INDIALANTIC, Fla. — Editor's note: The sea turtle pictured above is a generic photo and not the sea turtle that was hit by the car.
A 400-pound sea turtle was hit and killed by a car Wednesday morning, according to Florida Today.
The non-profit University of Central Florida Marine Turtle Research Group posted on Facebook that the female turtle was hit on State Road A1A in Indialantic after it tried to dig a nest on a nearby beach. However, the turtle was missing a flipper and was not able to do so.
UCF Marine Turtle Research Group says as the turtle kept trying to dig, it wandered up a ramp, into somebody's yard and onto the road where it was hit.
Florida Today reports the turtle's body was taken to the Brevard Zoo Sea Turtle Healing Center where coordinator Jess Patterson got a look at it and said it weighed about 400 pounds.
"For how big she was, she could be 50 to 60 years old. The chances of her surviving this long are very slim," Patterson told Florida Today.
UCF Marine Turtle Research Group says it doesn't look like people were interacting with the turtle before it was hit.
Not all hope was lost after the turtle was killed. UCF Marine Turtle Research Group says its eggs were recovered and buried on the beach. The group says it will monitor them and hopes they incubate and hatch like normal.
Mote Marine Laboratory says sea turtle nesting season runs from May 1- Oct. 31. You can find more information on the 2021 sea turtle nesting season on Mote's website.
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