First responders urge caution after turkey crashes through windshield

GARLAND — Firefighters said a man and woman were lucky to come away with only minor cuts and injuries after a turkey came crashing through their windshield Saturday night.

"When we got on scene, driver had some pretty good lacerations throughout his head," Garland Fire Capt. Javier Munoz said. "This, to my knowledge, is the first time Garland Fire (Department) has ever responded to such an incident, at least involving a turkey."

Mark Hadley, Northern Region outreach manager with the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources, said it may require some extra attention to avoid wildlife collisions.

"Don't drive too fast, obey the speed limit and also don't drive distracted," Hadley said. "The faster you're driving and the more distracted you are, the less chance you'll have of spotting that animal and being able to react to what you see out on the road."

The crash Saturday happened at the northbound off-ramp to Riverside, where the speed limit is 80 mph. Munoz said the area sees a lot of wildlife collisions, but more typically deer, elk and even occasionally moose. He adds that, in this case, the turkey ended up in the back seat of a black sedan.

"I want to encourage people to be careful no matter where you're driving and to watch for wildlife," Hadley said, adding that wildlife are most active during the spring and fall. "Try to get used to paying attention to the sides of the roads too."

Hadley advised drivers to use their vehicle's high beams when possible while driving at night. He said that extra distance of sight can add enough time to avoid a collision.

"Sometimes your light will reflect off the eye of the animal, and you'll actually see that little reflection before you ever even notice the silhouette of an animal," Hadley said.

Hadley also said drivers should avoid quickly veering to the side. At times, it may be safer to slow down and hit the animal rather than risk rolling your vehicle.

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