Personal injury news

Drunken pelican causes Californian vehicle accident

A drunken pelican caused a potentially fatal vehicle accident after smashing through the windscreen of a car in California, various US news agencies have reported.

The driver was said to be startled but unhurt following the bizarre incident which took place last Thursday on the Pacific Coast Highway in Orange County.

The bird, on the other hand, is believed to be suffering from a range of personal injuries including a broken foot and a badly gashed pouch.

Describing its condition, Lisa Birkle from the nearby Wetlands and Wildlife Care Centre said, "She's hanging in there."

The pelican is believed to have become drunk after inhaling domoic acid, a naturally occurring toxin found in algae blooms and discovered in large quantities in the nearby ocean. Experts are currently awaiting results of a blood test to find out if the bird was indeed intoxicated.

The past week has seen 16 reports of pelicans flying erratically and wandering disorientated through local shops and gardens, although no other news of pelican-induced vehicle accidents have been reported.

It is believed that domoic acid poisoning was the most likely cause of a 1961 invasion of Northern California by tens of thousands of crazed seabirds that attacked humans and crashed into buildings. The assault was the inspiration for Alfred Hitchcock's cinematic masterpiece, The Birds.