WARSAW — For one organization in Kosciusko County that logs more miles on the road in a week than most people might drive in a month, it’s not a case of “if,” but “when” four wheels will meet four hooves.

Kosciusko County Sheriff Rocky Goshert told the Kosciusko County Council on Thursday, Feb. 8, that incidents involving cars from his department and local wildlife spiked recently as he requested the funds to pay for vehicle repair.

“We haven’t done very well with the deer,” Goshert told the panel. “And one of our cars hit a turkey.”

Goshert requested appropriations to pay for five damaged vehicles, three of which were dinged up by collisions with deer and one which hit a turkey. Goshert said this concentration of such collisions is not indicative of everyday operations.

“It had been awhile since we had a car-deer with one of our vehicles,” he said. “We really hadn’t had one in a long time then one day I come into work and there are a bunch.”

The recent string of bad luck provided a brief moment of levity to an otherwise “business as usual” monthly council meeting.

The collisions with deer are estimated to cost $13,823.25 and the car-turkey incident is estimated to cost $873.30.