Bald Eagle Rescued After Being Hit By Car On Interstate 84 (PHOTO, VIDEO)

A bald eagle was rescued after it was hit by a car on Interstate 84 in Oregon, Portland-area TV station KGW reported Wednesday.

According to Lieutenant Rich Chatman of Portland Fire & Rescue, several drivers hailed a passing firetruck in order to inform firefighters that the eagle was injured. A rescue team responded, shutting down at least two lanes of westbound traffic on the highway in order to save the protected bird.

Brad Martin, a member of the Portland Fire & Rescue, captured the striking photo of the injured bald eagle, which has an impressive 8-foot wingspan, lying on the highway's shoulder.

Photo via KGW News, courtesy of Brad Martin

Other passing drivers also took to Twitter to comment on the injured bird.

According to Oregon Department of Transportation spokesman Don Hamilton, Multnomah County Animal Control transported the bald eagle to the Audubon Society of Portland for evaluation, The Oregonian reports. I-84 traffic was disrupted for no more than 20 minutes.

The male bald eagle was reportedly feeding on the something near the highway when it was hit.

Local TV station KATU News tweeted an update on the injured bird's condition, writing, "He has a broken leg and injuries to both feet after being hit by car. He's been stabilized and X-rayed."

Though the bald eagle was once listed as an endangered species, the population has rebounded to the point that the animal is no longer considered endangered or threatened, according to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services. The bird is still protected under the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act, which prohibits people from taking or selling a bald or golden eagle, or any part of their nests.