Alligator seen going back and forth across NC highway gets hit by car, officials say

An alligator unwittingly became a dangerous speed bump on U.S. 70 in eastern North Carolina when it crossed the highway and got hit by a car, according to investigators.

It happened Friday, Sept. 6, in the Croatan National Forest area of Craven County, and witnesses say the alligator survived.

“We had quite a show,” Cylest Ebron wrote on Facebook. “He crossed from our side of the highway to the other then he came back and got almost to our service road then went back to the other side.”

Each crossing caused traffic backups in the Carolina Pines area, WCTI reports. The community is about a 130-mile drive southeast from Raleigh.

Details of the collision were not released. The driver did not remain at the scene, Craven County Animal Protective Services wrote on Facebook.

“Luckily, (the gator) only suffered minor injuries,” the department reported. “Just had some road rash on its back leg.”

A rescue operation was mounted, resulting in Craven County deputies lifting the alligator into the back of a truck and hauling it away for closer inspection.

It was fitted with a tag by a state biologist and taken to a secure area.

The size of the alligator was not released, but one shocked driver described it as “huge.”

Alligators are native to North Carolina and Craven County is near their northernmost range in the United States. Males can reach around 13 feet and 500 pounds in North Carolina, the state says.

This story was originally published September 9, 2024 at 7:19 AM with the headline "Alligator seen going back and forth across NC highway gets hit by car, officials say."