Four-wheeler collides with deer on dark North Carolina road, killing driver, cops say

A Saturday night outing on a four-wheeler turned deadly when the driver slammed into a deer, according to the North Carolina Highway Patrol.

It happened around 11 p.m. Saturday, July 6, in a sparsely populated area north of Boone, officials said. Boone is about a 115-mile drive northwest out of Charlotte.

“A Suzuki four-wheeler was traveling west on Briarwood Lane and struck a deer in the roadway. This collision caused the driver to lose control and overturn,” Master Trooper Christopher Casey said in a news release.

“The driver, Carl Scott Norris, 38, of Boone, was ejected from the four-wheeler and succumbed to his injuries at the scene. Norris was not wearing a helmet.”

A preliminary investigation suggests speed was not a factor, and alcohol was not involved, officials said.

Details about the deer were not released, including its size. Adult males can reach 200 pounds in North Carolina, experts say.

Deer have been linked to 1.5 million traffic crashes annually in the United States, about 150 of which are fatal, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

“These numbers are rising every year as both the number of deer and the amount of motor vehicle travel continue to increase,” the institute says.

This story was originally published July 8, 2024 at 10:00 AM with the headline "Four-wheeler collides with deer on dark North Carolina road, killing driver, cops say."