A woman is urging motorists to slow down after a ‘stunning’ deer had to be put to sleep when it broke its back in a collision with a car.
The animal was hit by a car on the A433 just north of the Wiltshire border, leaving it with significant injuries – including a snapped spine.
Becca Abingdon stopped at the scene, using her vehicle to shield the deer as she contacted Gloucestershire Constabulary on Sunday evening (24 October).
The car involved also stopped, with the occupants of the car parked up further down the stretch of road – between Tetbury and Cirencester – where they awaited a recovery vehicle.
Fallow deer begin rutting in early October and continue into November – more of the animals will be moving around rural counties, including attempting to cross main roads.
“I pulled over after seeing him [at the roadside] and called the police who brought out a team who found he had a broken back and had to release him to heaven”, Ms Abingdon said.
She told of how a volunteer group arrived at the incident, assess the deer before shooting it dead.
Deers are in rutting season and with nights starting earlier it’s harder to see them on the roads”, the worried local added.
“It’s tragic to see such a beautiful life go like this so please let this be a reminder to everyone to slow down and watch out for these stunning animals.”
