'Cicada attack' blamed for car crash in Ohio, police warn drivers to keep windows up
While trying to swat the insect away, the driver lost control, veered off the road, struck a pole and flipped the vehicle onto its side.
(Photo credit: Blue Ash Police Department)
A startled Ohio driver rolled his SUV last week after a cicada flew through an open window, according to Blue Ash Police.
The incident occurred late Tuesday in Blue Ash, a Cincinnati suburb. Authorities say a 37-year-old man was behind the wheel of a 2021 Kia Sorento when a cicada flew inside. While trying to swat the insect away, the driver lost control, veered off the road, struck a pole and flipped the vehicle onto its side. No injuries were reported.
The Blue Ash Police Department shared a photo of the wrecked SUV on Facebook, writing, “As you can see, a cicada attack can be dangerous. Fortunately, no one was injured in this crash. The suspect fled the scene.”
Authorities are now warning drivers to keep windows rolled up as these flying insects show little respect for personal space. Cicadas do not sting or bite humans and they do not carry diseases, but they can harm young trees when female cicadas lay their eggs in the tree’s new growth.
This year’s cicada surge is tied to Brood XIV, a 17-year periodical brood now emerging across parts of the eastern U.S. Sightings have been especially heavy in Ohio, Kentucky, Pennsylvania and North Carolina. In the Cincinnati area alone, Cicada Safari’s tracking map shows over 1,000 recent reports.
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