Moose Vs Toyota Yaris: Who Wins, Who Pays?

John Voelcker

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Warning Sign - Moose versus car - by Flickr user lesleyhyphenanne

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Residents of the southern states, who most likely have never met a moose, may not realize how much damage they can do. Deer will damage your car, but moose can kill you.

Brigham Young University student Cassi Elton, however, wasn't even in her Toyota Yaris when the moose shattered her windshield.

In fact, the moose fell through a barrier onto the car after being tranquilized by Utah wildlife officials. (It also damaged a Saturn owned by Elton's friend Chris Hair.)

A brief disagreement ensued, with the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources declining to pay the $1,500 in damages to Elton's subcompact Toyota. "It's just one of those things," spokesman Todd Root told the Deseret News. "Wildlife are unpredictable."

The case "didn't fit into a category that would merit coverage," said Vicki Schoenfeld, spokeswoman for the Department of Administrative Services. She noted that a state claims adjuster, a manager, and even an attorney general had weighed in, deciding unanimously that Elton was out of luck.

The conundrum seems to have been solved, however. Good Samartian Dave Adams, owner of Adams G/3 Collision Auto Repair in Orem, Utah, has offered to do the repairs on both cars for free.

The moose, meanwhile, was relocated and released, and declined to comment on the incident.