[Vaquero]

I assume he plowed into something more substantial than a deer after hitting it and loosing control.

[Mr. Douglas]

That was my assumption as well.

[Panzerfaust]

Not necessarily. A deer can be leaping across the road and be at windshield height when hit, thereby entering the passenger compartment and striking the occupant(s). A deer can also be hit while on its feet and then come up and over the hood and enter the passenger compartment. Being hit in the head/torso by a 100-lb plus,animal can be fatal.

My father hit a deer while going 65 mph. The deer thankfully went under the front end of the car, to my dad’s relief. Turns out though that the deer’s body jammed the steering rack and was wedged in the wheel well. This effectively disabled the steering on the car and my dad was thus piloting a car at 65mph w/ no ability to steer. Thankfully the wheels were locked in an almost-straight position and he was on a straight road. He was able to stop before going too far off the road. They are a serious threat to motorists.

[DCBryan1]

I assume he plowed into something more substantial than a deer after hitting it and loosing control.

Sometimes. White tail deer usually over 100 lbs. If a giant picked up a sofa and threw it at you at 60 MPH, you probably wouldn't survive it. Most deer strike fatalities in AR are death from blunt trauma to the chest, blunt trauma to the head, depatitation of the head (smashes head/empties contents) or exsanguination due to horns of bucks into head/neck area, or lastly, as you said: loss of control after being incapacitated. Passengers and rear passengers are also at great risk if the deer makes it over the hood.

If you're not squeamish, just google DEER STRIKE and turn the search filter from moderate to off. Don't look if you don't have a strong stomach.

[RegulatorCountry]

Not necessarily. If the deer rolls up onto the hood and through the windshield at highway speed, you’re going to be seriously injured if not killed.

[beelzepug]

If you have one come through your windshield, all bets are off.

[Covenantor]

Aviation Scrapbook>

When a deer hits your Citation upon landing, ruptures the wing’s fuel tank and sprays raw fuel into an engine (think Concorde), this is the result. Scratch one Customs and Border Patrol Citation II (down to 25 now), just completing acceptance testing in South Carolina after major modifications like a glass cockpit and new mission radar and sensors. Crew escaped unharmed.