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An owl has a close call after getting hit by an SUV on the Florida Turnpike.

Kevin Ozebek reports on the unusual circumstances behind the story.

When she looked into these huge yellow blinking eyes she thought:

"I'm about to faint."

And that's not an overreaction when you have an owl, yes, a real, living owl, stuck inside your SUV.

"I've never experienced anything like this before in my life."

AND HERE'S HOW HE GOT STUCK.

Thursday night Sonji Coney Williams was headed south on the Florida turnpike.

"I was driving about 60 miles an hour, he never moved, and so, I said 'Oh, my God, I hit a bird,' and I felt so bad but it was very dark and we didn't pull over."

Williams assumed this guy became road kill but he survived and slipped through the SUV grill.

The owl strike happened not too far from Yeehaw Junction in central Florida. She continued driving south to Plantation to visit her son. The entire time old yellow eyes had to tag along.

It wasn't until Friday afternoon while running errands in south Florida she knew the owl was caged in her SUV.

"There was a family that pulled in front of my parking space and flagged me down and said don't move, don't move, you have something in the grill of your truck. I said, 'Yes, what is it?' And they said, 'It's an owl.' And I said, 'An owl?'"

Williams called Florida fish and wildlife and an officer opened the hood and freed the bird.
It turns out it's a great horned owl, they're common in central Florida.
Williams said she feels guilty for hitting it and it even led her to shed a few tears.

Officers say the owl appeared to be in good shape and didn't suffer any injuries.