Driver Escapes Injury After Swerving to Avoid Tick, Crashing into Pole in East Union Township

[jeff of pa]

My First Thought was 'WOW ! Good Eyesight!'

A Harleysville man avoided injury Saturday afternoon after losing control of his pickup while reacting to a tick crawling on his hand.

State Police at Frackville report that the crash occurred on November 22, 2025, at 2:55 p.m. on Pole Road in East Union Township.

Troopers say 76-year-old Rodney Werley was traveling east when he spotted a tick on his hand, causing him to jerk the steering wheel. His 2014 Nissan Titan veered off the road and struck a utility pole before coming to a stop.

 

[DizzyDigger]

I do hope he killed that tick...if not, I'd hunt it down and stomp on it.

Seriously, if it's either the tick or the truck, I'll save the truck every time.

 

[ConceptualizedNetherlandr]

Ticks take hours to dig in. There was no rush to deal with it.

 

[djackson7348]

I live in a rural area in the South, if I had a dollar for every tick I have had on me, I could buy a Nissan Titan. I can't imagine someone getting that panicked from seeing a tick crawling on their hand.

 

[DizzyDigger]

Ticks take hours to dig in. There was no rush to deal with it.

Back when I was running long-haul flatbed I got issued a new truck that only
had about 40k miles. On the first trip out with it I had a rather large spider
(maybe 3" across) come dropping down on a web thread right between me
and the windshield. I opened up the window all the way, then just grabbed the
thing and tossed it out the window.

Unwanted and creepy, yes, but still no reason to panic.

 

[jeff of pa]

I live in a rural area in the South, if I had a dollar for every tick I have had on me, I could buy a Nissan Titan. I can't imagine someone getting that panicked from seeing a tick crawling on their hand.

maybe it was the Best Excuse he could come up with at the Moment
for being on the phone

 

[ConceptualizedNetherlandr]

I live in a rural area in the South, if I had a dollar for every tick I have had on me, I could buy a Nissan Titan. I can't imagine someone getting that panicked from seeing a tick crawling on their hand.

Did he say exactly where his hand was at the time?

 

[Crow]

maybe it was the Best Excuse he could come up with at the Moment
for being on the phone

Did he get the ticks name?


Crow