Albany resident Archell Banta loves animals and even volunteers at an animal rescue shelter, which makes her collision with a five-factor elk close to Harrisburg even greater painful than the bumps and bruises she sustained the night of June 13. Banta changed into out for pressure and was headed north on Highway 99 at approximately 10:15 p.m. While all at once, the elk — which might also have weighed as much as 700 kilos — appeared seemingly out of thin air.
“It was as though it were a toy and someone had set it in front of my automobile,” Banta stated. “I’m a very cautious driving force and try and be very aware of what’s around me at all times. But it turned into just there.” Banta stated she had sufficient time to try to swerve her 2002 Mazda Protégé toward the oncoming lane of traffic, considering that there had been no other automobiles. “I veered in the direction of its head due to the fact I didn’t need to strike its body,” Banta said. “I heard a loud noise after which my automobile’s transmission went into neutral. That’s all. Don’tt forget.”
The elk smashed the roof of Banta’s car and broke out the windshield. There was little harm to the car’s hood. The elk changed into thrown throughout the dual carriageway and landed close to a ditch of the southbound lane. “There turned into glass anywhere,” Banta said. “I looked for my cellphone and located it behind the glove box. It wasn’t broken, and I knew as a friend to return to assist me.” Banta couldn’t open the motive force’s facet door and needed to move slowly into the again seat to get out of the automobile. “I turned into status there included in blood, and numerous automobiles drove with the aid of and didn’t assist me,” Banta said. “One vehicle drove by using after which came again and drove by way of me once more. Finally, a nice woman with seven youngsters in a van stopped and helped me.”
