Did an accident involving a semitrailer transporting venomous snakes release "hundreds" of "deadly snakes" along a highway in Georgia? No, that's not true: The site that published the claim calls itself a "satirical page" and is labeled a "comedian." The image used in the post is from a real traffic accident that occurred in 2024, but it had nothing to do with snakes, according to news reports.
The claim originated in a post (archived here) on Facebook on August 7, 2024. It announced:
Breaking News
An accident involving a semi-trailer transporting venomous snakes from Florida to a private laboratory in North Georgia specializing in antivenom research occurred on State Route 15 between Blackshear and Bristol, resulting in the release of hundreds of non-native, deadly snakes, including the Spiny Bush Viper and Malayan Blue Coral Snake, both of which have no known antivenom.
This is what the post looked like on Facebook at the time of writing:
(Source: Facebook screenshot taken on Fri Aug 9 16:37:13 2024 UTC)
The post also provided detailed information about two poisonous snakes -- the spiny bush viper and the Malayan blue coral snake. It claimed that "Local and State officials have partnered with wildlife officials to contain these venomous creatures and are working to protect local citizens. We will continue to update the public on this situation."
But the Facebook page (archived here) that posted the claim says it's all about comedy. Its page type is "Comedian." Under Intro, the text reads:
WARNING: THIS PAGE IS A SATIRICAL PAGE, MAY CONTAIN INSULTS, ROASTING & CRUDE HUMOR, NOT INTENDED FOR SNOWFLAKES
The screenshot below shows the City of Blackshear, Pierce County page with these disclaimers:
(Source: Facebook screenshot taken on Fri Aug 9 16:24:04 2024 UTC)
A search on Google Images (archived here) with the post's photo matched April 2024 news stories about a semitrailer accident in Effingham County, Georgia. Effingham County is around 100 miles away from Pierce County, according to Google Maps (archived here). Local ABC affiliate WJCL reported (archived here) on the incident and did not mention that the accident caused the release of deadly snakes.
Other Lead Stories fact checks of claims that mention snakes can be found here.
