One Tough Bird

**Coops** · March 5th, 2009, 10:54 AM

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090305/...uck_windshield

RENO, Nev. – The eagle has landed — with a thud — after crashing through the windshield of a tractor-trailer on a Nevada highway. State wildlife officials said Wednesday that a 15-pound golden eagle with a 7-foot wing span has a swollen head but otherwise appears unhurt after crashing into a Florida truck driver's big rig on Monday.

Matthew Roberto Gonzalez of Opa Locka, Fla., was driving on U.S. Interstate 80 in northeast Nevada near Wells, about 60 miles west of the Utah line, when the eagle came crashing into the cab of his truck.

"I heard a loud thump like a brick or something coming through the glass," said Daryl Young of Miami, the co-driver who was dozing in the sleeper berth when it happened. "I woke up, and the windshield was all over me. Next thing I know there was a big bird lying on the floor."

Joe Doucette, a spokesman for the Nevada Department of Wildlife, said it appears the eagle hit the windshield head first.

"One side of the head is swollen, but there does not appear to be any permanent damage," he said.

"The guys in the truck immediately bailed out because it was one ticked off bird. She was pretty feisty," Doucette said. "Even the officer who responded didn't want to go in there so we had one of our wildlife biologists do it."

The eagle was recovering at the Northeast Nevada Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in Spring Creek, and Doucette said the goal was to release it back into the wild.

Jeffrey Spires, owner of Spires Trucking of South Florida in Miramar, Fla., said he thought his drivers were kidding when they called to report the damage.

"Never in trucking history," he said.

**Bmarshall91** · March 5th, 2009, 11:05 AM

C'MON NOW! If you went through a truck windshield would you be all like OH HEY GUYS! LETS HANG OUT! No! you'd be PISSED too! haha!

I wouldn't go in there either! If I were the guy in the berth, I probably would have ran straight through the back of it! haha! Made my own door!

I hit an owl once with my car. My car was lowered at the time, it rode 2 inches off the road.... yeah it was low! The owl was standing in the middle of the road one night while i was driving with some friends. I had the "WHAT THE HELL IS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD!?" reaction and before I had time, I hit the bird! haha! It went up and over my car. I SLAMMED on the brakes, slid to a stop and sat there for a minute as the girls in the car started BAWLING..... One suggested I get out and check on it as it was back on it's feet at that time. I said HELL NO! If you were hit by a car doing 45 mph and on your feet again in two seconds would you be in a mood to meet the dude who just hit you? haha!

**TaePo** · March 5th, 2009, 01:00 PM

Originally Posted by Bmarshall91

C'MON NOW! If you went through a truck windshield would you be all like OH HEY GUYS! LETS HANG OUT! No! you'd be PISSED too! haha!

I wouldn't go in there either! If I were the guy in the berth, I probably would have ran straight through the back of it! haha! Made my own door!

I hit an owl once with my car. My car was lowered at the time, it rode 2 inches off the road.... yeah it was low! The owl was standing in the middle of the road one night while i was driving with some friends. I had the "WHAT THE HELL IS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD!?" reaction and before I had time, I hit the bird! haha! It went up and over my car. I SLAMMED on the brakes, slid to a stop and sat there for a minute as the girls in the car started BAWLING..... One suggested I get out and check on it as it was back on it's feet at that time. I said HELL NO! If you were hit by a car doing 45 mph and on your feet again in two seconds would you be in a mood to meet the dude who just hit you? haha!

Damned Zombie Owls!!