Swiss tourists and a motorcyclist from Canada were involved in a traffic accident in Death Valley National Park on Saturday, caused by a tarantula crossing the road, CBS News reports.
The Swiss couple were driving in their rented camper along the Towne Pass section of CA-190 east when they saw a tarantula crossing the road, the outlet reported, citing the National Park Service. The couple slammed on their brakes and that’s when the 24-year-old Canadian collided with the back of the camper van.
Tarantula crossing the road causes traffic accident in Death Valley National Park https://t.co/39pdvRyGA2
— CBS Mornings (@CBSMornings) October 30, 2023
First responders brought the Canadian to Desert View Hospital in Pahrump, the outlet reported. There is no public update on his condition at the time of writing.
“Please drive slowly, especially going down steep hills in the park,” park Superintendent Mike Reynolds said, according to CBS. Reynolds was one of the first on the scene of the crash. “Our roads still have gravel patches due to flood damage, and wildlife of all sizes are out.”
While tarantulas live in burrows for most of their lives, male tarantulas often leave their burrows in search of a female to mate with. Sometimes, the female will mate with the male and then devour him, according to the National Parks Traveler. While males might be lucky to live up to 10 years, females can live up to 25 years and can mate multiple times, per the outlet. (RELATED: Cousin Of Infamous Murder Hornet Found In United States For First Time Ever)
The tarantuala mating season usually lasts from late September to early October.
Tarantulas are nonaggressive and their bite is not lethal to humans, according to the National Parks Traveler. It is said to be similar to a bee sting.