A German has been fined EUR 2,000 for damages caused by a sheep he ran over. Car insurance does not cover damage caused by animals.
Justin Voff, who has been working in Iceland as an intern for Reykjavik International Film Festival, appears to have been traveling close to the speed limit in Norðurárdalur on Monday when a sheep suddenly crossed the road, followed by its two lambs. The sheep was killed on impact. The vehicle, a Toyota Yaris, was rented from the car rental SADcars. Smári Gylfason, owner of the company, told Vísir the car may be beyond repair. “The car is practically a wreck,“ he said.
“I had no choice but to run into the sheep,” Justin said. He alerted police, who removed the car, while Justin took the bus to Reykjavík. Today he met with representatives of the car rental company, who told him about the EUR 2,000, or roughly ISK 300,000, he must pay in damages. Justin expressed great disappointment and noted that in addition, car rental rates at this time of year are almost quadruple what they were in the spring.
This is not the first time a driver has faced a huge bill due to damage by animals.
Five years ago, two Icelandic brothers, who went fishing in Eastern Rangá, returned to their car, only to find it severely damaged by horses which had attacked the car and chewed on it considerably, removing large amounts of paint. The car had to be sprayed and the insurance company refused coverage.
It is advisable for tourists to be well-informed about the sort of coverage they have when renting a car. Also, if you see a sheep that just crossed the road, do slow down, because it will most often be followed closely by its lambs.
