Last week, an Aberdeen man died as a result of a tragic motor scooter accident, just north of Bel Air.
According to a Maryland State Police accident report, the 68 year old man was riding northbound on the Bel Air Bypass on his 2007 Vespa Piaggio scooter midday Friday, when a deer suddenly ran out in front of him. This caused him to lose control, overturning the scooter and causing him to collide with the median curb.
State police stated that due to serious injuries, the man was flown to the Maryland Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore, where he was later pronounced dead.
This was reportedly the third major accident involving a deer within Harford County over the past eight months. In November 2012, a man died after the body of a deer came through the windshield of a dump truck that he was driving. The deer had initially been hit by a vehicle traveling in the opposite direction. In March, a motorcyclist was seriously injured when he collided with a deer, as well.
In this case, authorities believe that the fact that the deer was crossing the road during the daytime may have caught the driver off guard. Authorities remind drivers to be extra vigilant when traveling in areas with marked deer-crossing signs, and reduce speed when necessary to ensure safety.