Car slid and then flipped off the side of a mountain

[boracayjohnny]

There is a point, you can tell exactly where he thought his time was up.

Start at ~1:15

Caught on Dashcam - Car Crash and Flip Off the Side of a Mountain - Angeles Crest Highway - YouTube

[Uri]

Sometimes Subaru guys feel they're invincible.

[CertInsaneC5]

Lucky M'fkr. That could have been a lot worse.

[ApexOversteer]

Get this... The Hulk was there...

This is in the description of the video...

Originally Posted by TurboFoz

This past Sunday…

This past Sunday, Jan 4, 2015, I received a second chance at life.

Before that moment, I had never before experienced my life flash before my eyes. Before that moment, I had never before watched myself, as if from the 3rd person, trapped inside my car as it fell and crashed violently down the mountainside. Before that moment, I had never before been on that fine line between life and death, and survived against the odds.

Alive—rare in itself—AND unhurt, I was the luckiest person any of the veteran emergency personnel had seen in years, and the newbies, ever. 5 people, one of which was Lou Ferrigno, told me to go play the lottery, but I think my luck was already used.

What happened? To put it simply, I was distracted at the one moment that required 110% focus on an unfamiliar road.

As an auto enthusiast, when you have a nice relatively fast car with a loud exhaust you tend to like tunnels. They make your exhaust sound that much better, sort of like singing in the shower… Well, I found myself accelerating through this nice long and dark pair of tunnels; I had done this many times before in other tunnels. At the exit, I could barely see because it was so bright, a person standing and holding something while motioning. Wondering what they were doing, I stared, and stared, reaching the top of 4th gear, all while trying to comprehend what they were trying to tell me. Then I figured it out. They were telling me to slow down and watch the curve ahead, but it was too late. When I think about it now, I don’t ever remember seeing the road ahead until I was nearly out of the tunnel. In my mind I had assumed that it just went straight. At that point I was exiting the tunnel straight as the road curved to the left. I had no time to slam on my brakes beforehand. Realizing I was going way too fast for that section, I applied the brakes softly in an effort to keep the back end from sliding out, but, combined with a bump and rough switch in surface texture from concrete to asphalt, I lost traction. I began sliding to the left, the car oversteering, rotating counter-clockwise, over the center marker. I counter-steered, turning the steering wheel all the way to the right, but kept sliding to the left into the turnout. It was at this moment I knew, I had ****ed up.

I slammed into a berm and expected to come to a complete stop, but the terrifying journey wasn’t over. I went over the edge. It happened so fast all I can remember is everything crashing and spinning. I thought I was rolling over down the side of the mountain. I was confident I was going to land upside down and get crushed. I was on the world's worst roller coaster that could only end with death, or so I thought. I came to a stop, still yelling, not fully comprehending what just happened, or how far down the mountain I was and that I actually just crashed my car. Luckily for me, I landed on a rock wall that was part of a drainage pipe that went through the mountain. It was the only horizontally level piece on an extremely steep sloped hill. Had I spun off a few feet before or after, I’d be dead.

I shut the motor off, opened my drivers door and stepped out onto the rock wall to gather myself and inspect the damage; the front and rear bumpers were destroyed, drivers left quarter panel destroyed, 2 doors damaged, trunk stuck, 2 hubs destroyed, 2 wheels destroyed, 3 axels destroyed, 1 strut sheered off, another bent, and worst of all which I didn’t see at the time, a bent frame. Totalled. I started to console myself with crazy thoughts like maybe with it’s AWD I could try to back it up the mountain, or maybe once the tow truck comes they can pull me up, I can change out the broken rim with a spare, and be on my way, but the more I looked at it, the more I saw how bad it was. The guy who was standing at the edge of the tunnel ran over and told me that he was trying to get me to slow down because he nearly lost it himself in the same spot. One of my friends who was following me decided to head 25 mins down to Newcomb’s Ranch to call 911 since there was no cell service on pretty much the entire mountain. The other stayed with me to make sure I could get out and up ok. I slowly collected my gear from the wreck, packed my backpack, and crawled my way up the extremely steep and slippery mountainside.

My friend got back 40 mins later and the rescue chopper followed. They landed at the next turnout and rode in someone’s car over to me. I was inspected, determined ok—I felt completely fine and declined medical airlift—and then I started hearing over and over how lucky I was and that I should buy some lotto tickets. One of the guys who told me that, I knew he looked familiar but at the time I was so out of it I couldn’t pinpoint where I had seen him until a friend yesterday told me that he was Lou Ferrigno, the original Hulk. Interesting…

CHP came, created report, took measurements, and the recovery tow truck came but decided not to tow until the next day when the sun was out. I went back to watch the recovery on Monday.

I never thought that I would be one of the guys that wrecks his car in the canyons. I’m not even close to being a pro driver, but I take a little pride in my situational awareness while driving, my somewhat decent understanding of vehicle dynamics and how various driver inputs affect a vehicle in motion, my autocross and canyon experience, and the fact that I haven’t gotten any tickets or into any accidents since I got my license. I guess I got too comfortable at the wrong moment and it got the best of me. It shows that things like this can happen to mostly anyone. The whole cruise up there was relaxed, leisurely, until that moment. I definitely wasn’t purposely trying to take that corner fast, I was caught up in the moment flying through those long tunnels, got distracted, and didn’t see the road ahead of me. I panicked last minute and that ultimately lead to this entire situation. I’m disappointed in myself, and I know some others may be disappointed in me as well. And I know it could have been worse in so many ways, and I’m kicking myself for that. But ultimately I’m glad to be alive and well.

Thank you to many of my worried friends who messaged or called me to check up and offer their support. It means more than you know. Thank you to Jonny and Chris for choosing to go with me in my stupid decision to keep going up the road that was closed in a few miles anyway. I needed you guys more than ever in that moment.

TL;DR: I totalled car and almost died. I’m alive and well now.

[Loco Vette]

I’m not even close to being a pro driver, but I take a little pride in my situational awareness while driving, my somewhat decent understanding of vehicle dynamics and how various driver inputs affect a vehicle in motion, my autocross and canyon experience, and the fact that I haven’t gotten any tickets or into any accidents since I got my license.

Well, I found myself accelerating through this nice long and dark pair of tunnels; I had done this many times before in other tunnels. At the exit, I could barely see because it was so bright, a person standing and holding something while motioning. Wondering what they were doing, I stared, and stared, reaching the top of 4th gear, all while trying to comprehend what they were trying to tell me. Then I figured it out. They were telling me to slow down and watch the curve ahead

[Datawiz]

Originally Posted by Loco Vette

As I watched the video for the very first time, I knew the tunnel darkness to outside brightness was going to be his doom. As racers, we look ahead, WAY ahead. The tunnel prevented that, and then the sunlight blinded him. Stupid is as stupid does.

"Situation Awareness" my ass.

[boracayjohnny]

Originally Posted by datawiz

As I watched the video for the very first time, I knew the tunnel darkness to outside brightness was going to be his doom. As racers, we look ahead, WAY ahead. The tunnel prevented that, and then the sunlight blinded him. Stupid is as stupid does.

"Situation Awareness" my ass.

I got a kick out of him saying he applied the brakes softly. Yet, as soon as he pops out of the tunnel, all I hear is wheel lock.

[JRD77VET]

Originally Posted by boracayjohnny

I got a kick out of him saying he applied the brakes softly. Yet, as soon as he pops out of the tunnel, all I hear is wheel lock.

Spin for the win

[Thunder22]

holy. mother. of. God.

that being said, he's an idiot.

that being said, it was interesting to see the 1 tow truck haul the suby out of the ditch from that distance. Impressive.

[69camfrk]

Maybe, just maybe, he should've done that stretch of road a few times before he went total dumbass. Yeah, he got lucky!

[Kerrmudgeon]

And now he gets to play that video over and over again to remind himself how stupid he was!

*most people would scream....OH SHIT!, or OH FUCK!....pussy yells OH NO!

[Giraffe (He/Him)]

Hey. He's an 'Auto Enthusiast' leave him alone.

[78SA]

I still don't understand why he freaked out like he did instead of just slowing down for the curve that he was in no danger of going off the right side of.

[Jobaka]

Originally Posted by 78SA

I still don't understand why he freaked out like he did instead of just slowing down for the curve that he was in no danger of going off the right side of.

I think this is probably about as close an answer as we're going to get from that guy:

I’m not even close to being a pro driver...

A bit of an understatement, IMHO.

[Iron Chef]

Originally Posted by TurboFoz

I’m not even close to being a driver...

Fixt.

[Jobaka]

The tunnels:



The road (approximate location of the tunnels marked with the red arrow):

Originally Posted by ApexOversteer

When I think about it now, I don’t ever remember seeing the road ahead until I was nearly out of the tunnel. In my mind I had assumed that it just went straight.

A very poor assumption. Really not a lot of straight sections on that road.

[Fastguy]

His screams of "oh no" are actually pretty scary, they are the sounds of a man who is convinced his life is about to end.

[Dave]

That guy should never drive a car without stability control.

[Datawiz]

Originally Posted by Dave

That guy should never drive a car without stability control.

Sadly, it's guys like him why more and more auto makers are making it close, to nearly impossible to turn everything off. I for one, and I know you for another, and many others on this site, can drive WAY beyond the limits of the software. The nannies truly cost me time and enjoyment. I get reminded of this monthly at our school when I drive so many students' cars. BMW and Mercedes have become some of the biggest culprits.

[Loco Vette]

Originally Posted by Dave

That guy should never drive a car without stability control.

Whole thing woulda been a non issue and he coulda driven just as fast.

Now if the problem that the bystander was trying to warn him about was a wreck already in the way, not so much.