As a longtime driver of tractor trailers, Christopher Coleman, of Frisco, Texas, has encountered all kinds of obstacles on the road.
But none compare to what he experienced while driving home from work on Wednesday.
Coleman was driving on the Sam Rayburn Tollway near Spring Creek Parkway in Plano at about 4:30 p.m. when he said he noticed a deer on the side of the road.
"I admired it and, by that time, I heard a loud bang," Coleman said.
In video provided by the North Texas Tollway Authority, the deer is seen darting into oncoming traffic before slamming into Coleman's Mercedes Benz. The deer bounced off his hood and shattered his windshield and sunroof. Coleman thought the deer flew over his car, but it ended up in the back seat.
"I seen a deer in my backseat, and my first thought was, 'I have to get out of the car before it starts moving, because if it starts moving I'm dead,'" he said.
In photos taken by Plano firefighters at the scene, the deer is wedged behind the driver's seat. It was taken that way to a tow yard in Plano.
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department removed the deer's body Thursday. Game wardens said deer are on the move right now because it's mating season.
Looking back at what happened, Coleman said he's amazed he's at home without a scratch.
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"It was just a blessing. I was just happy to be alive," he said.
