No one was hurt early Thursday when a chicken feed truck overturned in north Forsyth, though the driver said the wreck pecked at his pride.
William T. Worley, 45, of Greenville, Ohio, said he lost control after he tried to avoid hitting a buck and a doe on Hwy. 369.
“He was chasing her across the road and I swerved to miss them,” said Worley, adding that only his “feelings and pride” were injured in the wreck.
The truck overturned about 3:15 a.m., dumping about 60,000 pounds of chicken feed across the busy state route. Hwy. 369 was closed between Doc Bramblett and Wallace Tatum roads until about 10 a.m.
The situation forced the Forsyth County school system to reroute school buses around the area, said Jennifer Caracciolo, district spokeswoman. Just two buses, both headed to nearby Liberty Middle School, were late.
Worley was cited by the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office for failure to maintain lane.
Sheriff’s Sgt. Chris Shelton said Worley's eastbound freightliner traveled about 364 feet off the road before landing in a ditch.
Crews with the state Department of Transportation and Consolidated Waste Services cleaned up the mound, which covered both lanes.
Worley also grabbed a shovel and worked to clean up the mess.
Worley, who has been a truck driver for six years, said he had just picked up the load in nearby Ball Ground and was en route to Henderson, N.C.
He had been on the road about 30 minutes when the wreck occurred.
Shelton said the state Department of Public Safety would inspect the truck and trailer.
The state Department of Natural Resources’ Wildlife Resources Division has advised motorists to be extra cautious of wildlife this time of year, particularly during the upcoming breeding season for deer.
Male deer go into rut and begin searching for mates, which contributes to their increased movement and road crossings.
The division advises drivers to slow down and remember that deer are unpredictable. One deer usually means more, as they generally travel in groups.
Deer are most active at dawn and dusk, the same times most people are commuting to and from work, and roadsides provide green food this time of year.