Watch: Napier deer making dash for airport is clipped by car, jumps fence, runs across runway

A panicked deer running through Napier’s suburban streets was clipped by a car, before jumping a fence into Hawke’s Bay Airport and running across the runway into farmland, where it was killed by authorities.

Samantha White was driving from Bay View to Taradale with her children on Friday morning.

She turned right on to Prebensen Dr from State Highway 2 to find a deer jumping the safety barrier on to the road right in front of her car.

White didn’t see the deer until it was leaping on to the road. She managed to brake in time, grazing the rear of the deer and causing minimal damage to the front of her car.

“I said to my husband, you’re not going to believe me,” she laughed.

“We’ve been here for over 10 years, never hit a thing and, out of everybody, it just happens that I’m the one that’s hit the darn thing.”

Police said they were tipped off that a deer was running in the middle of the road in Tamatea about 7.15am on Friday.

Then, just before 8.30am, they were told the deer was at the airport.

The deer then left the runway area and was seen heading into farmland, towards Bay View.

Animal Control was called. A police spokesperson said the deer was euthanised.

Hawke’s Bay Airport said the deer appeared to have come from the direction of Taradale.

It was seen running on the runway, with the airport team notifying police.

The airport was reviewing what happened, but it appeared the animal had jumped a fence, a spokesperson said.

Air New Zealand said no flights had been delayed as a result of the incident, and none of its operations had been affected.