Thursday, July 21, 2005

Close Call

car wreckYesterday morning in Ontario a police officer ran into a moose. A moose can weigh 1000 pounds, and they say that it is like hitting a brick wall. The officer's car also went into the ditch, so I don't know how much damage was done by the moose and how much was done by the ditch, but the results are the same: Andrew Potts was killed in the encounter, and I offer my condolences.


Five years ago, we were driving in Banff one evening in a light rain. I noticed cars pulled off to the side of the road. I was soon to learn that was a sign that an animal had been spotted and that people were pulling over to gawk. But I didn't know it at the time.


I kept going, exceeding the speed limit slightly, and a huge moose appeared in front of me. What prompted that moose to dart back out of my path, I'll never know, for I don't think I would have been able to swerve far enough in time, for I would have had to swerve into oncoming traffic. Even if I had been able to swerve far enough quickly enough, it would have been just as likely that the moose would have moved in the same direction as I rather than in the opposite one.


Let me tell you, that he stood huge before us in our little Corolla. It was a close call: too close for comfort. There but for the grace of God ...


 

4 comments:

  1. Oh, I can still see that Moose appearing out of the mist in front of us that night. I am sure we left a coat of paint from the old Corolla on his hind end as we brushed past him that night.

    Much too close for comfort!!!!!!

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  2. We have deer to deal with here, and they can do some pretty bad damage. I couldn't imagine hitting a moose!

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  3. I remember reading about that story and your too close for comfort encounter with a moose. Even as a mere reader I was worked up trying to image how frightening that would be.

    Condolences and sympathy for the family and friends of Mr. Potts as well.

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  4. We saw lots of "Watch out for Moose" signs when we were in New England last year. Knowing how much damage a 140 pound deer can do, I don't even want to contemplate what a 1000 pounds of moose would do.
    I had a friend once who ran into a cow -- I imagine that was somewhat comparable.

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