Python Rescued from Car Grille in New Jersey

A woman in New Jersey got quite the surprise when she returned home after a wheel alignment, only to find a 3-foot python stuck in her car’s front grille. This unusual situation led the police to take apart her vehicle to rescue the unsuspecting reptile.

Aiyana Hudson discovered the python on September 14 in Franklin Township and promptly called the authorities for assistance. Body camera footage from responding officers captured them inspecting the car and figuring out how to safely remove the snake.

Officer Lisseth Villacis mentioned that they initially reached out to animal control, but the agency informed them that it only dealt with domesticated animals. “So, we’re kind of like the last resort,” Villacis recalled.

Taking matters into their own hands, the officers removed parts of the car, including the front bumper, to access the trapped animal. After about 20 minutes, they successfully freed the snake, which animal control later identified as a ball python.

Hudson expressed her relief that the snake didn’t enter the vehicle while she was driving. “I was really happy that it didn’t, like, pop its head through the AC vent when I was driving or come in through the steering wheel,” she shared. “Honestly, my car would have been lit on fire, and we’d be calling the fire department at that point.”

The circumstances leading to the python’s presence in the car are still unclear, but thankfully, the snake was unharmed and taken to the Franklin Township Animal Shelter.

Franklin Township Public Safety Director Lloyd Fredericks also reminded residents that releasing exotic pets into the wild is illegal, as it can endanger local wildlife and pets. If someone can no longer care for a pet snake, they should surrender it to the township animal shelter.