Deer Split In Half By Motorcycle On Ottawa Highway

A motorcyclist was left with minor injuries after he ripped a deer in half while driving his bike on Highway 417 in Ottawa on Thursday.

The rider was driving close to Boundary Road at about 6 a.m. when the animal ran across the highway, CBC News reported.

Paramedic Ian Courville witnessed the incident while on his way to work. He said the motorcycle "literally" split the deer in half.

"I saw a bunch of cars hitting the brakes in front of me and then kind of a cloud of what appeared to be red in front of me," he told the network.

"The deer didn't suffer much. He was split in half so he died instantly, I'm assuming."

The crash came as collisions with animals are becoming an increasing problem in Ontario, according to The Ottawa Citizen.

The province's Ministry of Transportation has said that crashes have grown from 8,964 in 1999 to 12,791 in 2008, a 43 per cent increase over 10 years. And most of them aren't reported.

Drivers are being warned to slow down when they spot animals on roads.

They're also being advised to be extra careful when they see signs notifying people of danger, particularly from dawn to dusk, when wild creatures are known to be active.