Long before Arizona highways were packed with air-conditioned pickups and desert-dusted Subarus, the state got its very first car: a Locomobile. And it promptly crashed into a towering native plant.

In 1899, Dr. Hiram W. Fenner, a physician originally from Ohio, shipped a steam-powered Locomobile to Tucson. At the time, Arizona wasn’t even a state, and cars were still rare in much of the U.S. Most people got around by horse, rail, or sheer willpower. So when Fenner’s newfangled vehicle rolled into town, it turned heads.

The Locomobile was one of America’s first commercially successful cars, produced from 1899 to 1903 in its original steam-powered form

Built in Massachusetts, it featured a lightweight frame, wire-spoke wheels, and a front-mounted tiller instead of a steering wheel. Its two-cylinder steam engine produced a measly three (!) horsepower. That’s barely enough to outrun a brisk jog. It could hit a top speed of around 30 mph.

It ran on water and kerosene, requiring frequent stops to refill both. Range was limited to around 20 miles per tank, which made it better suited for short trips than open desert adventures. Prices started at roughly $600. That converts to about $20,000 in today’s money, putting it in reach of doctors, lawyers, and other well-to-do early adopters.

Fenner bought the Locomobile, likely with the help of another Tucson doctor, the Arizona Republic shared. He began showing it off around town. That’s when things went sideways…literally.

While demonstrating its speed to curious neighbors, Fenner lost control and crashed it into a massive saguaro cactus. Not only was this Arizona’s first car, but also the first known automotive accident in the territory’s history.

The saguaro, for those unfamiliar, isn’t your average backyard plant. These cacti can grow over 40 feet tall, weigh several tons, and are covered in sharp spines.

The car eventually changed hands, only to meet a predictably dramatic end: it overheated and exploded

Fenner left Arizona in 1922, moved to California, and continued practicing medicine until his death in 1929.

Today, Arizona boasts more vehicles than residents (over 8.1 million registered), but its car culture had to start somewhere. And it did, with a doctor, a Locomobile steam car, and one very prickly introduction to the open road.