The Virginian-Pilot
©
CHESAPEAKE
It was 7:45 a.m. Saturday on an unusually quiet morning at The Grill at Great Bridge, one of Chesapeake's most popular restaurants. Four men were at a few small tables near the glass window. A few others were at the counter.
Ann Pyle, who owns The Grill along with her husband, Gary Pyle, looked up to see two deer crossing Battlefield Boulevard toward the restaurant. The deer were about to be hit by a car, she said, so she turned her head away.
"Then I heard this tremendous crash," she said. A deer had come through The Grill's window. "There was glass everywhere, shattered everywhere."
A customer yelled "Deer!"
"It was moving, it was coming full speed," said Gary Pyle, who was cooking up two omelet s and a couple of orders of sausage when he turned around to see the deer come through the window. "I just couldn't believe how powerful it was."
The deer hurried through the tiny restaurant, got caught on a door, and then headed behind the counter. Gary Pyle dove over the counter. So did 16-year-old Grill employee Jennifer Cann, who had been washing dishes just moments before. Two men pulled Ann Pyle over the counter as the deer approached. The two women rushed out the exit.
The deer, about the size of a big dog, was not far behind.
"I held the door for the deer," Gary Pyle said.
After the deer was gone, Jennifer sat on a chair outside the restaurant. "We were still shaking, we were so nervous," she said. Her sweatshirt and pants were covered in the animal's blood.
No employees or customers were hurt. The Pyles said they were told that animal control officers found the deer dead at a nearby apartment complex.
Restaurant employees, their friends and family spent three hours cleaning up The Grill. At about 11 a.m. Saturday, a piece of plywood was wedged in where the window used to be. A couple of brooms rested against the restaurant.
A Health Department employee stopped by and cleared The Grill to open for lunch Saturday, Ann Pyle said.
As they prepared the restaurant to open again, employees reflected on the morning's excitement.
"The adrenaline is still pumping," said Gary Pyle. He was thankful the deer had no antlers.
Friends joked that they should start calling Jennifer, a Great Bridge High School student, the Deer Hunter. "It's going to be a good story to tell at school, I know that," she said.
Ann Pyle was just glad that The Grill wasn't as busy as it usually is on Saturday mornings.
"We are so grateful we were not full of people," she said. "Somebody would have been hurt."
Mike Saewitz, (757) 222-5207, mike.saewitz@pilotonline.com
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Deer through window
In response to marym63204---Thank you for the response. I too help charities(only ones that do not test on animals) I donate to the food bank, and to the Union Mission, as well as to my church. So I do have other interests also. I just believe that we all have to help one another, whether it be human or animal. That was my original point, but sometimes I come out sounding different. I do not think of anyone inferior to me. God created us all equal. I just get a little frustrated at times at the indefference that I see around me. But I am human and have foibles like everyone else so if I have offended anyone I do apologize for being insensitive to your views. Hope I do not offend anyone with this but---MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!
Kanona
No, dear, God bless you for being one of those gentle souls concerned about wild animals who actually does something about it.
From your other post, I couldn't tell whether you did help animals, or just talked about it. And you were criticizing others for not doing what you would have done if you had been there. We are all different, my dear, and so your concern for wild animals is not shared by all to the extent you have it. That doesn't make the others bad people nor inferior to you. They may have other things that move them, like giving to charities that provide Christmas toys for children. As long as we all help out in some way, our world functions.
Deer get hurt
In response to marym63204 --- Yes I do check on wildlife that may have been hurt by us humans. I have rescued many wildlife and have taken them to wildlife rehabbers. There are people out there who care about the welfare of animals and try to nurse them back to health. I inquired about the other deer because in the article they mentioned 2 deer but said only one went through the window and died. I know deer die every day either by perdition, sickness, cars or hunters. I cannot stop that but if there is any way I can help any animal in distress or pain by getting them help or contacting the proper authorities I will. I would think that if you are an animal lover you would understand and not criticise me for being concerned.
you're right Kanona
but I don't believe PETA's quite narrow charter includes preventing road kill or caring for wild animals hit by cars. I nominate you to start a new organization to address this gap! I'm not sure where you might go to get support for the latter endeavor, capturing and caring for injured animals, but as for the former I have a very good idea what group might me the most help in reducing road kill of wild animals -- hunters.
Kanona
What a ridiculous letter. You ask what happened to the other deer. Why would you care about that deer more than about the dozens and dozens of other deer who cross roads every day and have narrow misses with cars? Why not ask about them? Do you follow them into the woods and make sure they are okay? If not, don't criticize others for not trying to chase down and take care of the second deer in this story that ran across the road in front of a car.
I went in there a few years ago.
Their homefries were terrible, never went back. Never get a second chance to make a first impression.
Hey, The Grill is an awesome
Hey, The Grill is an awesome little place. Friendly, hardworking businesses like it are rare these days. Clearly the deer knew this. I recommend visiting for a pit stop, you won't regret it.
deer through window
I felt sorry for the deer. What about the other one? Was it hurt also or doesn't anyone care except to make jokes about it being on the menu? If that's the kind of compassionate animal hating people who go there I think I will stay away from there. I am glad no one got hurt but the poor deer is the only one who died. Right? Are there any animal lovers in Chesapeake or is this the normal way of thinking about the wildlife? When I say animal lover I mean not loving eating animals.From reading all the comments here I feel very sad that they have to make fun of PETA just because Peta wants to save animals from harm. What a cruel and arrogant species we humans are becoming.
why
would you say blakley's is the only dump in the area, are you referring to the customers? The Grill sure looks like a dive to me...
when I said....
"fastidious" I meant it as a compliment. They are painstaking in their cleanliness which is wonderful!
(I didn't mean the derogatory definition of hard to please :))