'Christmas miracle': Driver survives crash into river while swerving to avoid elk
The driver ended up veering off Interstate 90 and down an embankment, flipping upside down into an adjacent river.
File: Peak deer collision season in U.S.
FOX Weather reports on the U.S. entering peak deer collision season.
NORTH BEND, Wash. — A Washington state driver survived a harrowing crash in what troopers called a "Christmas Miracle" after trying to avoid an animal on the road.
The driver was heading along Interstate 90 near North Bend in the Cascade Mountain foothills on Christmas morning when he encountered an elk on the freeway, according to Trooper Rick Johnson with the Washington State Patrol.
The driver swerved but ended up veering off the road and down an embankment, flipping upside down onto the edge of the Snoqualmie River.
Driver crashes in North Bend, Washington on Dec. 25, 2024.
(Trooper Rick Johnson / Washington State Patrol / FOX Weather)
"Driver got out on their own without a scratch!!!" Johnson posted on X.
The period from October through December is prime time for driver encounters with deer and elk, as it coincides with hunting and mating season, according to a State Farm spokesperson.
U.S. drivers, on average, have a 1 in 127 chance of an animal collision. State Farm said that the growing deer population and lost habitats due to development are making crashes more likely.
Driver crashes in North Bend, Washington on Dec. 25, 2024.
(Trooper Rick Johnson / Washington State Patrol / FOX Weather)
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety states that 37% of deadly accidents involving animals don't even occur because of hitting the animal. Swerving causes rollovers, collisions with fixed objects off the road, hitting another car and other fatal crashes.
Experts say if you encounter an animal on the road, don't swerve.
"If a crash with an animal is inevitable, maintain control of your vehicle and don't veer off the road," State Farm experts say. "Use high beams. Flicking your high beams on a deer may cause the animal to scurry away."