TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A dump truck driver in Taichung crashed his vehicle into a tree after passing out from a fire ant bite on March 15.

CNA reported that the 39-year-old man, surnamed Wu (吳), was bitten while driving and became dizzy and weak before finally passing out, losing control of the truck, and crashing into a tree in the opposite lane. The Taichung City Police Department Sixth Precinct was cited as saying officers had noticed the crashed vehicle while on patrol at around 5 a.m. and approached the scene to find a pale, barely conscious Wu.

They immediately called for an ambulance, but Wu was so weak that he nearly fell out of the driver’s seat while waiting for the ambulance to arrive. Wu has recovered from the injury after receiving treatment at a hospital.

According to the National Fire Ant Prevention Center, the red imported fire ant is native to South America’s Parana River region, which encompasses parts of Brazil, Paraguay, and Argentina. The species was first discovered in Taoyuan and Chiayi in fall 2003, and there have been several reports of people being hospitalized after being bitten.

The ant usually attacks when its nest is disturbed and stings its victims seven or eight times, injecting venom into their skin. As the insect’s name indicates, its bite causes burning pain and blisters to form. The pain usually lasts for over an hour, while the blisters appear after four hours.

Fire ant bites are potentially lethal to those who are allergic. Severe reactions may include redness of the face; swelling of the face, eyes, and throat; hives; chest pain; trouble breathing; difficulty speaking; numbness; and cardiac arrest, per the National Fire Ant Prevention Center.