Ohio ranks top 10 for animal collisions

"Now, when I get in the car driving that same route to work, it's all i think about," said Joe Meyer, who survived a deer crash in Liberty back in 2017 when a deer went through his windshield and landed in the front seat of the car.
"It hit the driver and myself head on," Meyer said, "It really did a lot of damage."
Luckily Meyer and the driver walked away with minor injuries. A new State Farm report shows nearly 80,000 animal related crashes happened throughout Ohio over the past year.
"This is the time where our clients are calling in and our claims are pretty high," said Jamie Blott, Austintown State Farm Insurance Agent.
The peak time for animal crashes is coming up quick. October is ranked second for the most animal collisions. November comes in at #1 and December is ranked third.
"It's mating season, we're going into hunting season and they're forging for their food," Blott said.
All Star Driving in Boardman told 21 News you should never swerve if you see an animal.
"Break as hard as you can and just keep your wheels straight," said Greg Anderson, Owner of All Star Driving School. "Let the animal try to get out of your way."
All Star Driving School says to make sure all sources of glare are eliminated. Make sure you turn the brightness down on your dashboard and don't go on your phone. Also, be sure your headlights and windshield are clean to help with visibility.
"They're everywhere now and you really need to keep your eyes open all the time," Anderson said.
If you do hit an animal, State Farm says to thoroughly check the vehicle before you drive it again.