This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated.

SLIDELL, La. – The Slidell Police Department found a way to turn a car accident into an opportunity to feed needy people in the community.

A passing car struck a deer on Gause Boulevard on July 26.

There were no injuries as a result of the collision, but the deer did not survive.

A officer who is an avid outdoorsman in his spare time didn’t want the deer to go to waste, as so often happens in these cases, so he came up with an innovative plan.

After checking with Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries officials, the officer contacted the New Jerusalem Church in nearby Pearl River to see if they could use the deer meat.

The church agreed, and the deer was taken to be processed for ground meat.

The deer meat will be distributed to feed the hungry through the church’s outreach program, according to Slidell Police Department spokesman Detective Daniel Seuzeneau.

Collisions with deer do not happen enough for the SPD to make the donation strategy for dealing with deer carcasses an official practice, Seuzeneau said.

Disposal options in future situations will remain up to each officer’s discretion, he said.