A huge dead alligator in the middle of a Louisiana highway caused a multi-vehicle car crash when a pickup truck veered off the road into a nearby swamp.
Around 6:30 a.m. Monday, the St. Bernard Parish Sheriff’s Office was dispatched to the 5400 block of Paris Road as the giant reptile lay dead in the median of Chalmette, about 20 minutes from New Orleans.
The accident occurred when a driver slowed down his car to get a good look at the strange alligator, causing the driver behind them to swerve in an attempt to avoid hitting them.
The second vehicle landed directly in the nearby water as footage showed the top of the silver Honda minivan sticking out as the rear end sank.
“People are scared of a little creature,” Aces Towing and Auto Sales said in a Facebook post about the crash.
A huge dead alligator in a median in the middle of a Louisiana highway caused a multi-vehicle car crash Monday morning.
A car veered off Paris Road and flew into a nearby swamp when the driver in front slowed down to look at the dead alligator.
Those involved in the crash were not seriously injured, witness Kayden Koffler said.
It is unclear how the alligator died and how long it was there. It is also unclear what happened to his deceased body after the accident.
Koffler, who was not present at the time of the accident, said NOLA.com The alligator was dead when he reported to work at Gulf South Automotive, near the crash site, that morning.
He described the beast as “a pretty decent size” as Koffler witnessed the terrifying aftermath of the accident.
Shortly after the accident, authorities and a tow truck arrived and rescued the truck from the swamp.
One image showed the large alligator lying in the median, looking toward the road.
“My mom took this today while driving in Chalmette,” the caption read as commenters accused the person of “photoshopping” the image.
The towing company posted photos of the car in the water as one person in a blue shirt appeared to be exiting the vehicle, while two others stood nearby. Several cars were seen stopped on the shoulder of the road while police blocked oncoming traffic.
The company captioned the post: ‘So how was your Monday…mine started like this…yes the last photo was the culprit!!! People are scared of a little creature…’
People were quick to react to the peculiar situation on social media, as one suggested: “I’ll need a “Alligator Crossing” warning sign both ways in and out of Da Parish.”
It is unclear how the alligator died and how long it was there. It is also unclear what happened to his deceased body after the accident.
The towing company posted photos of the car in the water as a person in a blue shirt appeared to be exiting the vehicle.
A police officer is seen blocking off the area while a crane rescued the sinking vehicle from the water.
“I bet they weren’t slow when they saw that big kid,” said another.
Another wrote: ‘What a bad way to start the day, especially [sic] If only the alligator was already dead!!’
One commenter said: ‘That’s a big alligator, but it looks like you could slowly turn it around and be on your way!’
The Bayou State and Florida have the largest alligator populations, although the reptiles can be found from central Texas to North Carolina, according to Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries.
They are most commonly found hidden in bodies of water such as ponds, lakes, canals, marshes, and marshes.
These cold-blooded animals are often seen lying in the sun while their body temperature regulates according to the environment around them.
Reptiles can grow between eight and nine inches long when they are first born, but as they grow, they become much longer, depending on their gender.
Male alligators “rarely exceed 13 feet in length” and weigh about 500 pounds, while females grow to about nine feet and can weigh more than 200 pounds.
According to the Louisiana Alligator Advisory CouncilThere are about 2 million alligators in the state.
In June, a Louisiana couple found a five-foot-long alligator in their bedroom after it snuck into their home through a doggy door.
Don, 62, and Jan Schultz, 55, had just moved to New Iberia, Louisiana, when the smaller alligator caught them by surprise.
“Our dog Panda growled in a deep voice and woke up my wife and she touched me and said, ‘I think there’s someone in the house,’ so I got up and headed down the hall to check,” Don told KATC. “I saw the shape of an alligator.”
According to the Louisiana Alligator Advisory Council, the wild alligator population is estimated at around two million in the state.
In June, a Louisiana couple found a five-foot-long alligator in their bedroom after it snuck into their home through a doggy door. (pictured: the owner catching the alligator)
He cautiously walked down the hallway around 1:30 a.m., armed with a .40-caliber Glock pistol, before noticing what he initially thought was a dog toy on the carpet. He quickly realized it was an alligator.
Initially, the alligator didn’t react, but that changed when Don turned on a light.
He began to swell and hiss, prompting Don to call Jan and share the shocking news.
“You just don’t expect to have one in your house,” Jan told the Washington Post.
A trapper from the state Department of Wildlife and Fisheries arrived 45 minutes later.
Using a pole, the trapper tied up the alligator while Don captured the entire event on video for his YouTube channel.
The alligator was later released deeper into the swamp.