I wasn't speeding! I was going less than 45 mph when I took my foot off the gas and started to put it on the break. I reached over and glanced at the radio to turn in down (I decided to do that before I had to slow down).
There were cars that already slowed down on the opposite side of the street, the side connected to the mountainside... I was coming down from Estes Park, the Big Thompson was on my right.
I was the first one on my side of the street. I didn't see why people were slowed down, I assumed it was for sheep, but my attention was on the mountain side of the street because that's usually where they are, grazing.
By the time I started applying the breaks, I saw three sheep (one male - the leader - and two females) on my right side, between my car and the river. When I finally realized they were there, I pushed on the breaks.
The three started running along with my car, the male slightly ahead of my car, then he darted out in front of me to cross. I hit him :(
I HIT HIM!!!!! He rolled up on top of my hood a little, a piece of his horn (about and inch and a half) broke off and bounced to the side of the road. I locked my breaks and he fell back on the road on his right side and slid a good 5 feet, got up, and ran up the side of the mountain.
I freaked out. I pulled to the side of the road and starting balling in my hands. I looked up at him on the mountain and he seemed to be walking and climbing just fine, but I was convinced I really hurt him, like broke his back left leg or something :(
One time a friend of ours saw an elk get hit be their house, but he wasn't dead. My dad called the hunting license people and bought a license to be able to go get him and put him out of his misery. He couldn't walk. My dad humanely put him down and he and I used as much as we could.
I bring that up because dad was showing me what happens when big animals get hit by cars. The poor thing had coagulated blood all around his back leg... where he was hit.
That's all I could think about. "What if that's happening to him? What if he's really hurt, but just in shock enough to get him up the mountain?"
I'm a responsible person. I take my punishments. I don't know what would've happened, but it I did kill it, I would've done whatever to make it right.
I stayed at the side of the road for a good 20-30 minutes. I looked for the chunk of his horn, but I couldn't find it :(
I went home and cried in Preston's arms. I took it so hard, I could only imagine what he was going through.
My dad and husband both said those sheep are very tough. They fall down the mountains all the time. If I was only going 35 mph or less, then I probably didn't do any more damage that he could've cause himself.
That didn't really make me feel better, but I knew it was true.
The song I'm thinking of is "I'm Sorry" by Brenda Lee...
the one on the Tommy Boy soundtrack.
Played after Tommy and Richard have the fist fight. :)
