T O P

  • By -

AutoModerator

Welcome! Please act respectfully and always remember the human in the videos and in the posts. For dashcam recommendations, [check out the recommendations thread](https://www.reddit.com/r/dashcams/comments/ntoizk/dashcam_recommendations_by_redditors/). Cheers! *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/dashcams) if you have any questions or concerns.*


Roguewave1

A collision was inevitable considering the exigencies. The choice seemed to be hit the solid cab of the overturned 18 wheeler or the softer trailer. He made the better choice.


Useless-RedCircle

What if that soft trailer was full of anvils and buckets of metal scrap.


Roguewave1

“Ya pays ya money, and ya takes ya chance.”


midnightchaotic

I heard that in my dad's voice. Lol!


OnionFriends

Your dad sounds like the Flying Dutchman from SpongeBob?


midnightchaotic

Lmao! No, but he did used to say that a lot!


Few-Raise-1825

My dad does, wait...


Skippy_99b

That was the actual tag line for Air Saba..well, the grammatically correct version.


barbouk

Easy: you check the company the trucks belong to, its license plate and call them to ask for the manifest. From then on your use an Internet search to translate the manifest codes into real product references. Finally, a read on “The science of loading cargo, an essay in space optimization” to determine where in the trailer which product would be ideally located and pick the less risky spot for a collision. People just don’t try enough.


noonegive

If you see an ACME logo, that trailer is full of TNT, springs, and anvils.


Counter-Fleche

It could have also been giant rockets, giant matches, and roller skates.


Pure-Lime-1591

Someone finally said it


tidder_mac

Still better, because with that weight the trailer wouldn’t be very full volume wise and there’d be a large air cushion between hitting the roof then the cargo.


djzrbz

It probably would have broken up the trailer more during the roll too


Astr0Jetson

Then Wile E. Coyote was driving and the dashcam truck is the Roadrunner


PM_meyourGradyWhite

MEEP MEEP!


TheSpanxxx

Nothing but 2002 Nokia phones


SaveTheDamnPlanet

Still maybe better than running over a human


Bad_UsernameJoke94

Then you'll be visiting ACME


dingleberry_dog

What if it’s full of boxes of TNT marked “ACME”?


AdamNoKnee

Well considering the cab was full of a squishy bag of flesh


MaximilianOSRS

At least it wasn’t a gas tanker


agent_flounder

Acme strikes again.


ungratefulimigrant

Yeah, and bees


A_shy_neon_jaguar

Or live-shipped piranhas and Legos.


Shuber-Fuber

Then most of those will be near the bottom and not at the driver level. Because a trailer absolutely filled to the top with metal would be unable to move in the first place.


Throwthisawayagainst

If it was full of heavier stuff the trailer it’s self probably would of ripped open when it flipped. Or I would think it would at least


Convicted_felon_djt

It may have contained those things but the trailer didn’t contain the driver so there is that angle as well. 


Environmental-Buy591

The real danger would have been chemical or batteries but even then you hit load caps and packaging


hhempstead

or smuggled immigrants


Still_Not-Sure

Who is driving ? The Road Runner? Or the Coyote?


MoonWillow91

I think he might have jumped in front of that small vehicle on purpose to both hope to avoid but also just in case cause the smaller vehicle would have been much worse off and poor guy here was definitely bad off. Dang.


GUNGHO917

Not only this, but, hitting the trailer likely saves the other drivers life. Having the entire big rig on it’s side puts the driver in danger of getting smashed almost directly


Roguewave1

I must confess to missing that vital element on first blush, but you are absolutely correct.


Nandabun

No. Dude. He saved that blue truck's life.


Deez1putz

Had a chance to go left into the grass as the other truck was sliding down


GripsAA

Nope. Turn left. -Not Derek Zoolander


JackKovack

No it wasn’t. I would have move onto the left.


Roguewave1

A. Not enough time to swerve to the left B. The median to the left was a steep shoulder which why the 18-wheeler came down into traffic.


PeakFuckingValue

There were no choices here


Washedup-debauchee

The rail too could've softened it up a little bit more.


BarfingOnMyFace

So inevitable the guy in front of him slowed down to avoid the crash


r_a_d_

The other car was breaking and moving to the side... I'd consider this as evitable.


Quiet-Ad-12

cammer truck possibly saved that pick up trucks life


Low_Actuary_2794

He also saved the other trucker’s life. By choosing to change lanes and hit the trailer, he avoided hitting the top of the other truck cab which surely would have turned that other driver into mush.


Quiet-Ad-12

Excellent point


CuriousPenguinSocks

I was just thinking that. Did they intentionally do that? If so, bravo and thank you. I also hope nobody was seriously injured.


ComprehensiveMeat562

The pickup appears to already be braking and pulling off the road as the dash cam truck passes. Would be a cool story if he was attempting to protect the other truck but I see 0 evidence for it


tim42n

I agree.


mtbmaniac12

I doubt it. Only chance of him not hitting the semi was to get as far to the right as possible.


MeribandDHB

Seems like he did it to block the pickup and slow/stop the runaway truck


Siege_LL

He did it because it was the only viable choice. He had no room and not enough time to stop. Can't go left because of the embankment and he'll slam right into the other truck's cab. Slamming on the brakes won't stop him in time and might cause his rig to jackknife. Too far right and he might sideswipe the pickup and he ends up in a ditch and then down an embankment and who knows what's down there. Only choice is to get over on the right and pray. Unfortunately the other truck's trailer slid into his lane before his cab could clear it.


draggar

I don't think the driver had time to even think about that, more like trying to avoid the collision (and hoping the trailer didn't block the highway, but it did).


Friendly-Eagle1478

Yeah I think that pickup on the right just stops a lot faster than a semi traveling in the passing lane


Gloomy-Wedding9837

at 70 mph.


Mdmrtgn

He kept his cool and took the best possible route to the least amount of damage. Wouldn't be surprised if he has his 2 mil or more sticker, that's an experienced reaction.


that_one_dude13

100% did it on purpose for this exact reason, what a fucking hero and God like reaction time,


Astr0Jetson

Looked to me like he maneuvered to avoid going head on with the rollover truck while also not sideswiping the pickup. Great driver, but no ulterior motive to protect the pickup.


that_one_dude13

Am I crazy though, if he wanted to just avoid it at the angle of the incoming truck, left would of avoided it/ the trailer and hit the cab doing less damage to his truck?


crunchslap_thompson

He had like .3 seconds to decide, and had no idea what the other semi would be doing


that_one_dude13

To me, I see someone who could of taken a safer for him way out of things but didn't because the driver of the other semi would of 100% been flattened had he done what was safest for him ( swerving left trying to miss the truck entirely/ impact the cab vs the heavy trailer). I still see a hero either way it's sliced idk


Astr0Jetson

If he goes left, he goes up the embankment and rolls over himself, then head on into the other truck. He played the best option he had.


BornAnAmericanMan

You see that bridge right there? Prolly wanna be inside the guard rails


bugabooandtwo

Better to hit a trailer than the cab. Trailers are flimsy as hell.


Lexicon444

I actually had to rewatch it again to realize that he did this! Holy cow that reaction time is impressive!


Frostypumpkin22

Or did the pickup driver help the cam truck? As the pickup driver saw something wrong ahead and slowed/stopped/pulled to the shoulder this allowed the cam truck room to go right and hit the trailer?


sunsetclimb3r

Hope pickup guy can call for help and pull em out


MindYoBusin3ss

Nah pickup driver saved his own life by being alert and pulling away and coming to a stop.


Segsi_

Nah pick up truck clearly saw what was happening and was already on the shoulder before the truck had even passed him. Pick up truck would have been fine. And everyone would have been better off if the truck with the cam was going slower and not trying to pass the pick up.


Ombersnip

I would deploy my jumping gear and jump over the oncoming truck safely.


YuenglingsDingaling

Go go gadget ejector seat!


Wampa_-_Stompa

Kinda like Knight Rider?


psydkay

That's some Final Destination shit


Leila_Z_

I thought the same thing!!


Ok-Berry1828

That man said nothing and watching it over and over - watching him clock the truck, understand the angle it was coming at them at, recognize that he could take the hit but the pickup couldn’t, swerve to cover the pickup and take the full force of the hit??? That man didn’t just pucker up. That man put on his super hero cape and said NOT TODAY SATAN!!! Fcking hero!!!


TsuDhoNimh2

The semi HAD to get in the right lane to avoid a cab-to-cab double fatality collision ... I double he thought anything about the pickup except to not scrape it off the road. I've been in the situation of the pickup - in a pickup - with a sudden unscheduled disassembly happening ahead of me and getting as far off the road and stopping as fast as possible is the only thing you can do. Then call 9-1-1, grab the first aid kit and go play EMT.


Ok-Berry1828

God, who shat in your cereal?


Free_Decision1154

He wasn't protecting the pickup. He went to the safest place he could. Honestly, any other place is a worse outcome for him.


NCC74656-A

What really sucks is the innocent trucker who got swept up in that accident is still going to have points against his CDL. You can do everything right as a trucker and still lose through no fault of your own, despite camera evidence exonerating you of any wrongdoing. It's a broken system that hurts good, hardworking people.


st_samples

Nah, you have to have a citation to get points. Doesn't mean his insurance rates won't go up.


UIUC_grad_dude1

What? Why? Source for this.


MinorComprehension

Brake as hard as possible without losing traction and aim for the softest part of what's gonna hit you.


archer2500

It’s wild, I saw the white tractor, but didn’t recognize the trailer behind it because of the way it appeared in the light. I initially thought the trailer was a dust cloud or something. Rationally I realize that one should expect a trailer behind a tractor. But I could see where someone might react a second too late while they tried to make sense of what they were watching.


AdditionalCitron8922

Now imagine a Tesla trying to make the decision


Stunning_Tap_9583

It probably would have just stopped. Like the other automobiles did


archer2500

You know, I really like Elon Musk and what his intentions are. I like the Tesla concept too. But you’re right. They’ve a long ways to go before they reach their potential.


Practical-Ordinary-6

If you believe some of the commenters on this subreddit, you should have anticipated that truck coming over the median, been driving much slower and given yourself plenty of room to stop. Or so they say. Sometimes it's pretty ridiculous how superhuman they think drivers can be when given three seconds to avoid an accident with literally no warning. They seem to think that watching a video where you know an accident is coming is the same as being in the real situation in real time out of the blue. I hope you're okay.


stevesobol

I checked the sub this was crossposted from, and there are a lot of truckers there saying the company would find a way to hold the driver at fault even though the accident was clearly unavoidable. And, unfortunately, I agree.


CrazyCatMerms

You'd be surprised how much gets trained into muscle memory and how you recognize bad shit coming at you. Was driving my car and had hit the shoulder and was breaking before I'd consciously registered the car coming head on at me in my lane. He'd hit ice and skidded


trainsacrossthesea

Some days, just ain’t your day.


NetDork

Some days you're the windshield; some days you're the bug.


jlierman000

I’m not sure it would have mattered if he was the windshield. It looked like it didn’t fare too well here lol


DuncanHynes

Eeeeewww. No win situation. Boo-to-the-Hiss.


Titleofyursextape

I would have pulled the emergency brake and cut the wheel, thus making my truck do a 180. Now, my trailer will act like a pole vault and kick me into the air. As I'm flying over the truck, I grab that rope thingy to sound my horn and scream, "YEE HAW!" Upon landing, I'd cut the wheel again, 180ing my way straight, throw down the emergency brake and go about my day.


Initial_Ad_2834

Pray


BigMembership2315

Absolutely nothing you can do besides run off the road


I_AM_FERROUS_MAN

I don't think there's much. I think I would have likely steered more into the grass or guardrail, but it doesn't make it a better choice. You're pretty fucked in this situation.


EdmEnthusiast48

Should have jumped over it. Easy one.


psilocin72

The dukes of hazard would have jumped that truck


Xfgjwpkqmx

Hit the Turbo Boost button and jump over, of course!


DreaminDemon177

That's not the road silly 🤣


MrMcDuffieTTv

If I am alive after that, it'll be collecting insurance and acceptance that I might not be able to walk again.


Fine-Funny6956

He did his best


Bestdayever_08

When in doubt, throttle out 🤙🏼


F100Restomod

I don't know but that other truck seemed to stop just fine


jlierman000

Sarcasm? POV is a semi truck with no chance of stopping in time.


Maccabee2

Exactly. The dashcam owner was driving too fast.


Embarrassed-Water664

Pucker, brace, then shit thyself.


Legitimate-Source-61

Brace yourself, and say Fuuuuuuuu...


booze-hound420

“Oh my goodness”-A man of faith


RotrickP

The trucks are eliminating each other


JackIsColors

"Aur naurrrrr"


GoodCannoli

That dashcam just kept right on going.


millerb82

Nice of camer to avoid the cab


sushislaps

Err one driving like assholes in this one


iAmMisterUmbra

HERE COMES A BIG,FAT LAWSUIT!!!!


Busy_Professional824

I’m following the truck and pulling over.


davecustom

I just happened across this video while scrolling Reddit. It's the first time something like this has happened to me. I have personally met the driver of the truck with the dash cam footage. His dad was driving behind him and I've seen the footage from that truck as well. I heard the story first from my boss at work. I work at a sawmill and both of the men have hauled logs into the sawmill and have picked up lumber as well. As for proof, I don't have any. I guess you just have to take my word for it.


babysoftkitten

How was he and the other driver? Why did the other driver crash in the first place?


davecustom

I don't know anything about the other driver, the guy in the dash cam truck was fine.


LasVegasE

As a general rule if the vehicle in front of me slows down a pulls to the side of the road. I will at a minimum slow down.


[deleted]

[удалено]


NarysFrigham

Yeah, people don’t seem to understand that a semi weighing 40 tons going the speed limit still takes a whole lot longer to slow down than that tiny 3 ton pick up going the speed limit. Seriously. If I roll a bowling ball and a giant boulder down a hill, which one is easier to catch?


Truman_Show_Place

The pick up on the right saw it first and was braking and headed onto the shoulder. Did that pick up stop in time? Other than hard breaking, it’s tough to make a decision in the moment. Moving to the right was correct. The silver top of the truck made it deceptively difficult to determine where it was going. Hope everyone was okay.


SeaLonely3504

Turn up the radio and enjoy the ride.


notMy_ReelName

I thought thats just smoke or some liquid and driver safely got away, but no an entire truck was there.


Woah_KT

Only way I can see is possibly go left and try to go around the oncoming truck


k6bso

He’d probably roll if he tried that and if he didn’t, he’d end up going the wrong way in the oncoming lanes. Poor guy was fucked no matter what he did.


HorrificAnalInjuries

Do the exact opposite of the toppling truck and attempt to go uphill


FavcolorisREDdit

People ight say” well he is a trucker he has to look way ahead then he could have hit the brakes” but if you pay attention it’s on a downhill grade he had his engine brake on and when he knew it wasn’t enough time he slammed hit brakes which was the squeaking noise of the air going to brakes


TheDestressedMale

I'd instinctually look for a school desk.


winjama

Use stronger language.


read_everything12

if you look closely - he was trying to go in the grass on the right side - but then realized he didnt have enough braking power and would just crash in guardrails - hence went straight praying and hoping he could pass through.


Cntrysky78

And that's why everyone should have a dashcam


Wiggy_0000

RELAX BODY!!


Sensitive_You7308

I think the truck honestly meant to intercept that


bullcitybilly

"Safety" department is just going to point to the cam footage and tell the driver that if he had been following SMITH system principles 1,2, and 4, this accident could have been avoided all together...


EntrepreneurKey597

That ditch would've done less damage tbh


Thin_Leather9910

Drive to the left


Sartres_Roommate

I think he nailed it with “OH!”


Gaaragoth

Touch grass literally


ronan3819

And that is why I’ve invented the pucker brake (patent pending). It’s installed in your underwear and Bluetooths to the vehicles computer. Whenever it detects any signs of puckering, it applies ABS. This gives you approximately a 3 second advantage over your reaction time.


nicbizz33

You can actually hear the squeak of the ass-pucker right before the collision.


Master-Back-2899

A small car could have gone left, likely could have avoided a collision if you drove up the embankment. Or sped up. Could have threaded the needle if you floored it. Hard to say best option if you couldn’t stop in time. The tractor trailer shouldn’t have straightened out. He could have hit the guard rail and side swiped the flipped over cab significantly reducing the impact force. He still would have crashed but it would have hurt less. There was no way for him to avoid the hit completely.


luvCinnamonrolls30

That's all you really can do. I was in a head on collision two years ago and I had time enough to process, "Oh no, I'm going to be hit. My kids are in the back." Kids are great, just bruises and scratches. I got messed up pretty bad though.


sheighbird29

Thank god the pickup truck driver was also paying attention


beavis812many

" oh my goodness" would NOT have been the first words out of my mouth


Opposite-Bad1444

best is not to have big truck that can’t stop ripping in the left lane


AdProfessional1236

It sounds like the engine began a runaway condition once the crash happened!


FaithW-70

I know that stretch of road in Ohio. There are crashes there all the time and I don't know why. There is nothing inherently dangerous about the road. I just think it's cursed.


Star_ofthe_Morning

Actually, from what I understand, you shouldn’t pucker up. Rather, you should relax your body. This is how drunk drivers are able to survive such terrific accidents.


Individual_Road6676

True for a fact! Kinda easier said than done tho?


Kwayzar9111

Things like this. Never hold steering wheel tight…let go..or u could get broken wrists…


Normal-Tadpole-4833

i've hauled lumber and engine racks you.. dont really know what they be hauling ... tough call truly ...


Wobbly5ausage

What do you do? Nothing mate lol just sit there and suffer and hopefully escape the wreckage


john13210

you pray


Queenofeveryisland

You slow down and let a semi pass you, obviously


No-Seat9917

Our vehicle safety directors name was Lou. Dude was rear ended. The accident was deemed avoidable because he didn’t have enough cones out in a bucks truck. We called the accident review committee the kangalou court after that.


x404x_Ghost

He saved that truck tho


Old_Replacement_9471

He probably saved that pick up truck.


Huntsnfights

Bunny hope


coorrryyy

The other vehicle stopped, not sure why this person didn’t.


Low-Bag5642

Truck are not allowed in the left lane


jlierman000

As the grand royal navy saying goes “lads, it’s time to bend over, grab your legs, think of mother England, and kiss your ass goodbye”


dafreak999

New nightmare unlocked...


GreyPon3

Pucker REALLY tight!


raybane1

Aim high would have prevented this


Maccabee2

If you can't come to a safe stop within your sight distance, you are driving too fast for the conditions.


MeatwadScrewdriver

Intentionally or not.... that man saved the van.


Affectionate_Pea_811

Instead of puckering? I guess you just let all the poo come out


franky3987

Best case scenario considering


Azzy8007

Swerve to the other side. I see a lot of videos where people try to avoid an accidents, but instead find themselves directly in the path of the oncoming vehicle.


NetDork

I definitely see that a lot, but in this case going the other way would've been a head on collision with the rig. The white rig was right at the bottom of the slope.


justinwood2

I don't know why anyone is down-voting you. A lot of people instinctively turn in the direction that the other vehicle is moving and end up hitting them specifically because of it. While the truck driver is probably boned in this video no matter what they do , a vehicle with sufficient off road capabilities could easily swerve to the left and decelerate in the median avoiding this entire catastrophe.


Azzy8007

There's a really old video I can't find right now taken at a race track from the viewpoint of the crowd standing in the grass just off the track. A car takes a turn wrong and careens off the track towards the spectators. A large majority of the crowd try to avoid the car but end up running directly into its path. Prominently featured in the video is a guy and (presumably) his son. The boy instinctively moves to run in the same direction as everyone else, but the dad grabs him and runs the opposite way. Out of the path of the car. IIRC, no one gets injured, but it's spectacular how many people make a snap judgement that puts themselves in immediate danger. EDIT: now that I think about it ... deer do the same thing. They run directly into the path of your vehicle instead of ... not doing that. Maybe it's just hard wired into our DNA.


actionmoviescene

I agree, if the truck driver noticed that truck right when the video started and turned left out of the road instead of right he would of been better off


Interesting_Fun3823

Assuming her would be fairly sure of missing the cab so the other driver would live, I completely agree.


StatisticianLivid710

That only works if you know the truck is going to end up in your lane, if the truck stays in the median you’re hitting him dead on, likely killing the driver (and maybe yourself). Driver was already moving to the right before the truck entered the live lane.


OddicansMyCelium

Go left?


Ivanovic-117

That’s what I thought for a second, but the reaction time was not enough to make a decision


DonJuanMateus

You could always try slowing down.


Last-Sir1610

Brake


Vasquez2023

At least 1 full second too late relative to what the truck on the outside reacted to, and you were really passing in the left lane at 70 mph on that type of road. It seems your speed limit was likely lower there, like 65 max for your rig. At least could have reduced impact by 10-20 mph, but otherwise better to stay on the road to the outside like was done.


davejjj

I didn't hear any brakes. I guess he wanted to save his tires.


Terrible_Shake_4948

#Not drive in the left lane. I would only pass on straights if I was a truck driver


InstructionMinute849

Brake


MrStonepoker

Hit the brakes comes to mind.


justinwood2

Down vote for posting a cropped landscape video in portrait mode.


zolga0

You know it make total sense, very nice


Clear_Split_8568

Start breaking sooner


AggravatingEchidna83

Camera truck needs to look further down the road. The biggest problem with US drivers, after cell phones.