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Three killed when SUV hits deer and crashes into pickup truck, Indiana cops say

Three people are dead after a highway crash, apparently caused by a deer, according to Indiana State Police.

An SUV was traveling west on the Indiana Toll Road around 7:55 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 2, when a deer entered the roadway near mile marker 67, ISP said in a news release.

The driver hit the deer and violently swerved across the median, smashing into a Ford pickup truck with at least three people inside, investigators said.

The driver and a passenger in the SUV died at the scene, as well as a passenger in the front seat of the pickup, the release said.

The truck driver and a backseat passenger were taken to a hospital with serious injuries.

While deer can be a hazard to motorists year round, encounters are especially numerous in fall — when their breeding season and hunting season coincide.

Drivers should be extra aware during dusk and dawn, not only because deer can be difficult to see in the waning light, but also because they are most active at these times of day.

Don’t swerve to avoid hitting deer, experts say. Instead, hit the brakes and maintain course — even if that means colliding with the animal. It is safer to run into a deer than another vehicle.

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