Coles County sees increase in deer-vehicle crashes

CHARLESTON — A new report shows an increase in the number of deer-vehicle accident in Coles County even though there have been fewer accidents overall.

The Coles County Sheriff’s Office annual report for last year marks the first time deer accidents were the majority of accidents in the east-central Illinois county. The Mattoon Journal-Gazette and Charleston Times-Courier report the total number of accidents decreased for the fourth year straight. There were 131 deer-vehicle accidents in 2011, accounting for 52 percent of the office’s total accidents for that year.

Sheriff Darrell Cox says there is no pattern to explain the increase in deer accidents.