Bald eagle drops cat through car windshield on North Carolina highway, driver says

A driver in North Carolina told emergency responders that a bald eagle dropped a cat that crashed through her windshield, police said.

The incident happened around 8:15 a.m. Wednesday on U.S. Route 74 in Swain County, North Carolina Highway Patrol said. The driver was not injured.

Highway patrol did not provide additional information.

A photo shared by officials showed the car’s broken windshield with a massive hole.

A driver in North Carolina says her car windshield was smashed after a bald eagle dropped a cat it was carrying.

North Carolina Highway Patrol

In a 911 call, obtained by WLOS-TV, the driver told the dispatcher that the cat did not survive.

“OK, you may not believe me, but I just had a bald eagle drop a cat through my windshield,” the 911 call said, according to WLOS. “It absolutely shattered my windshield.”

“I had a witness who was like, ‘That is the craziest thing I’ve ever seen,'” the caller added.

Bald eagles are predatory birds that can stand up to 3 feet tall and have a wingspan stretching more than 8 feet. They weigh between 8 to 14 pounds and can typically carry things between 3 to 5 pounds.

Domestic cats are about 2 feet long and weigh between 5 to 20 pounds. While bald eagles can carry smaller cats, they are not a common prey for the bird.

In 2019, a large catfish crashed through a woman’s windshield in North Carolina after reportedly getting dropped by a flying bird.

More from CBS News