A motorist has been commended for her swift response and kindness after halting her vehicle to safeguard a deer that had been struck by another car and was described as appearing unresponsive.

The woman brought her Volvo to a stop at 9pm on Newick Lane in Heathfield to protect the severely wounded fallow deer, which veterinary staff subsequently humanely destroyed owing to clear internal injuries.

East Sussex’s deer warden expressed gratitude on social media, stating that the individual noticed a large fallow deer that had previously been struck by a vehicle standing motionless in the carriageway and positioned her car to shield the animal while also preventing other drivers from colliding with it, which the warden noted posed significant risk on that particular road due to the elevated speed limit.

She dialled the emergency services, supplied a precise three-word location identifier, and remained at the scene until a warden could attend, a task complicated by road closures in the area, the warden continued.

The decision to dedicate her time and remain at an unlit location was truly admirable, the post added.

Another social media user, Pam Murphy, responded that learning about the unfortunate incident was distressing and that encountering such situations at night represented her greatest concern while travelling.

She extended congratulations to the selfless driver, acknowledging how emotionally difficult the experience must have been.

The deer warden advised that contacting police should always be the initial step when dealing with deer positioned on roads.

When an animal poses a genuine threat to other road users, there should be no hesitation in police accepting such reports, the warden explained, adding that individuals should request to speak with a supervisor at the contact centre if they believe their incident is not receiving appropriate response.