Police who pulled over a suspected drunken or drugged driver in Pennsylvania discovered a live deer that had apparently been hit and then placed in the hatchback area of her car.

The animal was freed after the stop Thursday by police in Newberry Township.

The occupants told officers they had realized the deer was still alive but kept driving anyway, police said.

Police said they told a passenger to release the deer, which was seen in a video posted by police struggling as it was carried across the road.

The 19-year-old driver is being investigated for suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs, police said.

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The Associated Press contributed to this article.