The 60-year-old driver was lucky to escape injury when the fully grown cat struck his car on Tuesday evening as he was driving along the busy Hume Highway, cracking the windscreen and causing extensive damage to the roof.
“Police were called to the scene and found the body of a fully grown cat lying on the road approximately 100 metres behind the car,” police said in a statement.
“Investigators suspect the animal was thrown from the overpass, as it is partially enclosed making climbing difficult.”
Inspector Dean Smith told local radio someone could have died.
“Anybody that does that kind of thing is sick in some sense of the word, because it’s not something you would expect somebody to do,” he said.
Earlier this month, motorists on a Melbourne highway were confronted with sheep plunging from an overpass when a truck crashed, spilling its cargo.
At least two vehicles were hit, with one rolling several times.