Just rambling here. In about 1980 I was working midnight shift up in NVa. Was about 2AM, Trooper was following a car out of the adjoining county, was gonna stop it, but wanted a second unit. I was a couple miles behind when I stepped up on the big road headed west, but my '78 Plymouth would roll. A few miles later, I was maybe 1/4 mile from them and as I was talking to him, planning our stop, no traffic in view except us 3 .... saw movement between us. Was a heard of deer crossing the interstate. Needle was down off the numbers, and I just instantly knew better than to swerve, so I laid down across the bench seat, eyes shut tight, as I locked the brakes knowing the car would slide straight. I was covered in door glass when I hit the deer, about the 4th in line my guess. After the last glass stopped falling, I sat up, took my foot up off brake, speedo jumped from zero to 70+. I told the other unit what happened but that I was fine, but was not gonna be there for his stop. He made his stop, and etc. My Sgt came out, he stopped in the empty interstate at the beginning of my skid, set his Rola-tape out the window, 366 feet later the marks stopped.

1990 I started building our log home here where I transferred in 1981. That other unit had transferred here later in 1989. He liked to build on the side. He showed up to help me with floor joist / band, sub floor, then after logs were done (contracted that step), helped me roof & then later wire my home. He was driving a black '79 F-150 SB with 300-6 & 4 spd, ... red interior, white spoke wheels, even AC too...Between my transfer and his was about 8 years, we had not seen each other since that night out on 64.. His '79 was a truck he won on a single raffle ticket in NVa in 1979 at a dealer open house deal. He finally sold it years later, was north of 150K miles on it by then. He offered it, but I passed at the time.

I should have took him up on it. He retired shortly before I did, he ran for / won a state office, but passed a few years ago.

 

Is there anything that you don’t have a story about? You’re the guy that everyone wants around the campfire.

 

So you like stories....well you know me I am the a pic is worth a 1000 words guy. Maroon/white has a 6 cyl 3 on the tree. Primer grey has a 429 and 50's on the back. Sold the blue one (as is) and went to Germany for 3 years. Then bought the red (92 Ford) to drive after I came home.


Fast fwd a bit to a different heard, finally replaced ol blue. Red/white was just a kick around project sold a long time ago.





Do what you can do not NOT let them get away. If they do... is what it is and just roll with it. Have fun, live and enjoy life, make the most out of it while ya can.

 

WOW. 367 feet of skid marks is impressive!

 

If I hadn't raised up and let off the brake, if I had let it skid to stop, would have flat spotted more than front tires. I figure I was due some blowouts, had just put a full set of new tires on the car before that, fronts had a single spot where tread was nearly nil and when I let up off the brake and the speedometer jumped up .... a fast "b-b-b-b-b-b-b-b-b-b-b-b- ..........." was the only sound. I was lucky it was the straight on 66 westbound leading to Haymarket exit, guard rail both sides, car slid perfectly straight splitting lanes. Sgt. came out to work it, asked how fast I was going. I told him I didn't know as there wasn't any numbers under the needle. He wrote 100 on his acc sheet. I told him I guess the last time he was up there, must have been a '54 Chevy. He saw the humor.

Funny how time slowed down, I still recall making the decision to lock the brakes and lay down across the seat. Just as I was doing it, saw the 4th deer straighten his front legs like to stop as he turned his head towards me. His nose left a long rub mark in the paint along the left side edge of the hood, right to the spot light, then wrapped the spot light around the windshield pillar into the side glass and it shattered. His knee hit the trailing edge of the left front fender opening, kinked it. Hid body slammed the left rear door and suddenly that door was near flat instead of rounded. I borrowed a '79 from a vacationing unit to take to the coal fields the next week, was a miners strike going on. I could have drove my '78 home but Sgt. said no, he called a wrecker to take it to the office parking lot, out behind the gas pump in the back corner.

 

BTW, that extra foot of skid mark I added was the one in your britches! 😂

 

I noticed, but wasn't totally sure.