A woman who used to live in Tulsa captured video of an unwelcomed passenger that slithered into her car.
Vicki Ruhl is a Missouri woman who still has family and friends in the Tulsa area. She was visiting some friends on a rural farm, and when she left, a snake slithered in.
Vicki says she noticed the snake on her windshield while she was driving. “And I saw the snake, and it was my worst nightmare come true in that moment. It was so surreal.”
She says she didn’t want to pull over because she says was worried about being stuck on the side of the highway in the heat, not knowing what to do. She focused on not crashing the car. She says she was so scared, she even missed her exit at one point.
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“I was just frightened; just terrified,” She says. “Where am I going to go. To have to experience that while driving, I’ll never forget it.”
Vicki called 911, but police advised her to call a reptile rescue. Eventually, she got off the highway and parked. The snake slithered off to safety.
FOX23 reached out the Tulsa Reptile Rescue. Jonathan Gibson says looking at the video of the snake, he thinks this was bullsnake, which is not poisonous.
He suggests if people see a snake in their home or car, “first of all don’t panic. Snakes are usually just trying to find a place to hide, rest or keep warm. Don’t freak out or start your car on fire. Just relax.”
He says, “If you’re brave enough, open all the doors and get a long stick, like a broom, to push the snake into the right direction.”
Or you can call a local reptile rescue. Gibson adds, “We don’t even charge to come and help. We just want to make sure snakes are taken care of, not harmed and put in a safe place. We don’t want them to scare anyone. We don’t want them to harm the public and we don’t want the public to harm them.”