Wichita ? Even when it looks like all the deer have crossed the street, Robb McCleskey knows another might be lurking along the roadside.

And he would know. McCleskey, a 56-year-old Kingman resident, has accidentally hit at least six deer in the last five years.

In 2002, vehicle-deer crashes actually dipped to 9,287 — a five-year low, state accident records show.

Officials predict those numbers will be about the same in 2003.

“It’s something that occurs every year,” Kansas Highway Patrol Trooper Gary Warner said. “The bottom line is people can get pretty shaken up from these crashes.”

Last year, deer accidents caused 341 injuries and one fatality, records show.

The worst year for deer accidents was 1999, when 10,201 deer were struck by vehicles, resulting in 444 injuries to people, according to accident records.

The number of vehicle-deer crashes is partly to blame on the large deer population, said Lloyd Fox, big-game program coordinator for the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks.

The state has issued more hunting permits and extended legal hunting periods to rein in the rapidly growing deer population and cut back on crashes, Fox said.

Statewide, vehicle-deer crashes cost an estimated $30 million to $40 million a year in vehicle damage and injuries, according to the Kansas Department of Transportation.