TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) —The state transportation agency says Kansas hit a 10-year high for deer-related crashes last year.

The agency says 10,734 deer-related wrecks were reported in 2018 in Kansas. The Department of Transportation says that accounted for 16.5% of total wrecks for the year.

The department's big game coordinator, Levi Jaster, said the increase in crashes is partly because of an increase in the deer population. Disease reduced the population beginning in 2008 until 2013, which is when the agency recorded the lowest number of deer-related wrecks in the past 10 years.

The Wichita Eagle reports the deer population has been increasing since then.

Three people died in deer-related accidents last year.

The highest number of deer-related wrecks in 2018 was in Sedgwick County, which had 418.