MACON, MO — A 35-year-old Macon woman was injured Wednesday evening when the utility terrain vehicle she was driving hit a deer and overturned in Macon County, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

The crash happened shortly after 7 p.m. on Olympic Avenue, about two miles northeast of Anabel. The patrol said the woman was traveling south in a 2019 Honda UTV when the deer strike caused the vehicle to leave the roadway and roll over.

She was thrown from the Honda during the crash and suffered major injuries.

Crash happened on Olympic Avenue northeast of Anabel

The Highway Patrol placed the crash at approximately 7:05 p.m. on Oct. 28. Olympic Avenue was the location of the rollover, in a rural stretch of Macon County not far from Anabel.

Investigators said the woman was operating the UTV southbound when the deer entered the vehicle’s path. After the impact, the Honda went off the road and overturned.

That sequence of events left the driver ejected from the vehicle. No other injuries were reported in the patrol’s account of the crash.

Driver suffered major injuries and was flown to University Hospital

Emergency crews responded to the scene and the injured woman was taken by Air Evac to University Hospital for treatment, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

The patrol described her injuries as major. Her condition beyond that was not released in the crash update.

The use of air medical transport suggests the seriousness of the injuries and the need for rapid treatment at a larger medical center. Officials did not provide further details about her recovery or prognosis.

Patrol says she was not wearing a seat belt

The Missouri State Highway Patrol said the woman was not wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash. That detail was included in the agency’s report on the rollover.

Because she was ejected from the Honda, the crash had especially serious consequences. The patrol did not say whether the seat belt issue changed the outcome, but it was identified as a factor in the incident report.

Seat belt use is a standard safety measure in many vehicles, including some utility terrain vehicles, and can affect injury severity in rollovers. In this case, the woman’s ejection and the vehicle’s rollover both contributed to the severity of the crash.

Honda UTV was heavily damaged and removed from the scene

The 2019 Honda UTV sustained extensive damage in the rollover, according to the Highway Patrol. Still Towing removed the vehicle from the scene after the crash.

No additional damage estimates were provided. The patrol did not report any roadway closures or other traffic impacts tied to the incident.

The crash involved a single vehicle after the initial deer strike, and investigators did not report any other motorists being involved.

Trooper Willock led the investigation with local emergency help

Trooper Willock of the Missouri State Highway Patrol investigated the crash. Master Sergeant Ritter also assisted, along with Macon County Emergency Medical Services.

The response combined state and local resources to handle the rollover and provide medical aid. The patrol’s account did not include any citations or enforcement action connected to the crash.

For rural drivers, deer collisions can quickly turn into serious incidents, especially when a vehicle leaves the roadway and rolls over. In this case, the crash unfolded in a matter of moments and left the driver with major injuries.