Shell-shock! Bizarre moment TURTLE crossing Florida road causes huge pile-up after driver braked suddenly to avoid running it over
- The driver of a pickup traveling along U.S. 331 near DeFuniak Springs caused a pile-up on Tuesday after he stopped to assist a turtle crossing the road
- Cars slammed on their brakes, but an 18-wheel truck was unable to stop suddenly and bounced off other cars and into the intersection
- No one was seriously hurt in the crash, which is being investigated by the Florida Highway Patrol: the turtle also survived unscathed
A 34-year-old driver caused a huge pileup on a Florida highway on Tuesday morning when he stopped his pickup to rescue a turtle crossing the road.
The incident happened on U.S. 331 near DeFuniak Springs, 50 miles north of Panama City on the state’s panhandle.
The pickup driver got out of his truck to rescue the reptile.
At least six cars stopped behind him, but an 18-wheel truck coming behind was unable to brake in time, and began crashing into the cars.
The truck then swerved and careened onto the median, blocking two lanes of traffic.
The 34-year-old driver of a black pickup truck can be seen to the left of his vehicle, having stopped to rescue a turtle (circled)
The 18-wheeled truck, from which this footage is taken, was unable to stop in time
Remarkably, Walton County Sheriff’s Office said no one was seriously hurt – and the turtle was unharmed.
The sheriffs shared dash cam footage of the crash, filmed by the 36-year-old truck driver.
They warned against slamming the brakes on to help wildlife.
‘We all can do better to protect the wildlife and natural inhabitants of our great state,’ they wrote on Facebook.
‘Residents and visitors alike should marvel at the many species that call Florida home.
‘Just preferably not in the middle of the road.’
The truck driver can be seen swerving to try and avoid other vehicles, and the man outside his truck. The turtle is circled in red
The driver ended up veering off the road and crossing the median: no one was seriously injured
Social media users praised the skills of the truck driver, who managed to avoid slamming directly into any cars.
The sheriffs added: ‘While no ill intentions were meant, trying to avoid or assist an animal who has made its way onto a busy road can cause you or other drivers life-threatening injuries.
‘So, when you come across this predicament in the future and find yourself asking, “to swerve or not to swerve” or “to stop and protect” we hope the answer will now be an obvious one.’
They concluded: ‘Be safe out there. We’re here if you need us.’