A man who was driving a delivery van has been given a rude shock after a snake jumped into the vehicle forcing him to take an abrupt action.
File photo used only for illustrative purpose
A Zimbabwean driver in the eastern city of Mutare was faced with a serious dilemma last week.
The man identified as Julius Hozheri, was driving a delivery van when a snake jumped through his window and landed on his dashboard.
According to the Manica Post newspaper, the man did not think twice about what to do: he immediately jumped out of his moving vehicle,
Hozheri's driverless delivery van reportedly rammed into a shopping centre in central Mutare.
Fortunately no-one was hurt but part of a financial institution was damaged. Hozheri himself escaped unscathed - most likely because his van was slowing down to reach a junction.
The Manica Post said he had trouble convincing passersby that a snake had "jumped" into his car - until they saw it with their own eyes in the (now battered) delivery van.
Police and bystanders confirmed the incident.
Hozheri told the paper the snake was getting ready to strike him, adding: "Some said I was hallucinating while others said I was trying to cover up negligent driving by attributing the accident to wild assertions."
"People started to believe me when they found the snake in the damaged car. What I knew was that I was alive and had escaped from the jaws of death."
The paper said the snake might be an Eastern brown snake but that seems unlikely since Zimbabwe is not a known habitat of this snake.
There are a number of highly dangerous snakes found in this part of Zimbabwe, including black mambas, spitting cobras and gaboon vipers.
There are also a number of harmless snakes in the area.