Don’t let those big doe eyes fool you. Deer frequently find themselves at the center of all sorts of mischief. See if you can guess which of the following incidents actually happened:

A) Deer rides the school bus with kids to and from school.

B) Deer crashes through window of school bus, landing on sleeping boy.

C) Deer tries to hurdle school bus, but instead lands on roof and car surfs the rest of the way.

While you’re contemplating the correct answer, consider this very real safety fact:

Deer are actually the deadliest animal in North America, responsible for more human deaths than any other creature. It’s not because of their aggressive disposition, but their tendency to dart across busy roads. Plus you know what they say about deer in headlights. Each year more than 500,000 deer-auto accidents occur, resulting in several hundred fatalities.

The correct answer: B) Deer crashes through school bus and lands on sleeping boy.

In 2021, Brendan Martin was napping on the first row of his school bus when he awoke to a rather unusual commotion: a deer sitting on his lap. The young hooved animal had crashed through the windshield and landed on his back as he slept in the front seat. Considering how high these school bus windows actually are, that’s an incredible leap in and of itself.

“I realized it was a deer and was just very confused,” Martin says. The bus driver stopped and opened the door, allowing the deer to scamper off.

No one was injured, though I’m not sure the deer would agree with this rosy assessment. As for Brendan, he won’t let this incident keep him from sitting in the front seat, his favorite spot on the bus. “There’s no way it’s happening twice,” he says.

1. The Week, 4-23-2021, p.12