Orange County deputy strikes deer with his motorcycle
Geneva, FL (June 10,2009) - An Orange County sheriff's deputy is recovering at a local hospital this morning after he struck a deer with his motorcycle on a dark road.
Deputy Chuck Kochanowski had been working security at the Magic game Tuesday at the Amway Arena and was on his way home to Seminole County.
Kochanowski struck the animal on Old Mims Road, just east of Snow Hill Road in Geneva, shortly before 1:40 a.m.
Rescue crews transported Kochanowski to Orlando Regional Medical Center. He is in stable condition. Kochanowski suffered broken ribs and a broken collar bone.
The deputy is recovering and is now in stable condition at Orlando Regional Medical Center. Officials say he is going to recover and concede that his injuries could have been much worse.
Sergeant Steve Fortier with the Seminole County Sheriff's Office says motor deputies are not normally scheduled to work nights. "Basically, we don't ride our motorcycles at this time of night because there are a lot of dangers you can't see, when hitting an animal like this in a car would be a non-incident," said Sergeant Fortier.
Kochanowski would not have been on his motorcycle so late at night, but he was working a security detail at the Magic's NBA Finals game. He was only a few miles from his Geneva home when the crash happened. Florida Highway Patrol sergeant Kim Miller said the deer died at the scene.
"There were quite a few motor deputies that responded right to the hospital to meet him and be there at the hospital," said Sergeant Fortier. Deputies were still in the hospital by Kochanowski's bedside Wednesday morning.
