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by: Jen Steer / WJW, Nexstar Media Wire
Posted: June 8, 2021 / 5:38 PM CDT / Updated: June 8, 2021 / 5:38 PM CDT
(Photo courtesy: Cincinnati Police)
CINCINNATI (WJW) The Cincinnati Police Department is warning drivers to keep their windows closed after cicadas were blamed for a recent car accident.
A man was driving Monday night when he passed through a swarm of cicadas. Police said one of the bugs flew into the car, hit the driver in the face and temporarily knocked him out. He hit an electric pole.
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He was wearing a seat belt and suffered no serious injuries, but police said his car likely broke down.
“Remember to keep your windows closed until our red-eyed little friends are gone,” the police department said.
Brood X’s cicadas wake up every 17 years, and they emerge in the billions, if not billions, in 15 eastern and midwestern states. They are concentrated around Pennsylvania, northern Virginia, Indiana, and eastern Tennessee.
As they emerge from the ground, they throw their exoskeletons on trees and walls, leaving pods in their wake. They do not sting or bite and are not toxic to pets in small numbers.
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And they can go anywhere: trees, thresholds, sidewalks, cars and even on people who don’t chase them.
In addition, their cacophonous mating song can drown out the sound of passing jets.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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