One man in Clearwater, Florida was driving during rush hour on Monday when he got a shocking surprise.
Tim Mokwa was on his way home when a six-foot long black snake suddenly emerged from beneath the hood of his Hyundai Sonata, according to CNN.
Videos by PopCulture.com
Unlike most people, Mokwa played it cool. After the snake popped its head up, the 37-year-old kept calm and pulled over into a Walmart parking lot in Dunedin.
“My windows were down and he did almost get inside the window,” Mokwa said while chatting about the incident with CBS affiliate WTSP. “I rolled it up just in time.”
Mokwa was traveling on US Highway 19 when the six-foot snake began slithering through his engine and up onto the hood of the car.
“He was just kind of slithering around,” Mokwa said. “He slithered on the hood a little bit. I took out my phone.”
While Mokwa was extremely calm, he did take one precaution during the incident.
“I did close my AC vents,” he said during an interview with WFLA. “I was like, ‘I do not want it to sneak in this car.’”
The experience was not as frightening for Mokwa as it would be for most people. Growing up in the sunshine state, snakes were simply a part of the landscape.
“We used to catch snakes on purpose,” Mokwa said. “It used to be a contest, who could catch the most snakes in one day when we were kids.”
Many people have wondered where could the snake have come from in order to get in Mokwa’s engine. As it turns, out he was kayaking in Weeki Wachee Springs State Park over the weekend, and Mokwa believes the serpent likely took a snooze under the hood and stayed there for the next couple days.
On Monday when the reptile appeared, Mokwa caught the scary moment on camera and shared it on social media.
“If you look at his size, he was longer than the width of my car,” Mokwa said.
“It’s crazy,” Mokwa said. “But, snakes come natural in Florida, just like rain in the summertime. I’m just glad it wasn’t poisonous.”
Since the initial sighting, Mokwa hasn’t spotted the snake again. Although he has not seen him, Mokwa admits that he could still be somewhere in the vehicle.
Believe it or not, Mokwa’s girlfriend won’t ride in his vehicle.
“I guess you could say she probably had an anxiety attack, because she does not like snakes,” he said.
How would you react if a six-foot snake popped its head out from beneath the hood of your car while you were driving?
