Rattlesnake shuts down traffic lights

A traffic jam in a busy Virginia intersection on Monday morning was caused by an unlikely culprit — an Eastern rattlesnake.

According to Fauquier Times, the adult snake likely slid into the traffic-signal control box searching for a bird’s nest and then cut off the power supply to the traffic lights. The outage slowed traffic for about 45 minutes during rush hour.

Responding officers quickly opened the electrical box to investigate and were surprised to find a snake squirming around the wires inside the box. The Prince William Animal Control was called and Officer B. White responded. He carefully removed the slithery reptile, which was non-venomous and harmless, then rehoused it in a more suitable area nearby.

Thankfully, no accidents were reported and the traffic lights were back on within an hour.