Carbound snake rattles Oz driver
2011-03-03 07:45
UNEASY RIDER: An Australian driver was bitten by a red-bellied snake similar to this one after the reptile hitched a lift under his car.
SYDNEY, Australia - A large venomous snake sank its fangs into an Australian driver after hitching a ride under his car, a report said Wednesday.
The two-metre red-bellied snake reared up and bit Troy Vella after he parked at his Sydney city workplace, the Daily Telegraph reported.
"I heard this banging noise coming from under the car as I drove," Vella, 44, told the paper from his hospital bed. "When I opened the door to get out I saw this huge snake rear up from just outside the car and strike my lower leg."
STUCK IN THE DOOR
Vella said he slammed the door and got out of the opposite door.
"When I came round the other side, I saw this massive snake half stuck in the door of the car, still trying to get at me," he said.
An animal rescuer warned that hot weather would bring out snakes in parts of Australia, renowned for its poisonous reptiles and spiders.
"I'd like the snake to have a chat with my insurer and pay the excess for all the scratches he's caused to my new car," Vella said.