A deer either trying to cross the road or making a dash for its own 15 minutes of fame nearly derailed a car commercial being filmed in California.

The cameras were rolling as Japanese drifting star and Scion spokesdriver Ken Gushi was behind the wheel of a new Scion FR-S sports car in the winding roads of Mt. Diablo State Park in Northern California.

Just after Gushi had delicately navigated a left turn at a high speed, the deer jumped  in front of the car, coming just inches away from a not-so-happy ending.

Luckily the deer, the car and Gushi all made it through the ordeal unharmed.

Scion released a behind-the-scenes video of the commercial shoot, called "Close Call," which captured the encounter, and Gushi's reaction.

"It was a pretty mind-boggling incident," he says, while also praising the cars handling and brakes for averting disaster.