Photo: Warrenton Police Department
Police are always encouraging drivers not to get too close to wildlife whenever their paths cross, but this was one instance that could simply not be avoided.
A taxi driver from Warrenton, Oregon, did his best to avoid the encounter, but a female elk had other plans, Fox12 reports. She climbed on top the Coast Shuttle car, a red Toyota, and totaled it.
The Warrenton Police Department shared the photo of the car with the goal of letting drivers know what can happen if you get too close to wildlife. This time, neither the driver nor the passenger was injured, but the damage done to the car is huge: the elk climbed on top of it, fell through the windshield and then was able to climb out and walk off.
David Nelson, the owner of the taxi company, tells Fox12 that this is the third time an elk causes this kind of damage to one of his cars. He, like other residents in the town and nearby areas, believes that authorities should do something to keep elk off the roads and protect drivers.
“They need to thin them out a little bit, you know? Maybe get some and let them go back out in the woods… corral them up, take them back out in the woods. I think they're beautiful to look at, but not when they're on your car,” Nelson says.
So far, he’s had to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars to repair damage caused by elks. He’s happy no one was injured, but the financial strain is proving too much for him.
According to the police, a town meeting was called in spring on this issue, but so far, no concrete measures have been taken. So the recommendation stands: when you come across wildlife, do not engage and do not provoke, and don’t get too close. The fact that you’re inside a car may not protect you in case of an attack.
The Warrenton Police Department shared the photo of the car with the goal of letting drivers know what can happen if you get too close to wildlife. This time, neither the driver nor the passenger was injured, but the damage done to the car is huge: the elk climbed on top of it, fell through the windshield and then was able to climb out and walk off.
David Nelson, the owner of the taxi company, tells Fox12 that this is the third time an elk causes this kind of damage to one of his cars. He, like other residents in the town and nearby areas, believes that authorities should do something to keep elk off the roads and protect drivers.
“They need to thin them out a little bit, you know? Maybe get some and let them go back out in the woods… corral them up, take them back out in the woods. I think they're beautiful to look at, but not when they're on your car,” Nelson says.
So far, he’s had to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars to repair damage caused by elks. He’s happy no one was injured, but the financial strain is proving too much for him.
According to the police, a town meeting was called in spring on this issue, but so far, no concrete measures have been taken. So the recommendation stands: when you come across wildlife, do not engage and do not provoke, and don’t get too close. The fact that you’re inside a car may not protect you in case of an attack.
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