Eastern Ontario man taken to hospital following tarantula-involved collision

A tarantula seen elsewhere in Death Valley National Park on the day of the accident. (NPS/Abby Wines)

A furry tarantula spider is being held responsible for a traffic collision in Death Valley National Park between a Swiss couple and an Ontario man on a motorcycle.

A statement by the National Park Service (NPS) says the Swiss travellers were driving down California State Route 190 east of Towne Pass, Calif. when they braked suddenly to avoid the eight-legged jaywalker crossing the road.

CP24 confirmed a 24-year-old man from Newburgh, Ont., about sixteen kilometres northeast of Napanee, Ont. was on a motorcycle and then crashed into the back of the Swiss couple's rented camper van.

An NPS ambulance transported the man to Desert View Hospital in Pahrump, Nev. with non-life-threatening injuries.

The spider walked away unscathed.

“Please drive slowly, especially going down steep hills in the park,” said NPS superintendent Mike Reynolds, who was the first employee on scene at the accident.

“Our roads still have gravel patches due to flood damage, and wildlife of all sizes are out.”

The NPS says tarantulas are slow moving and nonaggressive. A tarantula’s bite is said to be similar to a bee sting, and is not deadly to humans.