Truck crashes into alligator on highway, killing pregnant woman, Texas police say

A truck crashed into an alligator on a Texas highway, leaving four hospitalized and one dead, police said.

The vehicle was traveling on State Highway 35 early on July 16 when the crash occurred, the Refugio County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.

The truck, which was carrying two adults and three children, slammed into the alligator and rolled over, police said.

It came to a rest at an angle in a field near the highway, photos released by police show.

Refugio County deputies responded to the crash site along with fire and EMS personnel, and all five occupants were taken to nearby hospitals.

The driver, a pregnant woman from Louisiana, died in a hospital, according to the Beeville Bee-Picayune, citing police.

The other four occupants “are expected to be OK,” according to KHOU.

The alligator was also killed in the accident, according to KIIITV.

A representative for the Refugio County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to a McClatchy News request for comment.

Refugio County is about 60 miles north of Corpus Christi.

Interactions with alligators have been increasing in Texas due to their expanding population and human encroachment on their habitat, according to the state parks and wildlife department.

If an alligator is spotted on a roadway, local authorities should be contacted for its safe removal, according to the agency.

This story was originally published July 17, 2023 at 12:39 PM with the headline "Truck crashes into alligator on highway, killing pregnant woman, Texas police say."