A video of a speeding car being launched into the air from the ramp of a tow truck in Georgia has gone viral.
On May 24, 2018, officers from the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office responded to a crash on Highway 84 in the state’s southern region. An extraordinary accident occurs, captured on an officer’s bodycam footage.
The video opens with a group of police officers on one side of a highway near a wrecked car that seems to have flipped over.
As the deputy walks toward the wrecked vehicle, another vehicle in the background is seen speeding down the highway toward a flatbed tow truck.
The ramp of the tow truck has been lowered, providing a perfect liftoff ramp one would see in waterskiing.
The vehicle drives up the ramp in full acceleration and lifts off, flying through the air. It turns slightly in descent and lands partially on its roof. The officer can be seen running toward the car and heard calling for medical help.
According to reports, the motorist in that collision is expected to recover from their critical injuries fully.
The automobile “vaulted” around 120 feet. When it landed, the vehicle collided with another car, sending it flying an additional 23 feet.
When police arrived, it was unclear what had caused the first accident.
The fate of the second car’s driver involved in the accident is likewise unclear.
Deputies say that the incident demonstrates the importance of the state’s “Move Over Law,” which means that drivers in the lane next to the shoulder must switch lanes when official emergency and utility vehicles are parked on the side of the road.
All emergency vehicles are covered under the ordinance, including police cars, ambulances, fire trucks, Hero Units, Department of Transportation vehicles, and tow trucks.
According to the Georgia Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, the statute is intended to keep people safe from passing cars.
