Police Locate Driver Who Struck Town and Country Deer
Town and Country police tell 'Patch' they have located the driver who struck a deer on Town and Country Lane Jan. 17.
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The deer was found by Town and Country residents the morning of Jan. 18 in the 2500 block of Town and County Lane. There was concern by neighbors initially that the deer, which did display a head wound, was shot. Police officers who responded to the call also told residents the deer may have been shot.
However, a Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) autopsy showed the deer died from impact with a vehicle and did not have gunshot wound. According to Town and Country Police Captain Gary Hoelzer, the report showed the deer had an abrasion on it's head, which is what others determined was a gunshot wound. It had a fractured skull and broken ribs. The broken ribs punctured the lungs, spleen and liver.
(Read Previous Story: Autopsy Shows Dead Deer Hit by Car, Not Shot)
Town and Country resident Dorothy Cooke previously told Patch she and other residents still weren't sure the deer had actually been struck by a car, even after the autopsy.
Hera Gerber, who serves on the city's Conservation Commission, told Patch she shared that concern
"Two or three police officers said that day that they thought it was a gunshot," Gerber tells Patch.
However, Hoelzer now tells Patch that media reports on the dead deer alerted the driver who struck the deer to the issue within the community. Hoelzer said he received a phone call from a trustee of the Town and Country Lane neighborhood where the deer was found. The trustee told Hoelzer the driver who struck the deer was visiting his home when he struck the deer.
"I spoke to a trustee ... and he identified the man who actually struck the deer with his vehicle, confirming our assumptions based on the MDC necropsy results. This should remove ALL doubt as to the cause of death of the deer," Hoelzer stated to Patch in an email.
Hoelzer also tells Patch he is contacting residents in the area asking them to alert police if they see any suspicious behavior that they believe may be poachers or if they hear gunshots.
Read Related Stories:
Sharpshooters Gone, But Concern of Poachers Remains in Town and Country
Sharpshooting Finished in Town and Country
Autopsy Shows Dead Deer Hit by Car, Not Shot
Town and Country Residents Upset Over New Deer Developments
Town and Country Residents Cite Safety For Deer Sharpshooting Protest
Town and Country Deer Sharpshooting Begins This Week
Town and Country To Sharpshoot Deer in December
Creve Coeur city leaders to allow bow hunting for deer
Town and Country Residents Receive Anti-Kill Postcard
Two Town and Country Deer Management Plans Revealed
2012 Deer Management Plan in the Works
Town and Country Deer Management Report Revealed
Signs Appear in Town and Country Against Killing Deer
Bowhunting Group Complains Town and Country Won’t Give It a Chance
Town and Country Explores Bowhunting for Deer Management
Deer Management Again Tops The Talk of Town and Country
Town and Country Residents Debate Deer Management Funding
Deer at the Center of Recent Controversy in Town and Country
Chris Barclay
9:49 am on Monday, February 6, 2012
Really? That is the top news story?
Gabrielle Biondo
11:17 am on Monday, February 6, 2012
Chris - As the editor I've received quite a few emails about the topic. So if residents are asking and expressing concerns and we have an answer for them, then yes, it is in the top spot of of the homepage. Hope this answers your question and thank you for the comment. I always appreciate reader feedback.
Gabrielle