Act of kindness ends with rattlesnake getting loose in Mississippi man’s pickup truck
There’s no good way to be surprised by a timber rattlesnake, but one of the worst might be finding one on the door handle of your vehicle.
That happened to Richard Hurst of North Mississippi, and he says he was trying to do the snake a favor at the time.
Hurst shared his story Tuesday on the Mississippi Snake Forums and Identification Facebook group and says it began when the venomous snake showed up outside his home in Carroll County. That’s about 90 miles north of Jackson.
“My wife (Rhonda) found him in the driveway, which is a little too close to home,” Hurst wrote.
“I got a long piece of cane and gently eased it under it. Picked it up and dropped it in the truck bed. I took a few pics and a video while I figured where I could take it. ... He was calm.”
Hurst decided to taxi the snake “a couple miles” away for release in a wooded area.
However, the trip did not go as planned. The snake not only refused to stay put, but it also chose the driver’s side door as an escape route.
Hurst shared a few photos with the Facebook group, one showing the snake resting its head on the door handle. It appeared to be about 3 feet long. Timber rattlesnakes grow to 5 feet in the state, according to the Mississippi State University Extension Service.
“Upon arrival, I jumped out heading for the back in a hurry, because folks don’t like to see ya saving a snake,” he told McClatchy News.
“It didn’t take but a second to see it, say a few very ugly words and then start laughing, cause it was riding like dog with his head stuck out the window. I really think it enjoyed the ride. Anywho, you can bet I’ll find something to put the next one in for transport.”
Hurst didn’t say how he got the snake off the door handle. The incident happened July 13, and counted as the fourth time in 20 years the couple found a rattlesnake on their property.
His story has gotten hundreds of reactions and comments from the 21,800-member Facebook group, including some who called it the ultimate “anti carjacking device.” Other’s joked the insurance claim would have been epic.
“Did he let his tongue hang out and flop in the wind?” Tom Peeler asked.
“Now that may make you poop yourself,” Robb Weems wrote.
“God’s way of telling you that today would be a good day just to stay at home and call in sick,” Vickie Lewis said.
This story was originally published August 26, 2021 at 12:50 PM with the headline "Act of kindness ends with rattlesnake getting loose in Mississippi man’s pickup truck."