Motorist in North Carolina tells 911: ‘I just had a bald eagle drop a cat through my windshield’
This photo provided by N. C. State Highway Patrol Public Information Office shows a smashed windshield after a cat carcass crashed into the car along a highway near the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina on Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2025. (N. C. State Highway Patrol Public Information Office via AP)
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A driver in western North Carolina walked away uninjured after an unexpected and bizarre incident on U.S. Route 74 near the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. According to a 911 call, a bald eagle dropped the carcass of a cat directly into the passenger side of the woman’s windshield, shattering it on impact.
The incident happened Wednesday morning in Swain County, not far from Bryson City, roughly 65 miles southwest of Asheville. The stunned caller told the dispatcher, “You may not believe me, but I just had a bald eagle drop a cat through my windshield. It absolutely shattered my windshield.”
To the driver’s relief, the dispatcher remained calm — and even amused — replying, “OK. I do believe you, honestly,” followed by a laugh. The caller added that another witness saw the cat fall as well, telling her it was “the craziest thing” he’d ever seen.
The dispatcher reassured the driver as she continued gathering details. After confirming the caller’s location and preparing to send the Highway Patrol, she asked, “Is the cat still alive?” The driver explained that it wasn’t, and that the carcass was on the roadside rather than inside the vehicle. “I have to ask just to make sure,” the dispatcher responded.
Kendrick Weeks of the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission said the eagle might have been carrying roadkill. “They can take animals the size of a cat,” he explained, noting that while bald eagles typically prefer carrion over live prey, scavenging is a common behavior. Raptors can drop prey for several reasons — a weak grip, a struggling animal, interference from another bird, or simply because the load becomes too heavy.
Bald eagles, native to North Carolina and much of North America, have been steadily increasing in number. More than 200 nesting pairs now live in the state. Adults generally weigh between 6½ and 13½ pounds and boast an impressive 6- to 7-foot wingspan, according to Weeks.
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