Hawk rescued from grille of Charlottesville car

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — Several Charlottesville police officers along with an animal control officer rescued a hawk that was lodged in the grille of a car Tuesday morning.

A woman was driving on Route 29 from North Garden in Albemarle County when she hit a bird.

She didn’t realize the hawk was stuck in her grille until after she arrived at Jackson-Via Elementary School in Charlottesville.

Luckily, this story has a happy ending.

Animal Control Officer Casey Breeden, School Resource Officer Eric Pendleton, and Officers Todd Lucas and Billy Shull safely rescued the hawk and transferred it to a crate.

“Great work everyone, and we’re definitely thankful the hawk is okay!” the Charlottesville Police Department posted on Facebook.

The hawk was the picked up by the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries and transferred to the Virginia Wildlife Center in Waynesboro.