A driver trying to avoid hitting a snake on a major expressway ended up in a three-vehicle crash, a stark reminder that even a split-second effort to protect wildlife can become dangerous at highway speeds.
On Aug. 11, that decision left three people injured on Sri Lanka's Southern Expressway.
Here's what to know
The Daily Mirror reported that the incident began on the Southern Expressway between the Pinnaduwa and Kokmaduwa interchanges, where a luxury car bound for Colombo from Kokmaduwa stopped after its driver saw a snake crossing the road.
That set off a chain reaction: a luxury bus behind the car struck it from the rear, sending the first vehicle spinning into another luxury car moving in the same direction before it ended up against the left-side guardrail.
According to police, the injured were the driver of the first car and two female passengers from Ratmalana, all of whom were taken to Karapitiya Teaching Hospital in Galle. The crash also disrupted traffic on the expressway.
The incident highlights the increasing frequency with which human expansion puts us into direct conflict with the wildlife around us. Roads cut through animals' territory, and when they try to cross them, it puts both them and drivers in danger of injury or death.
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Wildlife on or near the road can turn dangerous fast. These stories include snakes crossing busy streets, a python halting traffic, a snake inside a moving car, a lizard prompting police action, and an elk near-miss.
• In South Africa, drivers encountered an enormous python near traffic for the first time.
• In Pennsylvania, rescuers couldn't leave this animal crossing a busy road in danger.
• On Spain's highway, a driver spotted a harmless Montpellier snake clinging to a door handle.
• On a major highway, police stop traffic to catch a 6-foot lizard.
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