Can Muslims eat roadkill?

No, Muslims can't eat roadkill. An animal killed by a car has died without proper slaughter, so Islam counts it as carrion (maytah), which the Quran forbids. The only exceptions are if you reach it while it's still clearly alive and slaughter it properly, or a real life-or-death emergency.

Why roadkill counts as carrion

Land animals like deer, rabbits and pheasants are only halal when they are slaughtered (or hunted) in the Islamic way, with the name of Allah. An animal killed by the impact of a car hasn't been slaughtered at all. The Quran describes exactly this kind of death:

وَٱلْمُنْخَنِقَةُ وَٱلْمَوْقُوذَةُ وَٱلْمُتَرَدِّيَةُ وَٱلنَّطِيحَةُ وَمَآ أَكَلَ ٱلسَّبُعُ إِلَّا مَا ذَكَّيْتُمْ "...and [those animals] killed by strangling or by a violent blow or by a head-long fall or by the goring of horns, and those from which a wild animal has eaten, except what you [are able to] slaughter [before its death]..." Quran 5:3

A car hitting a deer is a "violent blow" by any definition. Scholars of all four schools agree the meat is haram, even if the animal itself is a halal species and looks perfectly fresh. To understand what proper slaughter involves, see How is halal meat slaughtered?

What if the animal is still alive?

The verse says "except what you slaughter". If you find an injured halal animal that is still clearly alive (moving, bleeding freely, with real signs of life), and you slaughter it quickly with a sharp knife while saying "Bismillah, Allahu akbar", most scholars say it becomes halal. If it dies before you can do that, it's carrion. In practice, check your local laws too: some places require you to report injured deer to the police or wildlife services.

Fish and locusts are different

Islam makes two kinds of dead animals lawful without slaughter: fish (and sea creatures, according to most scholars) and locusts. So a fish found dead in the water is a different case. This exception doesn't extend to land animals or birds.

What about hunting?

Hunting is a separate ruling. A hunter who says Allah's name and shoots a halal animal with an arrow or bullet, or sends a trained dog, can eat it, with conditions that scholars explain in detail. Deliberately hitting an animal with a car isn't hunting. See Can Muslims go hunting and fishing?

Real emergencies

If someone is genuinely starving with nothing else to eat, Islam allows eating forbidden food just enough to survive (Quran 2:173). That doesn't apply to everyday life in Europe or the USA, where other food is available. For the bigger picture of what's allowed, see What can Muslims eat?

Key points

Roadkill is carrion and is haram to eat.
Quran 5:3 forbids animals killed by a violent blow.
A still-living animal slaughtered properly becomes halal.
Fish and locusts are the only dead animals allowed.

Tip: If you hit an animal while driving, stop safely and follow your local rules for reporting it. Don't take risks on a busy road to reach it; your safety matters more than the meat.