WARNING: DISTRESSING CONTENT – A deer suddenly leapt in front of a van, collided with it full force, and was flung into the cabin with its antlers left sticking out of the glass
A van driver has made a miraculous escape after a deer smashed through the vehicle’s windshield during a horror crash.
The animal’s antlers were left sticking out of the glass of the Opel van on Tuesday morning following the shocking collision in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Germany. The 29-year-old driver had no chance to avoid the animal when it suddenly leapt in front of his van around 7am. The van hit the deer at full force, flinging it into the cabin. Miraculously, the driver walked away with only minor injuries, but the deer was badly injured and had to be put down by a hunter at the scene.
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The collision left the van severely damaged, with repair costs estimated at around €15,000 (£13,100), Bild reported. Firefighters were called to salvage the vehicle, and the road closed for an hour while the scene was cleared.
German authorities are now warning drivers to stay alert for wildlife, particularly on rural roads, after the dramatic incident highlighted how quickly an ordinary commute can turn fatal.
Last month, footage emerged of a horse breaking away from its cart during a funeral procession in Dublin before smashing head-first into a car.
The clip showed a cart being pulled by horses next to a horse and carriage hearse during a procession in Clondalkin, a suburban village west of Dublin.
A number of vehicles, including a bus, drove past on the opposite side of the road, where two people were seen galloping along the green verge of the road at speed.
Then, one of the carts being towed by a horse began picking up speed. A person on the cart was heard shouting “no” to try and direct traffic away, before running a red light and smashing into a car.
The driver was then heard shouting “‘f*****g hell” in the immediate aftermath of the shocking August 11 incident.
A second video showed the horse with a swelling face and head and with stitches. A person in the video is heard saying: “He has a good chance of healing there now if you mind him.”
A leading animal rescue charity called for an investigation following the incident. My Lovely Horse Animal Rescue called what happened “lawlessness and cruelty”.