Driver ploughs his car into a lake after huge huntsman SPIDER crawls up his arm
A TERRIFIED driver ended up ploughing his car into a lake when a huge huntsman spider started crawling up his arm.
The motorist was taking rubbish to the tip when the notorious Australian arachnid that can grow up to seven inches across suddenly emerged as he sat at the wheel .
In the panic, the driver hit the accelerator of his Toyota car and veered off the road, rolling over a bank and then quickly sinking to the bottom of Lake Cathie, near Port Port Macquarie in New South Wales.
The frantic driver could not open the door as the vehicle began filling with water and ended up clambering through a window.
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Speaking to a local newspaper, the driver, who has not been named, said: “I meant to hit the brake but instead I accidentally hit the accelerator. I was surprised at how deep it was.”
I meant to hit the brake but instead I accidentally hit the accelerator. I was surprised at how deep it was
Photos of the sunken car appeared on social media under the hashtag #Spider - Spider scare: A driver has escaped after his car ended up in Lake Cathie
What happened to the spider is not known.
Huntsman spiders consist of up to 94 species and are more infamous for their scary appearance than the pain inflicted by their bites.
They can grow up to seven inches across, with hairy legs almost as thick as their bodies.
Although the huntsman has gained a reputation for inflicting a bite than cause prolonged pain, inflammation, vomiting and irregular pulse rates, scientific studies are said to have not recorded victims suffering unusual symptoms.
In parts of Australia, gardeners often relocate huntsman spiders rather than kill them because they can keep pest numbers down.
