A tarantula caused a vehicle crash in California’s Death Valley National Park, resulting in a motorcyclist being hospitalized. The incident occurred on October 28 when a Swiss couple traveling in a camper on a state highway applied brakes to avoid hitting the spider, causing their van to overturn and fall on a 24-year-old Canadian motorcyclist. The National Park Service reported that the spider survived the crash and escaped unharmed into the desert. The motorcyclist was taken to Desert View Hospital in Pahrump, and his condition is currently unknown.
Superintendent Mike Reynolds, the first park service employee to reach the scene, urged visitors to drive slowly in the area, especially on steep hills. The Swiss tourists involved in the accident were reported to be “fine,” according to the Los Angeles Times. Park spokesperson Abby Wines stated that the biker’s injuries were “non-life-threatening.”
The incident is considered unusual since tarantulas are typically found underground and rarely above the ground. Park officials explained that these spiders are slow-moving and non-aggressive, with a non-poisonous bite similar to a bee sting.
Tarantulas, according to the American Museum of Natural History, have an average length of five inches but can have leg spans of up to 11 inches. They represent about two percent of the 44,500 known species of spiders. While tarantulas produce venom that is toxic to their prey, such as insects, small frogs, lizards, and mice, they pose no threat to humans.
