Bandit Coot Crash! Raccoon meets gruesome end as Memphis road crews paint white line directly ABOVE
- Photographed by a driver on his way to work on Wednesday, the animal, a run over raccoon, had a line painted on him by a seemingly oblivious city road crew.
- Richie EsQuivel was the one who spotted the scene and said he had to do a double take when he saw what appeared to be a new line of paint adorning the animal.
- The photo taken by EsQuivel shows how the stripe served as an extension of a new line of paint laid down by the city, to draw attention to the start of the shoulder
While raccoons are normally well known for their signature striped tails, one unfortunate creature has gone viral for another kind of marking – a huge white line painted on its body by road crews.
Photographed by a driver on his way to work in Memphis on Wednesday, the animal, which had unfortunately been struck and killed at the side of the road, had not been moved in time before the road crew of the city does not pass and comb it.
Richie EsQuivel was the only one to spot the disturbing scene and said he had to do a double take when he saw what appeared to be a new line of paint adorning the animal.
“The animal may have been there for a few days it seems,” EsQuivel said. “It’s pretty big and hard to miss.”
Still there early Friday, the dead raccoon is expected to be removed later that morning, city officials said — hopefully with a more respectful shipment. Speaking to WREG on Thursday, EsQuivel recalled how he came across the bizarre posting.
Photographed by a driver on his way to work in Memphis on Wednesday, the animal, an already run over raccoon, had a line painted on him by a seemingly oblivious city road crew.
Memphis motorist Ruchie EsQuival made the discovery early Wednesday on a stretch of this street near Knight Arnold Road. City officials have since promised to remove the raccoon Friday morning
“I hadn’t taken Getwell for a few weeks,” EsQuival recalled of the find, which occurred early Wednesday on a stretch of street near adjacent Knight Arnold Road.
“I guess my first thought was that it was a bit wild,” he added to the outlet. “Not something you see every day.”
Seemingly more observant than the city’s road crews, EsQuival said he spotted the “fairly large” animal behind the wheel and got out of his vehicle to investigate.
He soon came across the animal’s deformed corpse and posted a snap as evidence on social media.
Speaking to WREG – who later published the photo of EsQuival’s discovery – the Memphis man marveled at how the raccoon had not been spotted earlier, citing its size and location prominently displayed on the side of the road.
A city spokesperson has since confirmed that crews will remove the deceased animal Friday morning.
Until then, the informal road function remains.
