Police in Pennsylvania discovered a live deer in the hatchback area of a car after they pulled over a suspected drunk or drugged driver. Investigation revealed the animal had apparently been hit and then placed in the vehicle. 

The incident took place in Newberry Township on Thursday. During the DUI stop, the cops found out that the animal had been stuffed into the back of the car.

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The 19-year-old driver and the 21-year-old passenger told the cops that they had hit the deer “a few miles back” and after hitting the animal and assuming it was dead, the two placed it in the vehicle’s trunk. They told the cops that they had realized the deer was still alive but kept driving anyway.

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The animal was eventually freed after the stop. A video posted by police showed the animal struggling as it was carried across the road.

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Lieutenant Braxton Ditty with the Newberry Township Police Department told Newsweek that the driver and the passenger were cooperative during the stop.

“Officers are taught to expect the unexpected during a traffic stop. But never in our wildest dreams did an officer imagine he’d find a live deer in a vehicle during a traffic stop,” Ditty said. 

Meanwhile, the 19-year-old driver is being investigated for suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, police said.

(With inputs from The Associated Press)