Large alligator sitting on Florida boulevard in dark had been hit by a car, state says

A motorist had a uniquely Florida experience on Easter morning when they hit a speed bump that turned out to be an alligator.

The identity of the driver remains unknown, along with the extent of damage the vehicle suffered.

It happened sometime before 5 a.m. Sunday, March 31, near the Promenade West development in east Fort Myers, according to police. Fort Myers is about a 125-mile drive south from Tampa.

“The alligator died from injuries sustained after being hit by a car,” the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission told McClatchy News.

The alligator, measuring 10 feet, 10 inches, was then “removed from the roadway,” officials said.

A contracted “nuisance alligator trapper” with the FWC did the dirty work, including hauling the alligator away, officials said.

Fort Myers police have not said whether the alligator was still alive when they found it, or if anyone has reported hitting it on four-lane Forum Boulevard.

Among the commenters on the police department’s Facebook was a woman who said she called 911 about the alligator.

“He was in the road and I almost hit him. It was on a dark stretch of Forum Blvd before daylight,” she wrote. “Definitely could have done some damage to one of us.”

Maps show three large ponds near the spot.

As for what it was doing in the road, alligators are known to settle in roadways while “attempting to warm themselves with the heat of the pavement,” the FWC says.

It’s also possible the alligator was looking for a mate, since seasonal courtship rituals begin in early April, experts say.

The search for females often has males “moving from one body of water to the next, which can lead them to some odd places,” the Weather Channel reports.

But it might be good to add something like, “Alligators may be found lying on roadways during the day or at night because they are attempting to warm themselves with the heat of the pavement.”

This story was originally published April 2, 2024 at 7:39 AM with the headline "Large alligator sitting on Florida boulevard in dark had been hit by a car, state says."