Swan Crashes into Truck’s Windshield

The following article—posted as a Traffic Brief on page B2 of the South Bend (Indiana) Tribune on Monday, 12/15/2008—caught my attention:

EDWARDSBURG – A Vandalia man escaped serious injury Saturday after a swan flew into his windshield while he was driving along U.S. 12, authorities said.

The Ontwa Edwardsburg Police Department said Merle Ramsey, age unknown, was headed west about 2:15 p.m. when the swan crashed into his pickup truck and went completely through the windshield.

Ramsey refused treatment at the scene for possible head injuries. A passenger, Ali Lynn Scott, of Cassopolis, was not injured.

There was no immediate word on the condition of the swan.

Three species of swans can be encountered in southwestern Michigan at this time of year (Mute, Trumpeter, and Tundra), with the Mute Swan being the one most likely to be encountered. In my opinion, it's highly unlikely that this bird survived a crash through the windshield of a pickup truck.