Teen A.J. James was driving along an Alabama road at 7:30 pm Monday evening when he collided with a camel that was being walked there.
The collision occurred on Bryant Drive in Sardis, near the deer farm where the camel and his owner lived, Police Chief James Harp told The Gadsden Times. James was taken to the hospital with cuts and bruises but was not seriously hurt. He received some stitches in his hand for cuts. The camel had severe leg injuries and later had to be euthanized.
The camel was being led across the road by its owner, Terry Turk, who saw James' car advancing and tried waving his arms to get the teen's attention, The Gadsden Times reported. Turk finally leaped out of the way and was not hurt.
Turk, the animal’s trainer, was leading the camel back to his Bama Bucks wildlife refuge, CBS affiliate WIAT reported.
A police report suggested James may have looked down at his phone just prior to the crash, but the mother of James’ girlfriend relayed that he had been blinded by a truck that was stopped by the roadside and looked away from the bright light, The Gadsden Times said.
The impact with the camel shattered James’ windshield.
In a statement reported by the Daily Mail, the owner’s son said he was glad James was all right and asked for prayers for him as well as the camel, Casey, who frequently traveled to local fairs and exhibitions.
Turks’ Bama Bucks breeds whitetail deer, with 250 living at the facility along with three kangaroos, three elk, and a pair of peafowl, according to its website.
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