- The driver of a Honda Fit crashed the hatchback trying to avoid another motorist that slowed down to look at the alligator.
- A local tow company had to be called to rescue the Honda from its watery grave.
- Local authorities say the alligator was already dead before the crash.
Alligators in Louisiana are about as surprising as beignets for breakfast, but encountering a massive one smack in the middle of a road in Chalmette compelled a driver to take an unexpected plunge into the bayou.
This bizarre incident occurred on Monday morning when a driver on Paris Road slowed down to look at the huge gator. This caught the motorist behind by surprise and to avoid a fender bender, they swerved to the right and speared into the water. Photos from the scene show the car which ended up in the bayou was a silver Honda Fit.
Read: New Porsche 911 GT3 RS On Temporary Plates Plunges Into Snoqualmie River
Speaking with Nola on the morning of the crash, St. Bernard Parish Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Kim Gritter said the incident occurred at around 6:30 a.m. She confirmed that the alligator was already dead before the crash occurred. Another witness, Kayden Koffler, also mentioned that the gator was deceased when he headed to work early the same morning.
It remains unclear how the alligator died. Regardless, the owner of the Honda Fit is in for an awkward conversation with their insurer when explaining the reason for crashing into a bayou. A local towing company, Aces Towing and Auto Sales, retrieved the Honda from the water. Cars and large bodies of water generally don’t mix, and there’s a chance this Fit will never return to the road.
This isn’t the only crash we’ve recently covered about a vehicle ending up in a river, lake, or bayou. In the past week, a water-cooled Porsche 911 Turbo crashed into a shallow river in Germany after the 81-year-old driver lost control of the car on a bridge. A few days earlier, a new Porsche 911 GT3 RS speared into the Snoqualmie River in Washington state.
