A Cochrane man is lucky to have walked away with the injuries he has after colliding head on with a deer Thursday am (August 31).

Rod Leer was headed east on Highway 1A throttling up the Cochrane Hill on his cruiser motorcycle shortly after 6:30 in the morning when a deer jumped the guardrail right in front of him. "I was in the passing lane less than a kilometre after the light and I got up to somewhere around the 80/90 kilometre range and that is when the deer hopped over and I hit it right in the neck. It looks like I took it right in the headlight and handlebars, then I went down and the deer went right over top of me and I skidded underneath the deer as it went over top."

Luckily some bystanders stopped to help Leer by directing traffic around the collision, moving his bike,  and calling 911. Leer was transported to Foothills Hospital with some incredible road rash and deep wounds to his leg and foot. "That is where the bike had fallen on me and was riding on that foot. Between the bike and the pavement, it chewed through my leather work boot and as I was sliding I managed to get the bike off me and I slid beside it on my shoulder and arm."

Wearing leather riding chaps and a Kevlar reinforced jacket, Leer shares EMS filled him in on what his outcome could have been if not properly geared. "They gave me all their experiences picking up people who are riding in flip flops or jeans and no jackets. The told me how lucky I was wearing it, and gave me all the gruesome facts of people they have scooped up along the road missing a lot more including complete toes."

Besides being sore and bruised from body checking the deer at 80-90 km, Leer is currently being treated through the burn clinic and may possibly still have to undergo a skin graft on his foot due to the deepness of the wound.

Leer is unsure whether or not his 2007 Victory Vegas will be written off at this point, and says while the incident hasn't deterred him from riding his wife may not share the same sentiment.