Matt Lauer Deer Incident (Photos)

Posted on March 23, 2009

Where is Matt Lauer? Matt Lauer, the popular “Today” show host was injured this weekend when a deer ran in front of his bicycle and he suffered a dislocated shoulder. Read more on Matt Lauer’s deer incident below.

So how in the world did a deer cause Matt Lauer’s wreck? Read more on the freak accident.

“Matt was cycling on Long Island and was going pretty fast downhill,” “Today” executive producer Jim Bell told the Daily News Monday.

“A deer kind of came out of nowhere and in an effort to avoid hitting the deer, Matt slammed on the brakes and went flying. He separated his shoulder.”

Lauer, 51, was thankfully wearing a helmet at the time of the accident on Saturday.

Matt was absent from Monday’s show and was the butt of some good-natured jokes from his co-hosts.

“Today” co-anchor Meredith Viera said on air that Lauer had joked with her in an e-mail that the deer was “hired by the competition.” In response, Viera said, “I’d hire the deer – but just to graze him.”

Bell said Matt Lauer seemed “reasonably well” and he expects he should be back to work later this week. “I don’t want to jinx it, but he feels like he can do it,” Bell said.

“Today” weekend co-anchor and NBC Nightly News’ anchorman Lester Holt will in for Matt Lauer.

“The weekend folks are kind enough to lend him to us. We’re blessed with a deep bench at NBC News.”

Lauer is an avid cyclist and has biked for several “Today”show pierces including last year’s “Where in the World is Matt Lauer?” trip to the Netherlands.

Bell joked that the “Today” team is currently “in discussions to see who might be in the deer costume when [Lauer] returns to the studio.”

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