Woman finds snake in glove box, accidentally runs over herself, firefighters say

Credit: DaytonDailyNews

A woman accidentally ran over herself last month after she found a snake in her car's glove box while she was driving away from a Walmart in New Mexico, Santa Fe fire officials told KOB.

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The woman, who was not identified, got out of her car after finding the snake, KOB reported. Although she thought she put the car into park, she'd left it in reverse, according to the news station. After she got out of the car, it rolled back and ran over her, KOB reported.

Carl Schmitt, of the Santa Fe Fire Department, told the news station the woman suffered a "significant ankle injury" and was taken to a hospital for treatment.

Animal control officials later determined the snake found in the woman's car was a red racer snake, KOB reported.

Red racer snakes, also known as western coachwhip or whipsnakes, are nonvenomous, though they tend to bite if they're picked up, according to the New Mexico Herpetological Society. They commonly grow to between 50 to 72 inches in length and feed on small rodents, birds, bird eggs, other reptiles and insects, according to the society. They can move as fast as 15 mph.

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