A motorist stopped on a Florida highway to let a turtle cross the road Tuesday morning, which caused multiple vehicles to pile up, according to authorities.
Walton County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) posted a video on Facebook from a semi-truck’s dashcam. Multiple vehicles were swerving or pulling off to the side to avoid an accident. The semi-truck squeezed in between vehicles, eventually pulling over to the side safely.
“We don’t advise causing a road obstruction because of a reptilian obstruction,” WCSO wrote in their Facebook post. (RELATED: US Navy Scientists Train Sea Lions to Become Video Gamers)
WCSO and Florida Highway Patrol reminded drivers swerving and stopping for animals can cause other drivers life-threatening injuries. Previously, people have died after motorists stopped to allow wildlife to cross the road.
“We’ve seen countless drivers make an evasive maneuver to avoid it; ultimately rolling their vehicle out into the desert which can cause substantial injuries and sometimes death as we’ve seen,” Nevada Highway Patrol Trooper Matt McLaughlin told KTVN in an interview about a motorist swerving for an animal.
If other vehicles are damaged by a motorist swerving to avoid a wild animal, the motorist is the one at fault. The motorist will be liable for all injuries and damages inflicted. WCSO responded to a comment, explaining the motorist is responsible for the accident under Florida Statute.
“The turtle survived and is now living happily ever after in a pond where he will (hopefully) spend the rest of his days avoiding pavement of any kind,” WCSO wrote.