Snake caught in Jackson engine

A snake in the grass is one thing. A snake in your engine is another.

Meagan Lewis was outside her home on Brandom Street in Jackson Thursday afternoon when she saw the 4-foot black snake in the center of the road moving along with its head up, as if in a strike position.

The snake slithered to the side of the road, got caught up in fast-moving water created by a sudden downpour and then bailed out into Lewis' driveway. "I was scared, so I went in and got Carol," said Lewis, 16.

Carol Poole, Meagan's foster mother, grabbed a stick and tried to prevent the snake from coming into the yard but could not. After about five minutes the snake climbed into the engine of her sport utility vehicle. That's when she called the Missouri Department of Conservation.

Conservation agents tried to get the snake out, but it didn't survive the attempt.