Believe it or not, American drivers strike over two million deer every year. Chances are, you may have yourself or know someone close to you who has hit a deer. Unfortunately, some deer strikes aren’t quite as cut-and-dry. In this instance, a Florida man ran into a deer while drunk driving. But rather than making a run for it, the emotional Floridian took his place next to the animal. 

A 68-year-old Florida man with an expired license struck a deer while drunk driving, but he refused to leave the animal

John Flynn, 68, was driving on Old Kings Road in Ormond Beach, Florida, when a deer crossed his path. Unable to avoid the wild animal, he struck it with his vehicle.

That wouldn’t be such a strange occurrence, given the frequency of deer-versus-automobile accidents in the United States. But, in this case, Flynn was stumbling drunk when he rammed the deer.

Shortly thereafter, a Flagler County Sheriff’s Office deputy responded to the crash. According to the deputy, Flynn was outside of his vehicle, lying down next to the deer.

“I did that to it,” the 68-year-old Florida man told the deputy. He was plainly emotional and disturbed by the crash.

The FCSO deputy also reported that Flynn seemed to have difficulty maintaining his balance, leading him to suspect inebriation. Unsurprisingly, the saddened driver failed a standard field sobriety test (SFST). 

It’s unclear whether Flynn’s vehicle was in any condition to move or whether the deer died after the impact.

Flynn changes his tune after failing a sobriety test

After FCSO deputies arrested Flynn, they recounted hearing him jest about the situation. “I hope you tell them that the deer had a knife,” Flynn joked. That’s a far cry from lying down beside a wounded deer. 

To make things worse, Flynn was driving on an expired driver’s license. So, in addition to the DUI charge, the elderly man will likely receive a misdemeanor charge for that offense, to the tune of up to 60 days in jail.