What To Do in Michigan After You Hit a Deer With Your Car

On Tuesday night I got a call that nobody wants to get.

Get our free mobile app

It was from my wife, as she was on the entrance ramp to the highway a deer came out of nowhere and clipped her front bumper and flipped over her car's hood.

Thankfully she was just starting to accelerate and wasn't going to fast.

Read More: 25 Things Michigan Is Known And Famous For

The deer hopped right up and took off back into the woods and she pulled over to assess the damage and give me a call.

She asked me if she should call the police and my gut said yes, but I wasn’t sure if you’re required to do so in Michigan.

My wife found the non-emergency number for the Michigan State Police and gave them a call.

The woman on the other end of the line was very nice and told her they would send someone out as soon as they were available which was only about 20 minutes.

A trooper arrived on scene and filled out an incident report in case we decided to file an insurance claim.

Do You Have To Call Police If You Hit A Deer In Michigan

If you find yourself in a similar situation in Michigan and hit a deer with your vehicle, the law does not require you to pull over and call the police.

It's also not illegal to drive away after hitting a deer.

However, it is highly recommended to pull over safely to the side of the road, turn on your hazard lights, and call the police to report the incident.

By doing so you can officially document the accident, which can be important for insurance claims, since many insurers require a police report to process vehicle-damage claims.

When you notify the police they in turn can notify the Department of Natural Resources or appropriate game wardens to safely remove the animal from the road.

Read More: Michigan Restaurants Guy Fieri Has Visited With The Food Network

Check out these other commonly asked questions about Michigan laws.