Escaped zebra causes traffic crash in Florida

May 6 (UPI) -- A zebra that escaped from a private property in Florida ran into traffic and collided with a vehicle.

The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office shared video of the escaped zebra running through a sandy area as officers pursued it in a helicopter Friday afternoon.

At about 2 p.m. the zebra collided with the driver's side of 21-year-old Nathaniel Jolley's Ford F-150 pickup and shattered the side view mirror.

Glass struck Jolley, as the zebra ran into a nearby field. Jolley was taken to a local hospital where he was treated for minor cuts and bruises. His sister Kelsey said he was "a little banged up, but mainly just really surprised."

The zebra then led police on a lengthy chase that included a sprint through resident Mark Ross' backyard.

"I kept telling myself, 'there's no way there's a zebra in my backyard," Ross told WFTS. "I was taking video all the way across to the point where I could get something to prove I wasn't crazy."

After about two hours police finally managed to track down the zebra and returned it to its owner Jennifer Caudill, 35.

Caudill has held an animal welfare act exhibitor's license from the USDA since 2009 and a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Committee spokesperson said her property passed an inspection within the last 30 days.