COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - State officials are warning motorists to watch out for deer on the roadways as breeding season for the animals begins in Ohio.
The risk of hitting a deer on the road is greater from October through January when the animals are on the move more. It happens most often at dawn and dusk. Most crashes occur in November.
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources reports there were 22,696 deer-vehicle collisions in Ohio in 2011 - down 2.2 percent from the previous year. Those crashes resulted in seven fatalities and more than 1,000 injuries.
The number of such crashes has decreased for the past three years in row.
Stark County in northeastern Ohio led the way last year with 615 deer crashes.
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