A school bus driver intentionally drove over an injured deer to end its suffering.

Dexter Community Schools reported the incident to families via a letter Friday. The district says the driver's actions in front of children was "absolutely not a course of action we condone" even if the driver was acting out of compassion for a seriously wounded deer. The school district calls it a "very human mistake." The deer was hit by a vehicle on Dan Hoey Road and was said to be seriously wounded before entering a student drop-off and pick-up zone. The district says in an attempt to quickly put the suffering animal out of its pain, a member of the transportation team instinctively drove over the deer to end its suffering. The school maintenance staff got rid of the dead deer. No injuries or damage to the bus were reported.

The district says it hopes everyone concerned can understand that the driver made a very human mistake out of compassion for the animal and they have addressed the situation with staff. (JM)