Why a North Carolina laundromat started a naming contest after a deer burst through its window

For a couple of minutes at a Winston-Salem laundromat, an ordinary wash day turned into something few people there could have expected. A deer sprinted across the parking lot, collided with a woman outside and came through a window, sending customers inside Wishy Wishy Laundry scrambling out of the way.

Security cameras captured the animal charging through the lot and into the business on Tuesday. In the clip below, the deer can be seen bursting through one of the laundromat's windows and running through the store as customers move for cover.

The animal did not stay long. After darting across the laundromat and leaving a mess behind, it went back out through the same window it had broken to get in. Corey Pendergrass, who owns the business, said the scene inside lasted about two minutes. He described it as mayhem and said it was also a miracle that no one was hurt.

Even the owner struggled to believe the call

Pendergrass said his first reaction when an employee called to say there was a deer in the laundromat was disbelief. He thought he might have misheard her. Once it sank in that it was real, he said he dropped what he was doing and went straight over.

What he found was a business that had been startled more than seriously damaged. He said everyone they spoke to afterward was fine. Some furniture needed to be put back in place, and beyond that the cleanup was simple.

The broken window was repaired, and Wishy Wishy Laundry reopened within 24 hours. For Pendergrass, the whole thing felt like the kind of event with one in a million odds, the sort of thing nobody expects to happen in a parking lot outside a neighborhood laundromat.

Still, the business did not let the bizarre interruption become only a damage story. Wishy Wishy Laundry took the incident in stride and launched a Facebook contest asking people to help name the deer.

That left Winston-Salem with a local story that had everything. A wild animal, a smashed window, customers diving out of the way and, somehow, no reported injuries. For a business built around routine errands, it was the kind of visit nobody plans for and almost no one would believe without the security footage.

Why deer sometimes crash into buildings

Deer are powerful, fast animals that rely on flight when they feel trapped or startled. In towns and suburbs they often move through car parks, gardens and roadside green spaces, especially around dawn and dusk. A deer can end up hitting a window or door because glass is hard for animals to read. Reflections can look like open space, while bright indoor lighting can confuse them at night.

Panic makes the problem worse. If a deer is chased by a dog, spooked by traffic, or boxed in by fences and walls, it may run at the first apparent escape route. Once inside a building, it can keep leaping at glass because it is trying to get back outside, not because it is aggressive in the usual sense.

What to do if a deer gets inside

The safest response is usually to give the animal space. Deer can seriously injure people by kicking, thrashing or slipping on hard floors when frightened. Keep children and pets away, avoid crowding the animal, and do not try to grab it or guide it by hand.

If possible, reduce noise, move bystanders back, and open a clear route to the outside such as a wide door. Shutting interior doors can help stop it from moving deeper into a building. Then call the appropriate local service, which may be police, animal control, park staff, or a wildlife rescue group depending on the area. If the deer appears hurt, treat it as an emergency and wait for trained help.

How people try to prevent it

Prevention usually focuses on visibility and access. Homes and businesses sometimes make large panes of glass easier for wildlife to spot by using decals, patterned film, screens, or partly closed blinds. Outdoor lighting can also be adjusted so windows are less visually confusing at night.

Property owners may also try to reduce sudden encounters by keeping approach areas clear, repairing fencing, and avoiding landscaping that funnels animals toward doors and windows. Drivers should also remember that if deer are active nearby, a startled animal can move unpredictably around roads, pavements and shop fronts. Slowing down in low light and scanning verges can reduce the chance of a chain reaction that sends an animal running into a built-up area.