Bald Eagle Dies After Being Rescued From Interstate 55

An injured bald eagle rescued from the side of Interstate 55 Tuesday has died, officials in Illinois said Wednesday.

The eagle was brough to the Willowbrook Wildlife Center in Glen Ellyn after it was found near the Cass Avenue exit on the interstate by an Illinois Department of Transportation road crew, who mistook it for a blown tire.

An initial examination of the bird indicated it had been hit by a vehicle and suffered from apparent head trauma and abrasions and contusions to its wings and feet, according to the Forest Preserve of DuPage County. But Wednesday morning, officials said the animal, believed to be a male between 4 and 5 years old, hadn't been hit by a vehicle and may have died from West Nile virus.

The eagle's rescue made headlines Tuesday after the IDOT crew stood near the eagle to protect it from traffic. 

The same bird was brought to the wildlife center after it was shot in Oak Lawn in February of 2014. It was treated for a broken wing and later released at Pratt's Wayne Woods in Wayne in April 2014. 

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