A 5-foot alligator injured in an automobile crash had to be “dispatched,” according to Orange Police Department Officer Matthew McDonald. The driver of the auto then took the alligator home, the officer further reported.
McDonald’s incident report states that, on June 7, the officer was patrolling the area of Womack Road when he observed a pickup truck with the emergency lights flashing. Pulling up to perform a welfare check on the truck’s driver, McDonald was advised that the motorist had struck an alligator in the roadway.
The victim alligator, McDonald wrote in his review of the incident, was still alive at the time – hissing and opening its mouth in the direction of the officer and bystanders. The alligator was, however, apparently mortally wounded.
“I observed what appeared to be fresh blood in the alligator’s mouth,” the officer reported, “and the alligator appeared to not be able to lift the front half of its body.”
McDonald sought the advice of a game warden, who instructed the officer in how to “humanely” put down the alligator.
“The on-call game warden advised that (the truck driver) could take the alligator home and he would bring the proper paper work to his residence,” the officer advised.