Swerving to miss cat ends with demolished vehicle, no injuries

Provincial police said a seventeen year old Forest teen was fortunate to sustain only scratches following a collision where he attempted to avoid a cat on the road. The vehicle he was driving was completely demolished.

At around 9 p.m. on Jun. 14 the teen was driving his vehicle along Brush Road in Plympton Twp. It is alleged that he encountered a cat on the roadway and swerved to miss it. His vehicle left the gravel roadway, through a ditch where it struck a tree and then rolled. He sustained only scrapes to his hand.

Motorists are warned that swerving to avoid a small animal in your path on a roadway can have devastating consequences. As much as we as drivers do not want to injure any animal, your safety is more important.

Police are reminding the public that there are ways to reduce a collision risk.

• Scan the road ahead from shoulder to shoulder. When you see wildlife beside the road, slow down and pass carefully as they may suddenly bolt onto the road.
• Watch for the yellow wildlife warning signs that indicate an area of increased risk. Slow down when travelling through these areas.
• Use high beams at night where possible and watch for glowing eyes of animals
• Stay in control. Watch your speed and take extra precautions when driving at night as visibility is greatly reduced. Slowing down will give you that extra second to respond.
• Never swerve suddenly. This could cause your vehicle to go out of control or head into oncoming traffic.
• Always brake firmly if an animal is standing on, or crossing, the road. Never assume the animal will move out of your way.
• Stop as safely as possible if a wild animal is crossing the road. Remember, if one animal crosses the road, others may follow.

Tags: crime, lambton county, Lambton OPP, Plympton-Wyoming, traffic