Police in Australia report a truck driver in Queensland Tuesday managed to fend off a venomous snake he encountered in the front seat of his vehicle as he drove along the highway at more than 100 kilometers per hour.
In their report, police say the 27-year-old driver – known only as Jimmy – was driving 123 kilometers per hour when they encountered him on the highway. He told the officers he used a seat belt and a knife to fight off the angry brown snake while he brought his vehicle to a halt.
He said in a statement that as he moved, the snake began wrapping itself around his leg and was striking at the driver’s seat between his legs. Jimmy told police he thought he had been bitten and was trying to reach the nearest hospital when they pulled him over.
The police called paramedics to the scene to check the driver, and they determined he had not been bitten but was suffering from shock.
Police found the snake dead in the back of the truck and confirmed it was an eastern brown, highly venomous and one of the deadliest snakes in the world.