Tarantula causes crash in Death Valley; motorcyclist hospitalized

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) - A tarantula crossing the highway in Death Valley National Park caused a crash that sent a motorcyclist to the hospital, according to the National Park Service.

On Saturday afternoon, a couple was driving on California State Route 190 when they suddenly hit the brakes to avoid hitting a tarantula crossing the road. A 24-year-old motorcyclist then crashed into the back of the couple's camper van, according to NPS.

The motorcyclist was taken to a hospital in Pahrump, Nevada. His condition is unknown at this time.

“Please drive slowly, especially going down steep hills in the park,” Superintendent Mike Reynolds, who was the first NPS employee on the scene said. “Our roads still have gravel patches due to flood damage, and wildlife of all sizes are out.” 

Tarantulas spend most of their long lives in underground burrows. However, they are seen most often in the fall, when 8- to 10-year-old male tarantulas leave their burrows to search for a mate. 

Tarantulas are slow-moving and nonaggressive. A tarantula’s bite is reported to be similar to a bee sting and is not deadly to humans, according to the NPS.