St. Paul woman killed in crash on I-94 in Wisconsin after hitting deer

(FOX 9) - A woman from St. Paul was killed in a car crash on I-94 in Wisconsin early Saturday morning.

The preliminary investigation indicates that Jessica Anne Love, 43, was driving a Honda Civic when she hit a deer, causing her car to become disabled in the left lane. Her vehicle was then struck by an oncoming Toyota Rav4, according to a press release from the Wisconsin Department of Transportation (WisDOT). 

Love was ejected from the Honda Civic — first responders treated her, but she was pronounced dead at the scene, according to WisDOT. 

The two occupants of the Toyota Rav4 sustained non-life-threatening injuries when the vehicle rolled several times and came to rest in the median. Paramedics took both of them to a nearby hospital. 

The crash remains under investigation.

The bigger picture: Its peak deer season, so be extra careful 

In both Wisconsin and Minnesota, deer-vehicle crashes peak in autumn, especially between October and November. A 2017 study from State Farm Insurance placed both states in the top 10 nationally for car crashes involving deer. 

Deer pose the biggest risk for motorcyclists. According to the Minnesota Department of Public Safety, in a five-year period from 2016 to 2020, there were 6,218 deer crashes in the state, resulting in 18 deaths. Fifteen of the 18 deaths were motorcyclists.

The Minnesota Office of Traffic Safety has a list of tips to avoid deer crashes, including:

• Use high beams as much as possible at night, especially in deer-active areas
• Motorists should not swerve to avoid a deer. Swerving can cause drivers to lose control and travel off the road or into oncoming traffic.
• Motorcyclists: Avoid night and low-light riding periods. A rider’s best response when encountering a deer is to use both brakes for maximum braking and to keep your eyes and head up to improve your chances of keeping the bike up. If a crash is imminent, and there is enough space to swerve around the deer without leaving the roadway, use maximum braking, and just before impact, attempt a swerve in the opposite direction the deer is traveling. Riders are encouraged to wear full-face helmets and full protective gear to prevent injury or death in a crash. High visibility gear can assist other drivers in seeing you better; whether it’s while making an evasive maneuver to avoid a deer or laying on the roadway after impacting a deer.
• Don’t count on deer whistles or deer fences to deter deer from crossing roads.
• Watch for the reflection of deer eyes and for deer silhouettes on the shoulder of the road. If anything looks slightly suspicious, slow down.
• Deer do unpredictable things — they stop in the middle of the road when crossing; cross and quickly re-cross back, and move toward an approaching vehicle. Blow a horn to urge deer to leave the road. Stop if the deer stays on the road, don’t try to go around i

The above tips come directly from the MDPS. To see the full list, visit here.