirror was quite amusing!
Got about a dozen 'roos to my name. There really isnt much you can do about it at 110kmh on a dirt road. Certainly not hit the brakes. Foot off the accelerator, keep the wheel straight and hope you dont catch it on the bounce or there's a chance it will come through the winscreen and kick the shit out of you. Let the bullbar do its work basically. I always go back make sure its dead. The Landcruiser is usually the winner by KO.
Aussie outback roads are literally strewn with carcasses in some areas. The roadtrains cant stop or even slow down so they just get nailed. Trouble is, that attracts other animals to the carcass. Dangerous for them and road users, specially a motorbike for instance. They have clean-up crews to drag them to the side of the road but in alot of cases a hose would be more appropriate.
The first couple really make you wince, not least because of the very loud bang when you nail one, but after that you start to get desensitised. Dont like hitting Wedgies (wedge-tail eagle) though.
Will do a little bit more damage than a pheasant!
Which reminds me of a story....
Corrected a pub in the New Forest on their spelling of "Kangeroo" on their specials board at Christmas.
The landlady got the hump and said she already knew and it wasnt really of any importance anyway. As I walked away she spat "Just think, we eat your national emblem for lunch!"
I turned and called back across the bar "You can do what you want with it, we sell it as pet-food in Oz!"
Got a few titters from the punters.
PB
Aussie outback roads are literally strewn with carcasses in some areas. The roadtrains cant stop or even slow down so they just get nailed. Trouble is, that attracts other animals to the carcass. Dangerous for them and road users, specially a motorbike for instance. They have clean-up crews to drag them to the side of the road but in alot of cases a hose would be more appropriate.
The first couple really make you wince, not least because of the very loud bang when you nail one, but after that you start to get desensitised. Dont like hitting Wedgies (wedge-tail eagle) though.
Will do a little bit more damage than a pheasant!
Which reminds me of a story....
Corrected a pub in the New Forest on their spelling of "Kangeroo" on their specials board at Christmas.
The landlady got the hump and said she already knew and it wasnt really of any importance anyway. As I walked away she spat "Just think, we eat your national emblem for lunch!"
I turned and called back across the bar "You can do what you want with it, we sell it as pet-food in Oz!"
Got a few titters from the punters.
PB
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