Owl struck by driver on I-10 in Phoenix to be released back into nature

PHOENIX - A Great Horned Owl that was struck by a car on I-10 in Phoenix last October finally made a full recovery and will be released Sunday, June 7th.

The owl was discovered when the driver realized she had possibly hit something in the road, she pulled over near the I-10 and I-17 interchange and realized she struck an owl. She immediately called Liberty Wildlife.

"All the sudden, I heard this noise and I thought somebody had hit me or something," Annette Hanson, driver, said. "My husband was riding in the car with me and he says, 'Oh my gosh, there's a bird!'"

The owl was stuck in the grill of the car. Volunteers with the rescue removed the grill first, then the owl.

The rescue says she had swelling to her eye but no broken bones. After months of observation, she didn't show signs of brain damage. Now, the rescue says it's time to let her fly free once again.

On an even sweeter note, the Hansons, the couple who struck the owl, will be at the release around sunset.

Great Horned Owls are the largest of its species in North America.