MELBOURNE, Fla. -- A mother turtle saved from a Tampa roadway that then laid eggs in the car of the woman traveling to Melbourne has died.

The 14-pound turtle was being cared for at Melbourne's Florida Wildlife Hospital.

Workers there said they came in Thursday and found the turtle had died overnight.

X-rays taken of the turtle Wednesday didn't reveal any significant issues, but often in the wild, animals are good at hiding illness to protect themselves from predators.

Laura Pinto had saved the turtle from getting hit by cars on a Tampa street Monday and brought it to the hospital in Melbourne during a visit to see her cousin.

As she drove, the turtle laid nearly a dozen eggs on the floorboard of Pinto's car.

None of the eggs survived, workers said.