LA MARQUE, TX – Pelicans have a well-deserved reputation for their fishing prowess, but do they also have a talent for landing fast cars?

A Texas motorist has blamed a low-flying pelican for causing his $1.25 million luxury sports car to veer off the road and plunge into a saltwater marsh near Galveston. The accident occurred about 3 p.m. Nov. 11 on the frontage road of Interstate 45 northbound near La Marque, about 35 miles southeast of Houston.

While 34-year-old Andy House was driving his newly purchased French-built Bugatti Veyron EB – one of only 15 in the U.S. – he reportedly dropped his cell phone from the car’s center console and bent down to retrieve it. When he sat up again, he was startled to see a low-flying pelican seemingly just inches away, speeding right next to the car.

At that point, his right wheel left the pavement, said La Marque Police Lt. Greg Gilchrist, – and the 1,001 hp luxury car plowed into a saltwater marsh, eventually stopping in 3-foot-deep water. The car was half-submerged in the brine about 20 feet from the road, reportedly with crabs crawling around the car, when police arrived.

Gilchrist said he doesn’t know if the car is salvageable, but in his words, “Saltwater isn’t good for anything.” He reported that House was not injured.

While House did not talk to reporters, tow truck operator Gilbert Harrison told the Houston Chronicle that House was “getting so many calls that he finally stopped answering his phone.” California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger was reportedly one of the callers, along with several other celebrities.