A man has been charged with animal cruelty and reckless driving after allegedly running over a flock of seagulls with a vehicle on the Washington coast. James Travis, a 64-year-old resident of Honolulu, Hawaii, is accused of the incident that led to the death of 25 protected seagulls near Klipsan Beach in Pacific County.
According to KOIN, witnesses have claimed Travis was driving at speeds around 50-60 miles per hour when he steered to deliberately target a flock of birds. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Police, who quickly began to investigate the matter, asserted that the act was intentional.
Further reporting from KOIN 6 News details that, following the incident, witnesses confronted Travis, who seemed to be under the influence and "kept saying sorry in a quiet monotone voice."
"Just the report of how recklessly he was driving from multiple people, that he intentionally drove into a flock of gulls, really grabbed our attention," stated Dan Chadwick, a captain with Washington Fish and Wildlife Police, in a statement obtained by KPTV.
Under Washington state law, first-degree animal cruelty is a Class C Felony, and the conviction could potentially result in up to five years of imprisonment along with a $10,000 fine.
