Friday, March 27, 2009

Turkey Vulture Collides with Car

I just saw this on the local New York ABC affiliate 12:00 news:

PARSIPPANY, N.J. - State police say a turkey vulture injured a passenger when it crashed through a minivan's windshield Friday. It happened on Interstate 80 in Parsippany. State Police Sgt. Stephen Jones says a man was driving his Dodge Caravan in the eastbound lanes when the bird flew up. Jones says the bird went through the glass and ended up in the seat. The man's wife, who was a passenger, had glass fragments around her eye. Jones says the vehicle was towed away by Eagle Towing.

The report showed footage of the vehicle with a huge hole in the windshield. The bird did not survive.

UPDATE 3/28: Not a Turkey Vulture, but a Turkey. Bad NJ Reporting - pic here

13 comments:

myonlyphoto said...

We have turkey volutures always around the highway. This is such a wierd incident. Thanks for sharing. Anna :)

Lynne at Hasty Brook said...

What a freaky accident.

Susan Gets Native said...

Something I've noticed, reading reports like this:
They always say "the bird FLEW INTO the car"or otherwise implying that it was the bird's fault.
I'm glad the people are okay, but I'm sad for the TV.

Patrick B. said...

Good point Susan!

John B. said...

The vulture was probably just enjoying a meal that some other car had laid out for it.

noflickster said...

Tragic all around, though I morbidly enjoyed the fact that the towing company was "Eagle Towing." I've had a half-dozen near-misses (actually, near-hits, as George Carlin would point out) this year, but nothing bigger than a starling.
-Mike

Patrick B. said...

LOL! I didn't even pick up on the Eagle Towing thing.

Ya gotta love George Carlin.

Jason Kessler said...

Canada Geese bring down passenger jets, Turkey Vultures bring down Dodge Caravans...maybe Hitchcock was right!

Michael Pollock said...

Patrick--I don't know if you was a picture of the bird in the backseat but the officer who declared it dead needs a lesson in bird ID. It was a Turkey--NOT a vulture. Anyway . .

Patrick B. said...

@Michael - I did not see a picture, but that is a pretty poor misidentification.

Michael Pollock said...

I should have just posted the link and let everyone make up their own mind. BTW, I hadn't seen the photo when I made my quote--was going on the ID from the reporter.
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2009/03/turkey_crashes_through_windshi.html

Patrick B. said...

Definitely a turkey! I guess that guy just knows what they look like roasted and stuffed.

Mel said...

OUCH!