‘I thought she was dead’: N.B. woman recovering in hospital after moose collision

A Saint John woman is recovering after her vehicle hit a moose on a highway.

Zachary Legacy has driven the stretch of Route 7 between Saint John and Oromocto, N.B., more times than he can count over his 36 years.

While the signs warning motorists of possible moose are prevalent along the highway, he can’t recall ever seeing one in his years driving along the well-travelled road.

However, that changed on Dec. 5 when he and his 27-year-old girlfriend, Courtney Deveau, were travelling back from a dinner with her father in Oromocto in their 2019 Volkswagen Golf.

“We just had turned onto the Number 7, where you go to either Moncton or Saint John,” recalls Legacy. “We just made that bend and we were maybe 10 minutes up the road where the two-lane ends into the one lane. She had seen the (moose) signs, and she said, ‘I’m scared.’”

Legacy reassured her that all was OK, reduced his speed and made sure his high beams were on to make her feel more comfortable.

That’s when the moose appeared.

“It just happened really, really fast,” says Legacy. “After it happened, I can’t explain the emotions I felt, the panic, almost like I thought she was dead.

“When the moose hit and it took off most of the roof, and then it fell onto the hood of the car. I believe the back legs were kind of hanging off, but the front legs were in (the car) and it was kicking, so I put myself in front of her, so I got some bruises on my arm but besides that, no, I didn’t get anything.”

Route 7 is mostly lined with fencing on either side of the highway to keep moose and other wildlife off the roads. Legacy says the fencing was down in the area where they struck the moose because of an unrelated accident the previous day.

Cars travelling behind the couple quickly stopped to help them after the collision. Legacy says he is thankful for those who stopped and comforted him and Courtney until first responders arrived.

Within 20 minutes, the couple was taken to hospital. Given his lack of physical injuries, Legacy was quickly cleared by doctors and then joined members of his and Courtney’s family as they waited for an update.

“I didn’t even know if she had woken up,” Legacy reflects. “Like I said, when I left it was dark. The last thing I heard was, like, gurgling noises. I thought she was gone, so there was a lot of suspense.”

Within a half hour, the family learned Deveau had survived the crash, but had suffered a traumatic brain injury as well as some jaw fractures. She was sedated for several days following the accident.

Deveau has continued to progress during her time in hospital. She has recently been moved from the intensive care unit to neuro step-down, which is the “first steps” of her rehabilitation process. She is slated for surgery on her jaw Thursday.

“She was squeezing hands and starting to give thumbs up, and her legs never stopped moving, so that’s good as she loves leg day,” laughs Legacy, noting how the couple loves working out together, though working on his legs isn’t his favourite.

“There was a point last night where I was lying down next to her, and she crawled over as close as she could to me and held my hand and put her face against my hand and just smiled. So, I’ve seen little glimpses of Courtney coming back and that brings me a lot of hope and joy.”

It’s too soon to say where Deveau’s recovery will go next, but Legacy says the family is focusing on the positives and taking things one day at a time.

In the wake of the accident, the greater Saint John community has shown immense support for the couple. The pair are regular volunteers at the Tabernacle Baptist Church’s Soup and Share event, and Legacy says they love giving back to their community.

Now the community is returning the favour. A GoFundMe started by a friend has raised more than $14,000, easily surpassing its $10,000 goal.

Finding the words for all those who have reached out with messages of love and support, even from people he has never met, has been motivating.

“It really shows how many people care and love Courtney,” smiles Legacy. “Flabbergasted, I guess that’s a good word for it, by the amount of people that have shown support.

“There’s always hope. Courtney and I often say, ‘This too shall pass,’ and as long as you have hope, you’re OK.”

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