Bryson City, North Carolina – A motorist in western North Carolina escaped injury when the carcass of a cat struck the passenger side of her car’s windshield along a highway near Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
In a call to 911, the unidentified driver on U.S. Route 74 in Swain County, near Bryson City, told a dispatcher that a bald eagle had dropped the cat. Bryson City is located about 65 miles (104 kilometers) southwest of Asheville.
It’s not clear whether the cat slipped from the eagle’s talons Wednesday morning or was simply discarded because the large bird had no taste for it.
“You may not believe me, but a bald eagle dropped a cat through my windshield,” the skeptical driver said in a recorded 911 call. “It completely smashed my windshield.”
Any reservations about connecting with such a story were removed when the sender calmly replied: “Okay. I honestly believe you,” and then laughed.
The driver relayed that another person also saw the cat fall, saying: “It’s like, ‘This is the craziest thing I’ve ever seen.'” I’m like, “Really?”
The dispatcher offered some confirmation, saying, “Oh my God. Let’s see. I’ve heard more craziness.”
“Well, that’s terrifying,” the caller said, and the dispatcher responded with an even more nervous laugh: “Yes.”
After getting the driver’s location, the dispatcher said she would send the highway patrol to prepare a report. “One more question,” the dispatcher asked. “Is the cat still alive?”
The caller said that was not the case, but noted that the cat was on the side of the road and not in her car.
“Well, I have to ask just to be sure,” the dispatcher said.