Georgia police rescue vulture stuck in front grille of vehicle

Feb. 1 (UPI) -- Police in Georgia came to the rescue of a vulture that crashed into the front of a moving car and became lodged head-first in the grille.

The Tybee Island Police Department said a woman discovered a vulture she had struck while driving through South Carolina had become lodged in the front grille of her vehicle and sought help freeing the bird once she crossed the state line into Georgia.

"Unable to remove the bird herself, the woman said that she sought assistance on the way to Tybee but couldn't find anyone willing to lend a hand. That's when she turned to the team at TIPD," police said in a Facebook post.

Police discovered the bird was still alive and were able to carefully extract it from the vehicle's grille and bring it inside to warm up. Police said the vulture would be turned over to a veterinarian for care.

The Wildlife Rehabilitation Center of Northern Utah conducted a similar rescue during the weekend when a red-tailed hawk became stuck in the front grill of a vehicle that was traveling at a high speed.

The hawk was examined after the rescue and found to be free of broken bones or other serious injuries.