DEXTER, MI - An injured deer struck by a vehicle Friday morning was later killed by a school bus driver trying to end the animal's suffering, Dexter Community Schools officials said.

The initial hit was from a private vehicle on Dan Hoey Road near a student drop-off and pick-up zone, according to a letter emailed by Dexter Community Schools.

The "seriously wounded" deer then entered the area where students were being dropped off, according to the letter.

"In an attempt to quickly put the suffering animal out of its pain, a member of our transportation team instinctively drove over the deer to end its suffering," the letter states.

Officials called police before members of the district's buildings and grounds team disposed of the animal, said Barb Santo, the school district's executive director of human resources.

Police could not be immediately reached for comment.

"Regrettably, some students witnessed one or more of these unfortunate events this morning," the letter states.

No injuries or damage to the bus were reported. Santo declined to comment on whether the driver is facing disciplinary actions.

"The decision to drive over the animal in the presence of children is absolutely not a course of action we condone and we greatly regret that it happened. We understand that this situation is likely to be quite upsetting for students, parents, and staff who witnessed or heard about it.

"However, we hope that everyone concerned can understand that the driver made a very human mistake out of compassion for the animal. We have addressed the situation with our staff," the letter states.