Here in Arkansas we have our Deer Crossings', Turkey Crossings', and Cattle Crossings'; Enid, Oklahoma seems to need an Elephant Crossing'!
The 911 call came in to the dispatcher in Enid late Thursday evening, causing the dispatcher to tap his mike a few times to check that it was working properly and ask again---"You hit a what!????"
Yes, the couple returning home from church confirmed that the dispatcher had heard right the first time. They had hit an Elephant! Now, hitting a cow with a vehicle can do major damage; hitting a horse with a vehicle can do major damage; but can you imagine hitting a several ton pachyderm? At first the driver of the SUV wondered what was really in the wine they had just consumed in rememberance of the Lord's Supper during church that evening.
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The elephant had escaped from the Family Fun Circus at the Garfield County Fairgrounds earlier Wednesday after something spooked it while it was being loaded into a truck with another elephant." Stated Olson, the local veterinarian who treated the Elephant for a broken tusk and a leg injury. "
I don't believe there is a broken bone, but then I don't have an exray room big enough to examine it," Olson added.
Dr. Olson found the elephant hiding in bushes beside the road when he arrived on the scene. The elephant handlers from the Fun Circus were soon able to calm the elephant down so that the doctor could treat her leg wounds and give her some pain killers.
(AP Photo/Enid News & Eagle, Billy Hefton)
Luckily, the 68-year-old driver of the SUV saw the Elephant in time to swerve and avoid a head on collision with the huge animal. The elephant's tusk tore through the vehicle's side, shredding the sheet metal, but the occupants didn't receive any injuries. Perhap's the Lord was watching over them that evening.
At any rate, I suggest that if you're just out joy riding or returning from a calming evening of church fellowship; be prepared to expect the unexpected. You never know what may decide to cross the road at any given moment. Keep your high beams on high whenever possible and watch the sides of the road for glowing eyes. You never know when those amber globes will belong to something larger than a cat.
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