Highway patrol: Deer thrown off Mississippi interstate bridge crashes into front cab of semi-truck below
Published 6:08 am Friday, January 15, 2021
The Mississippi Highway Patrol continued searching Friday for people who tossed a deer off a bridge over Interstate 55 and onto an 18-wheeler.
It happened Wednesday night in rural Holmes County, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) north of Jackson. The animal’s body slid into the cab, but the driver was not injured and did not wreck.
WLBT-TV reported that another driver told investigators she saw two people dangling the deer over the bridge and then dropping it.
A Highway Patrol spokesman said Friday that it was not clear whether the deer was alive before it was dropped. It appeared to have been at least wounded, though. Video from the TV station showed blood on the concrete railing at the top of the bridge.
“Luckily, had it been a larger animal coming through the cab of the truck, that could’ve been catastrophic, not to mention hurting the driver of the vehicle,”
Highway Patrol Sgt. Ronnie Shive said. “But he could’ve lost control of the semi-truck, and who knows what could’ve happened. There will be multiple charges placed on these individuals as far as Game and Fish violations, traffic violations.”
The Highway Patrol said people also dropped bricks onto two other vehicles after the deer.