Austin Woman Killed by Deer Thrown Through Windshield

Austin, MN (KROC-AM News) - A collision with an airborne deer late Thursday afternoon claimed the life of an Austin woman.

Mower County Sheriff Steve Sandvik says the 58-year-old victim was a passenger in an SUV that was headed north on a rural road just north of Austin around 5 PM when a deer crashed through the windshield. The Sheriff's Office report on the fatal incident indicates the deer had been struck by another vehicle traveling in the opposite direction and the collision sent the animal flying through the air.

The driver of the vehicle that struck the deer told deputies it came out of the ditch along the road and ran into the path of his vehicle. He reported the crash "vaulted the deer into the air" and it crashed through the front window of the SUV just as the two vehicles were going past each other.

The victim was airlifted to St. Marys Hospital, where she later died from her injuries. Her name has not been released.