APD, bystanders stop to help tortoise in NW Albuquerque

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – Drivers on the Westside are wondering: Why did the tortoise cross the road?

On Monday, a giant tortoise was spotted on a crosswalk at Montaño and Montaño Pointe near Coors Boulevard.

A Good Samaritan pulled over to try to get the tortoise off the street after seeing the heavy traffic backing up.

Albuquerque police eventually pulled over to see what the jam was about and helped to get the tortoise safely into the hands of animal control.

“I tried to pick it up, but it was really heavy, so I couldn’t, and so, I just tried to get, I was like, ‘come here tortoise!’ And it like followed me across the road, and we got it over here, and so many people pulled over, then the cops saw and circled, and then we called animal control and everything,” said Britianie Teston.

Teston said she posted in the Ring app about the tortoise, and his owners responded they would send someone to pick him up from animal control.

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