Tarantula blamed for crash that injured Death Valley motorcyclist
A motorcyclist was transported to Desert View Hospital after authorities said the rider rear-ended a passenger van traveling along California Highway 190 in Death Valley National Park.
According to the National Park Service, the crash occurred on the afternoon of Oct. 28, when the driver of the vehicle suddenly hit the brakes to avoid killing a tarantula spider crossing the highway at the time.
All occupants in the van were identified as tourists from Switzerland.
A National Park Service ambulance transported the Canadian motorcyclist to Pahrump for treatment of undisclosed injuries.
No injuries were reported among the Swiss passengers inside the rented van, according to Park Superintendent Mike Reynolds, who was first on scene.
“Please drive slowly, especially going down steep hills in the park,” Reynolds said in a news release. “Our roads still have gravel patches due to flood damage, and wildlife of all sizes are out.”
The spider managed to crawl away unscathed.
Additionally, Reynolds noted that tarantulas, who spend most of their long lives in underground burrows, are commonly spotted in the fall, when male tarantulas leave their burrows to search for a mate.
Interestingly, the female sometimes kills and eats the male after mating.
“Even if she doesn’t kill him, the male tarantula rarely lives more than a few more months,” according to Reynolds’ release. “Female tarantulas can live for 25 years, mating multiple times. A tarantula’s bite is reported to be similar to a bee sting, and is not deadly to humans.”
Contact reporter Selwyn Harris at sharris@pvtimes.com. On Twitter: @pvtimes
