WALTON COUNTY, Fla. — A person driving Wednesday morning in North Florida caused a crash involving multiple other cars after they stopped on the road because a turtle was in the way, authorities say.
The driver stopped on 331 South to let a turtle cross the highway, but that decision took a turn after the car caused a chain reaction impacting multiple other vehicles, including a semi-truck, the Walton County Sheriff's Office said in a Facebook post.
In a video included in the post, the semi-truck is seen attempting to slow down after the cars ahead of him have almost completely stopped, but instead, the semi-truck collides with two other vehicles and drivers over the turtle but does not hurt the reptile.
"While no ill intentions were meant, trying to avoid or assist an animal who has made its way onto a busy road can cause you or other drivers life-threatening injuries," the sheriff's office wrote in the post. "So, when you come across this predicament in the future and find yourself asking, 'to swerve or not to swerve' or 'to stop and protect' we hope the answer will now be an obvious one."
None of the people involved in the crash suffered serious injuries. The turtle also survived the incident and is now in a pond, deputies say.
