A truck driver from Portland is currently recovering in the hospital after an unexpected avian projectile—a turkey—smashed through his windshield, forcing his semi off the roadway in a harrowing incident near Grants Pass. The peculiar crash occurred last Tuesday as Dave Duell was navigating his usual route on Interstate 5 between Portland and Medford. According to Oregon State Police, the turkey burst from the median, shattered the windshield and struck Duell, knocking him unconscious before exiting through the rear window of the cab. Subsequently, Duell's semi veered off and collided with a small tree. He had to be life-flighted to the nearest medical facility due to serious head injuries, as reported by KOIN 6 News.

His daughter, Emily-Jean Duell, who had been to visit her father in the hospital, shared their use of humor to somewhat lighten the mood of the dire situation. "So the first thing I said to him in the hospital room was something along the lines of, ‘So you took a turkey cannon to the face.” Then he was laughing a lot," she recounted in an interview with KOIN 6 News.

Further details obtained from KGW-TV reveal that David Duell, hailing from Astoria, has been a long-time truck driver, an occupation preceding even the birth of his children. His daughter emphasized the joy he always found in his work and the extensive network of friends he had made over the years. "He really enjoys it. He makes lots of friends everywhere, and he’s really good at his job," she told KGW-TV.

The incident, which etched an alarming reminder of the unpredictability of road hazards, took place on April 3. Duell was struck by the bird as it penetrated the driver's side of the windshield before exiting out the back, as per the account provided by KIRO 7. Presently, Duell is facing a challenging recovery ahead, with the support of his family and a touch of humor to hopefully see him through this unexpected turn on what was otherwise, just another day on the open road.