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Look out, here comes the spider van.
A tarantula crossing the road in Death Valley, California is being blamed for causing a massive traffic accident that sent a motorcyclist to the hospital.
The spider-induced pileup occurred on October 28 while a Swiss couple was driving their rented camper van on CA-190 east of Towne Pass in Death Valley National Park, the National Park Service reported.
All of a sudden, the sightseers spotted the furry arachnid ambling across the highway and jammed on the brakes to avoid hitting it, causing a 24-year-old Canadian motorcyclist to plow into the back of their vehicle.
The motorcycle rider was subsequently sent to the Desert View Hospital in Pahrump, where his condition remains unclear.
Meanwhile, the spider walked away from the pile-up “unscathed,” according to the NPS report.
In light of the eight-legged freak accident, the park service is warning drivers to be vigilant while traveling through Death Valley at this time of year.
“Please drive slowly, especially going down steep hills in the park,” cautioned Superintendent Mike Reynolds, who was the first NPS employee at the scene of the crash. “Our roads still have gravel patches due to flood damage, and wildlife of all sizes are out.”
Tarantulas — which are the US’ largest spider, growing between two and three inches long — spend most of their lives in silk-lined burrows.
However, late fall heralds the arrival of the mass tarantula migration, during which the eight to ten-year-old males venture out of their homes in droves in search of a mate — which was likely the case with the arachnid above.
This is a perilous time for male tarantulas as, along with getting flattened by Swiss camper vans, they can also be devoured by the very female they are trying to court.
This isn’t the first time a spider has caused a car crash. In 2019, a motorist totaled her car after spotting an unexpected arachnid passenger and freaking out while driving in upstate New York.