Man Claims Snakebite Had Him Standing on Hwy. 290 Before Collision

A pedestrian from the Austin area suffered serious injuries after getting hit by a car on US 290 in Carmine Tuesday night, Sept. 19. The wreck happened around 9:15 p.m. about a third of a mile southwest of Trailer Park Rd.

A report from the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) said an orange 2017 Dodge Challenger driven by a 25-year-old man from Pflugerville was heading east on US 290 in the left lane. The report said 31-year-old man from Georgetown was standing in the middle of the roadway. The driver of the Challenger tried swerving to the right to avoid a collision, but car’s left mirror struck the pedestrian, resulting in serious injuries.

The DPS report said the pedestrian told the investigating officer that he had been bitten by a snake inside his vehicle just before the wreck. There was a vehicle parked nearby on the shoulder. The report said the vehicle looked like it had been rummaged through, but there were no signs of a snake or a snakebite on the pedestrian. The report said the investigating officer believed the pedestrian was hallucinating or experiencing a mental health episode.

Carmine Fire Chief Chris Carmean said firefighters set up a landing zone and assisted EMS at the scene. The Washington County Air One helicopter transported the pedestrian to St. Joseph’s Hospital in Bryan for treatment.