Deer Smashes Car, Critically Injures NJ Driver In Franklin

A driver was critically injured this Thanksgiving weekend when a deer smashed his car in New Jersey, police said.

Friends were praying for Mark Rodgers, 63, of Somerset after he was hospitalized in the crash, police said.

Rodgers was critically injured on Friday around 5:37 p.m. when the Franklin Township Police Department received a 911 call reporting a crash on South Middlebush Road, just north of Beekman Road, police said.

Upon arrival, officers found a single-car motor vehicle crash with the driver suffering from serious injuries.

The initial investigation revealed a 2017 Hyundai Elantra operated by Rodgers was traveling northbound on South Middlebush Road when it struck a large buck deer crossing the roadway, police said.

The deer came through the windshield and struck Rodgers before landing in the back seat. Rodgers was transported to a local area trauma center where he was listed in critical condition.

South Middlebush Road was closed in both directions for approximately 4 hours while members of the Franklin Township Police Department’s Traffic Safety Bureau investigated the incident.

Patch file photo