What would you do?
09-13-2006, 03:31 PM
#1
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What would you do?
I went into town to take hubby to the doc. I came upon a large tree branch in the middle of my lane, when I swerved I ended up going over a stinky dead armadillo on the shoulder. Should I have ran over the tree branch even though it was as high as the top of my Mustang hood or did I do the right thing hitting the armadillo instead. It did go crunch under the car but no damage seen to the front end or underneath, just super stinky dead smell. I couldn't swerve to the left as there was a big truck there. I think I got the smell off by going to a car wash after dropping hubby off. Man that smell was coming through the vents for a bit after hitting it. I thought it was better to take on the armadillo rather than chance alot of scratches from the tree branch. The branch was probably about 4 inches around in the basic limb but it was a pretty good branched out branch in the lane.
So WWYD?
So WWYD?
09-13-2006, 03:55 PM
#2
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RE: What would you do?
dillo is easier to center between the wheels depending on the size of the branch - and all parts of the branch have to be presumed to be nice and hard where the dillo has lots of relatively soft parts...
I tagged an already KIA armadillo in a stang about 10 years ago at highway speed for lack of options (traffic) and obviously got him with my lowered K-member...
Without getting into the grousome specifics of physiology of which parts you do and don't want to hit with a tire, if you hit them with the undercarriage, it is generally a "soft-tissue" hit and other than smell the damage to your car is minimized...
That said, I think after about 10 years, the smell is almost gone from my memory and car[:'(]
Now, if you really want a conundrum - ask what the best way to deal with a 10+ foot gator on I-75 at night?
I tagged an already KIA armadillo in a stang about 10 years ago at highway speed for lack of options (traffic) and obviously got him with my lowered K-member...
Without getting into the grousome specifics of physiology of which parts you do and don't want to hit with a tire, if you hit them with the undercarriage, it is generally a "soft-tissue" hit and other than smell the damage to your car is minimized...
That said, I think after about 10 years, the smell is almost gone from my memory and car[:'(]
Now, if you really want a conundrum - ask what the best way to deal with a 10+ foot gator on I-75 at night?
09-13-2006, 03:58 PM
#3
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Join Date: Aug 2006
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RE: What would you do?
ORIGINAL: wildabouthorses
I went into town to take hubby to the doc. I came upon a large tree branch in the middle of my lane, when I swerved I ended up going over a stinky dead armadillo on the shoulder. Should I have ran over the tree branch even though it was as high as the top of my Mustang hood or did I do the right thing hitting the armadillo instead. It did go crunch under the car but no damage seen to the front end or underneath, just super stinky dead smell. I couldn't swerve to the left as there was a big truck there. I think I got the smell off by going to a car wash after dropping hubby off. Man that smell was coming through the vents for a bit after hitting it. I thought it was better to take on the armadillo rather than chance alot of scratches from the tree branch. The branch was probably about 4 inches around in the basic limb but it was a pretty good branched out branch in the lane.
So WWYD?
I went into town to take hubby to the doc. I came upon a large tree branch in the middle of my lane, when I swerved I ended up going over a stinky dead armadillo on the shoulder. Should I have ran over the tree branch even though it was as high as the top of my Mustang hood or did I do the right thing hitting the armadillo instead. It did go crunch under the car but no damage seen to the front end or underneath, just super stinky dead smell. I couldn't swerve to the left as there was a big truck there. I think I got the smell off by going to a car wash after dropping hubby off. Man that smell was coming through the vents for a bit after hitting it. I thought it was better to take on the armadillo rather than chance alot of scratches from the tree branch. The branch was probably about 4 inches around in the basic limb but it was a pretty good branched out branch in the lane.
So WWYD?
But there aren't alot of those here, so....
09-13-2006, 04:05 PM
#5
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RE: What would you do?
Poor Dillo? He was already dead and bloated and stinky! Couldn't brake hard going 70 with others right behind me and beside me doing the same. Hubby said its a good thing you didn't hit it with a wheel as you might have lost control. I saw the dillo when I made the swerve and decided to center it under the car rather than hit it with a tire. It was right where my tire would have been as I swerved to miss the tree branch but luckly my mind said CENTER CENTER and I moved over more onto the shoulder to do just so. I did glance back in my rearview mirror and saw the vehicle behind me did the same thing I did.
09-13-2006, 04:07 PM
#7
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Join Date: Jan 2006
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RE: What would you do?
I guess if I read everything I would've seen you said it was dead already.
Then by all means, you did the right thing. Dillo didn't feel a thing. No reason to risk personal injury for an already dead animal.
Then by all means, you did the right thing. Dillo didn't feel a thing. No reason to risk personal injury for an already dead animal.
09-13-2006, 04:19 PM
#8
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RE: What would you do?
Tree limbs from the way you describe them would have surely done more damage to your car than just a little stink. Even if you don't clean the armadillo off the stink will be gone in a couple weeks. It would take longer to get your car fixed not to mention the inconvenience and cost. You did the right thing!
09-13-2006, 05:10 PM
#9
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RE: What would you do?
ORIGINAL: wildabouthorses
Poor Dillo? He was already dead and bloated and stinky! Couldn't brake hard going 70 with others right behind me and beside me doing the same. Hubby said its a good thing you didn't hit it with a wheel as you might have lost control. I saw the dillo when I made the swerve and decided to center it under the car rather than hit it with a tire. It was right where my tire would have been as I swerved to miss the tree branch but luckly my mind said CENTER CENTER and I moved over more onto the shoulder to do just so. I did glance back in my rearview mirror and saw the vehicle behind me did the same thing I did.
Poor Dillo? He was already dead and bloated and stinky! Couldn't brake hard going 70 with others right behind me and beside me doing the same. Hubby said its a good thing you didn't hit it with a wheel as you might have lost control. I saw the dillo when I made the swerve and decided to center it under the car rather than hit it with a tire. It was right where my tire would have been as I swerved to miss the tree branch but luckly my mind said CENTER CENTER and I moved over more onto the shoulder to do just so. I did glance back in my rearview mirror and saw the vehicle behind me did the same thing I did.
Nothing wrong with it, it's way better then hitting the branches.
09-13-2006, 05:25 PM
#10
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RE: What would you do?
Dead animals are the worst. True story: my friend has a 2000 Z-28 SS and a possum' (sp?) crawled up in the front nose/facia and died. He had the smell for two weeks and could not figure it out and finally went to the dealer.