As the crops continue to grow, deer can become more of a hazard to motorists on the road. 

Dallas County Sheriff Chad Leonard reminds people as the crops get taller it becomes an area where deer can hide. Because of this Leonard expects there to be more car versus deer accidents throughout the summer, and he reminds people to pay attention while driving. 

“In my mind what sticks out is keep your phones down, hands free driving. Don’t be playing with your devices, keep your eyes on the road and use common sense with all of these things and hopefully prevent other things from happening to other people on the roads.”

Leonard tells Raccoon Valley Radio in the event that you do strike a deer, pull off the road, and call the local county sheriff’s office and they will provide an accident report for your insurance as well as dispose of the deer. Leonard stresses the importance of getting off the road.

“Get all the way off the side of the road because unfortunately people don’t listen. They do pay attention to a lot of their handheld devices and don’t always have their eyes on the road. Get off the shoulder and a safe distance from the road and don’t stand on the edge of the road waiting for us to get there.”

Leonard says public safety officials will come out to assist motorists as soon as they can and will ensure everyone will get home safely.