Young bald eagle dies after being hit by car in Columbiana County

A young bald eagle has died after being struck by a car in Columbiana County.

A message posted by Birds in Flight Animal Sanctuary on Tuesday announced that the bird died Monday night. 

The Ohio State Highway Patrol tells 21 News that the bird was hit early Sunday afternoon along U.S. Route 30 in Madison Township.  The driver of the car stopped after the accident.

Troopers contacted Birds of Flight Animal Sanctuary, which immediately transferred the eagle to its facility in Canfield.

Birds in Flight founder Heather Merritt tells 21 News that the bird was a juvenile bald eagle, which had not matured enough to exhibit the characteristic white head of older eagles.

On Monday, Merritt said the eagle is in “very critical condition” after suffering a broken wing and severed artery. 

She says the eagle may have been from the well-known West Point nest, home to bald eagles for several years.