Ohio Runner's Ear Nearly Severed by Deer

An Ohio woman who was running a two-hour "Space Race" on Oct. 1 ended up having a frighteningly out-of-this-world experience. As Rebecca Heasley of Willowick explains, she initially thought she was hit by another runner who got too close to her. Then she saw blood on her hands. A deer had careened into her and hit her in the head with its hoof, nearly tearing her ear off in the process. As a GoFundMe campaign set up by her sister explains, "She was knocked to the ground and trampled. Deer hooves are like knives and gashed open Rebecca's head, ear, and neck."

Heasley tells Fox 8 she managed to stay calm and even walked to meet first responders at the race's finish line. "I had a moment of freak-out when I found my ear wasn't where it was supposed to be, but other than that it was more or less like, if I'm going to freak out, this is going to be much worse than it really is." She required surgery to reattach her ear, as well as a number of stitches. The GoFundMe, which has raised $800 to help support her recovery, has graphic photos of the injury and her stitched-up head. (More freak accident stories.)