Florida Motorists Struggle With Flying Turtle Problem

Turtles colliding with windshields is a bigger problem than you might think

Turtle
Turtles: adorable in the woods, less adorable hurtling towards your car.
Autumn Bradley/Unsplash

Turtles are generally pretty innocuous creatures, content to stay in the woods or swamps. Every now and then, a driver might see a sign by the side of the road indicating an area where turtles generally cross the road, but otherwise, contact between cars and turtles is generally a non-starter.

“Generally” isn’t an absolute, however, and a recent news story out of Florida offers up a bizarre image: a turtle flying through the windshield of a car, injuring the driver within.

At Jalopnik, Mercedes Streeter has more details on the bizarre collision. Last week, a mother and daughter were driving near Port Orange, Florida when something crashed through their windshield, leaving the mother with an injury on her forehead. Police suspect that the turtle may have been launched into the air by another vehicle — which would explain a lot.

This is not, unfortunately, the first time a turtle has collided with a motorist’s windshield. In 2016, a similar incident took place not far from the site of this accident. It’s a shocking thing to imagine, for both the driver and the turtle. Maybe a few more “turtle crossing” signs could go a long way.

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