A wild turkey knocked a man off his motorcycle in Maine last Sunday, according to state police. Jeffrey Russell of Hartford was riding along route 117 near Streaked Mountain when the big bird flew at him, pushing him off his Kawasaki.
“That’s like hitting a bowling ball at 45 miles per hour,” State Trooper Corey Huckins told Andie Hannon of Lewiston’s Sun Journal. “It took the driver right off the seat.”
Mr. Russell, knocked unconscious, was evacuated by helicopter to Central Maine Medical Center in Lewiston and hospitalized with a broken collarbone. Passenger Kyle Johnston suffered minor injuries.
Unlike the two men, the turkey was not wearing a helmet, and perished in the accident. Mr. Johnston claimed the remains on behalf of Mr. Russell. Funeral arrangements have not been announced.
Wild turkeys, once scarce in New England, are undergoing a population boom, moving into new territories and dominating Ivy League business schools. Maine’s spring turkey hunting season does not begin until May; harvesting by two-wheeled motor vehicles is not generally permitted.
Maine law does not require motorcyclists over 14 years old to wear protective headgear, but only turkeys do not wear helmets.
Image by Mike Licht. Download a copy here. Creative Commons license; credit Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com
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Tags: motorcycles, safety, turkeys
NotionsCapital 
March 24, 2009 at 4:30 pm
Turkeys are dangerous. Last year we had a police officer chased back to his car by a wild turkey. The turkey pinned down the cop for over an hour until back-up arrived.