Footage released by the Isanti County Sheriff's Office in Minnesota shows just how destructive a speeding car hitting a deer can be - and teaches an important lesson on how to act in such a situation.

While responding to a call about a man with a gun on 21 October, a deputy was suddenly brought to a screeching halt when a deer jumped across the road and into the path of his patrol car.

Though the video shows how shocking and sudden such a incident can be, the Sheriff's Office said that their deputy had reacted in precisely the right way. "The deputy did a great job of just getting on the brakes and keeping it in his lane," the department wrote in a Facebook post.

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They added that the deputy managed to react well and keep his cool in the situation "even though the hood went into his windshield". The big mistake that many drivers make when such an accident occurs is to swerve.

The sheriff's office said it "shows how important it is to NOT swerve when an animal strike is going to occur. If the deputy swerved he would have rolled and been injured or worse".

Keeping on a straight path also minimised injuries from the airbags being triggered. It is unlikely to be the only such accident on Minnesota's roads in the coming months due to the imminent hunting season. "We wish to remind all drivers out there to keep an eye out for the deer, they are on the move and with deer hunting season upon us they will be moving even that much more," they cautioned.

Gruesome pictures released from the scene showed the front of the police car smashed up and splattered with blood from the collision.