By Tim Binnall
In an odd incident that sounds like some kind of Halloween-themed version of the classic chicken joke, a tarantula crossing the road in Death Valley National Park caused a traffic accident that resulted in a man being taken to the hospital. According to a press release from the National Parks Service, the curious crash occurred this past Saturday as some Swiss tourists were cruising along California Highway 190 in a camper van. When the driver of the vehicle spotted a tarantula scurrying across the road in front of them, he dutifully slammed on the brakes to ensure that the creature would not be crushed.
Alas, the commendable action on the part of the Swiss motorist wound up having a rather unfortunate side effect as there happened to be a Canadian man riding a motorcycle closely behind the van and, when the vehicle suddenly stopped, the tourist from the Great White North crashed into it. The impact was significant enough that the motorcyclist needed to be taken to a nearby hospital to treat his injuries. Using the incident as a teaching lesson, a Parks Service official asked visitors to "please drive slowly, especially going down steep hills in the park." As for the tarantula, it fared far better than the Canadian man, as the NPS indicated that it "walked away unscathed."