A driver was up and walking after an unusual collision with a deer Thursday afternoon.

The incident occurred about 4:30 p.m. on Highway 525 in front of the American Legion Post 141. The driver, James Burningham of Freeland, was northbound in a late-2000 model blue Subaru Forester.

The collision resulted in the deer hitting the top half of the car, breaking the windshield and crushing part of the roof.

Burningham was able to exit the vehicle on his own and was taken to Whidbey General Hospital for a minor head injury.

Washington State Patrol Trooper Chris Merwin, who responded to the crash, said this accident was not the average deer collision, pointing out the height of the damage.

A driver behind Burningham reported seeing the deer jump at the moment of impact, shattering the windshield and smashing the roof. Typically deer hit the front bumper in accidents, he said.

“This is one of the worst I’ve seen,” Merwin said. “He’s lucky.”

The deer died following the crash. Merwin said the state Department of Transportation was notified to retrieve the body, which was left on the side of the highway.

Merwin urged drivers who see a deer ahead to decrease their speed and avoid dramatic steering.

No citation was issued to the driver.