Two Times.
1St was when I had my "learner's permit" - maybe a hundred year ago and I was out driving on this hilly road with my dad. We were coming over the crest in the hill and I see a flock of starlings about 100 yard ahead of me . I let off the gas and applied the brakes a little. My dad yells at me and says "put you foot on the gas, birds aren't stupid they'll get up and fly away".
So I do.
We were picking feathers out of the grilll of that car for weeks. Feathers, guts, and , well .... body parts, all in the engine. So bad that my dad had to have it "steam cleaned".
I still slow down for birds in the road!
2nd time:
just a few years ago. My husband and I were in separate cars travelling along the same road. All the kids were with him.
This is a designated "scenic highway" 1 lane in each direction with no shoulder, lots of logging trucks, high speed- no margin for error.
A squirrel darts out into the road, changes his mind, is under my car and must have changed his mind again. Little thump. I feel sick to my stomach but cannot stop.
A few seconds later my cell phone rings. It is my husband from HIS cell phone. I can hear crying children.
He says;" OMG! did you see that poor little squirrel!!! Someone must have hit him but didn't kill him and he was out in the middle of the road having convusions.
I hung up on him and cried the rest of the way home. He didn't realize that it was ME who hit the little rascal. I never DID tell the kids.
I am sorry. But I am also glad that you are okay and that you didn't hurt another person or God forbid, a child.