In December 2022, a Bluffton Icon reader inquired about an accident that had occurred on Bentley Rd. near Bixel in mid-November. He had picked up pieces from a vehicle in his field and seen utility pole damage–so he was surprised that no local news outlets had reported the incident.

The Icon’s inquiries at that time yielded no information. Recently, we have become more familiar with the Ohio Department of Public Safety crash statistics services, which include the opportunity to search for reports by county. 

A quick search revealed an early a.m. hit-skip crash on November 13. The listing details “Unit #1 was southbound on Bentley Road; traveled off the roadway right; struck a utility pole and struck another utility pole.”

While the report listed “property damage only,” the individual who was looking for more information was astounded that nobody was hurt in the incident and that they could drive away.

The number of incidents involving deer in Allen County in November? Of the 149 crashes listed, 69 involved deer.

END