Tarantula Crossing Road has been blamed for an accident that put someone in the hospital

The National Parks Service said that a spider crossing the road in Death Valley National Park caused a traffic accident that sent a Canadian motorcyclist to the hospital.

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Two Swiss travelers, driving a rental truck, suddenly braked to avoid hitting a tarantula while crossing State Route 190 on Saturday, the park service said. The 24-year-old motorcyclist then crashed into the back of the truck. The motorcyclist’s condition was not immediately available Monday.

Death Valley’s desert landscape stretches along part of Central California’s border with Nevada, and is known as the hottest place on Earth. Many national park roads remain closed following flash flooding that occurred when the remnants of Tropical Storm Hillary swept through the area in August.

“The spider walked away unharmed,” the park service wrote in a statement.

While tarantulas spend most of their lives in underground burrows, males between the ages of 8 and 10 rise above the ground in the fall to search for a mate, the park service said.

The bite of the non-aggressive spiders is similar to a bee sting, and is not fatal to humans, officials said.