John Hopkins, 59, died Thursday morning after his vehicle collided with a huge alligator, leading him to swerve off the road and crash.

John Hopkins

According to the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, motorist John Hopkins was driving along a road near Lithia at 12:30 a.m. when he collided with the huge reptile.

Hopkins’ vehicle veered off the road, crashed, and landed in a ditch as a result of the collision.

“A vehicle travelling through the area observed the automobile in the ditch and phoned 911,” the agency stated in a statement, adding that the investigation is ongoing.

Hopkins was declared deceased at the spot by detectives who arrived to the incident. The catastrophe also claimed the life of the alligator.

According to the Tampa Bay Times, Hopkins also lived in Lithia.

According to the Miami Herald, the event happened within a few miles from Alafia River State Park, which has an alligator population.

According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, alligators are endemic to Florida and have thrived for millennia in the state’s marshes, swamps, rivers, and lakes. The animal is also an important component of Floridian culture.

Gainesville, home of the Florida Gators college football team, has the most alligators in the United States, according to the Key West Aquarium. Gatorland, an alligator-themed amusement park, is just a short drive from Disney World.

The FWC estimates that there are around 1.3 million alligators in the state’s 67 counties.

According to the Smithsonian National Zoo, the average male alligator is 11.2 feet long, while female alligators are three feet shorter. Male alligators may weigh up to half a tonne, or 1,000 pounds.