Florida Police Find Two Occupants of Fatal Car Crash Are Alligators

Officers from both Hardee County Sheriff's Office and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission responding to the bizarre call found an SUV overturned on its side, its back window smashed, a 6.5" and an 8" gator its only unfortunate remaining passengers.

The driver and the passenger, 18 and 17 years old, had managed to escape the vehicle uninjured.

Officers immediately pulled the two reptiles from the wreck, secured their mouths using electrical tape "just to be safe." One was already dead, the other died shortly afterward.

After interviewing the teens, the younger one finally admitted trying to beat the alligators to death using a large rock, before loading them into the back of their SUV.

The said they were annoyed because the gators had been chasing their fishing lines. They did not say what they planned to do with the reptiles after getting home.

It's not clear what caused the vehicle to overturn; nor is it clear if the beating or the crash was what ultimately killed them.

Nevertheless, both teens were arrested and charged with misdemeanors for taking alligators without a permit.

While it is legal to recreationally hunt alligators in Florida, it is only allowed in certain areas and at certain times of the year, and a permit is required.

"When our officer was asked to assist with a vehicle accident involving two people and two alligators, he wasn't sure what to expect," the FFWC said in a Facebook post, with pictures of the two unlucky victims.