A semi-truck carrying four sandbar sharks to a New York aquarium crashed Wednesday afternoon in Volusia County, Florida, killing one of the creatures on board.
The incident reportedly occurred when the truck — which departed from Marathon, Florida — blew a tire and ran off the highway, traveling into the nearby woods and ejecting one of the sharks on impact.
Three people were in the truck at the time of the accident. All three walked away uninjured.
"[The] tire blew out and we ended up in the ditch here,” said passenger Frank Young, according to WESH. “Accidents happen. We're just glad everyone is OK.”
A SeaWorld rescue team from Orlando, Florida, arrived on the scene and transported the three remaining, roughly 5-foot long sharks to the facility. SeaWorld Rescue team member Jim Kinsler said the animals were in good condition.
They will remain at Sea World until transportation arrangements can be made to take them to Coney Island, New York, as planned.
