Owl survives head-on collision with truck

"A lucky owl, that's for sure," Vt. Fish and Wildlife Biologist David Sausville said. Lucky to be alive after swooping down for prey along a dirt road in Addison County, Vermont, early on the morning of Dec. 11 and being hit head-on by a truck.



"He was travelling at about 55 mph and most birds do not survive an impact like that," Sausville noted. But to the driver's shock, the barred owl was alive and trapped face-first in the Ford's grill.

"He approached and wanted to release the animal. And then once it started to move around and he saw the talons, he thought better of it and continued on to work," Sausville said. The driver then called Fish and Wildlife biologists, who grabbed their gear and helped free the bird.



"I just grabbed hold of the talons in one hand and he popped the hood and I was able to reach inside and grab a hold around the head with the other hand and keep the beak away from us and then he pulled back the grill and we were able to push it through," Sausville explained. Sausville took the owl back to the location where it was hit and he released it. He said after a few clicks of its beak, it flew off.

With news video.