Jalopnik: Accidents

I Was In The Subway When They Discovered A Severed Head On The L Train

Maureen O'Connor — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 22:15:00 EST

At 12:30AM Sunday, I thought the reason I wasn't getting home as early as planned was that piece-of-shit L train. Seven hours later I found out it was because, among other things, of a severed head. More »

Dad and Teen Son Die in Separate Freeway Crashes, Hours Apart

Seth Abramovitch — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 21:40:39 EST

Two collisions took two lives within four hours of each other on San Diego's Interstate 8 today. Not particularly newsworthy. Add to the story the fact that the victims were father and teenage son, and you get one hell of a chilling tragedy. More »

Gas tanker explosion creates terrifying, gigantic fireball

Lauri Apple — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 13:15:00 EST

This glowing fireball is not the coming of Harold Camping's apocalypse but the aftermath of a collision between a tanker carrying 8,500 gallons of gas and a minivan, which took place on the New Jersey Turnpike last night. Citizen journalist @MelissaJoann was there and filmed what she saw; this image is a still from her crazy-looking video. More »

Naked man crashes into 15 cars 'on Wings of Love'

Max Read — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 15:00:00 EDT

Breakups are bad news, as we all know. Who here hasn't spent a week binging on raw cookie dough and episodes of The Good Wife after getting dumped? Or gotten behind the wheel of his cab, naked and drunk, and crashed into 17 cars? More »

HE HAS A SEAGULL! NO HE DOESN’T, IT’S HIS NOSE!

Peter Orosz — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 13:30:00 EDT

This piece of footage from a 2007 Formula Vee race is like an animated GIF on drugs. You will want to watch it over and over and over again. And again. And yet again. And then again, once more. But don’t let the seagull distract you from the fancy crash. More »

Airborne at the very first British Grand Prix

Peter Orosz — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 12:30:00 EDT

This spectacular photo was taken on October 2, 1948, at the first race weekend held on a converted British bomber station whose name you’ll recognize: Silverstone. More »

Arizona Man Gives the Best Description of a Car Crash Ever

Matt Cherette — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 05:22:47 EDT

A Phoenix man became trapped inside his SUV on Thursday after he lost control of the vehicle, causing it to roll over and strike a utility pole. In the process, the driver rear-ended another vehicle driven by a man named George Lindell, who later described the events to local Fox affiliate KSAZ-TV in this amazing interview that you must watch immediately. After all, "Reality hits you hard, bro." [MyFoxPhoenix; Thanks to Mike Byhoff for the tip] More »

How Car Crash Modeling Technology Could Predict Offshore Drilling Disasters

Kyle Wagner — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 21:00:00 EDT

It's the billion-dollar question for offshore drilling giants: Could the Deepwater Horizon disaster have been prevented? Researchers at MIT's Impact and Crashworthiness Laboratory may have found at least a partial answer—the same kind of computer modeling that predicts whether car components can hold their own in a crash could also forecast whether pipes will fracture at offshore drilling sites. A fractured pipe can mean the difference between a stable operation and a massive oil spill. More »

Watch a Ferrari broadside a tiny car

Peter Orosz — Wed, 15 Jun 2011 09:30:00 EDT

For all its wonders, Argentina is sorely lacking in interesting cars, and now there’s one less: last Thursday, a Ferrari 456 was destroyed in an accident in Buenos Aires. The moment of impact and its aftermath were captured by a security camera. More »

What a 1930s car crash looked like

Peter Orosz — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 10:45:00 EDT

This is one of those pictures that show the terrible fragility of seemingly massive vintage cars. More »

Moto racer passes own wheel in hilarious accident

Matt Hardigree — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 09:30:00 EDT

Most racers are pleased when they make a pass, but Maxime Berger was less than enthused when he realized what he was passing was the rear wheel from his Ducati at the World Superbike Championship at Donington Park. More »

New BBC film on the blood-drenched glory years of F1

Peter Orosz — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 14:30:00 EDT

When men were men and race cars looked like cars, men and women were dying on Grand Prix weekends like flies. The early history of Formula One is a horror of burning flesh, and a new one-hour BBC documentary puts the easy nostalgia for the early days in a sad new perspective. More »

Why you shouldn't drive when you're gravely ill

Justin Hyde — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 09:30:00 EST

After a 46-year-old Montana cancer patient died in a 2009 traffic accident, insurer MetLife ruled he had committed suicide — and therefore his wife and children couldn't collect a $224,000 life insurance policy. It's not a one-time scam. More »

Passing a rhinoceros is dangerous to your health

Peter Orosz — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 10:00:00 EST

It’s not only elephants that can pose dangers to cars. Rhinoceros, species of which range in weight from 1,000 pounds all the way to five short tons, can be a hazard too. Unfortunately, the reverse is also true. Just so you know on your next trip to Africa. More »

Why passing an elephant is dangerous to your health

Peter Orosz — Fri, 25 Feb 2011 10:00:00 EST

Should you ever find yourself stuck behind specimens of the Elephantidae species on your travels, please think twice about passing them. Here’s why. More »

Ferrari F150 ≠ Ferrari + F150

Peter Orosz — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 16:30:00 EST

While it won't be until March that we'll learn just how fast Ferrari's new F1 car, the F150 is, we can probably expect it to outpace this previous attempt at a Ferrari F150. (Hat tip to boluke01!) More »

What It Looks Like When A Semi Almost Crashes Into You

Justin Hyde — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 07:30:00 EST

What happens when a truck carrying 40 tons of sand loses control and crashes through an interstate barrier? As frightening as you might think, based on a dashcam from a nearby car. Surprisingly, no one was injured. (Thanks James!) [CP24.com] More »

Mark Webber Called Sebastian Vettel A "Kid Who Fucks It All Up"

Peter Orosz — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 12:00:00 EST

At the 2007 Japanese Grand Prix, his sixth F1 race, Sebastian Vettel rammed into Mark Webber's car, taking them both out of the race. The characteristically blunt Australian wasn't happy-and was yet to learn how quickly kids grow up. More »

Jeep Crash Triggers Stampede Killing 102 In India

Justin Hyde — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 11:00:00 EST

A collision between a Jeep and a powered rickshaw triggered a stampede among Hindu pilgrims in the Kerala district of India on Friday evening, killing 102 people. (H/t to Perry.) Photo: AP [Guardian] More »

Second Man Survives Impromptu Game Of Real-Life Frogger

Matt Hardigree — Wed, 29 Dec 2010 10:30:00 EST

This 53-year-old man was crossing a street in eastern Turkey when he stepped in front of a cab-over fuel truck. His choices were to get crushed or run like Frogger. He choose run, and actually survived. More »

First Chevy Volt Destroyed In Crash

Matt Hardigree — Mon, 27 Dec 2010 10:30:00 EST

A 24-year-old woman scrounging around for her phone rammed the back of a Chevy Volt with her Ford Explorer. The Volt, probably a fleet car, was towed away. Anyone know a 44-year-old Free Methodist GM employee from Linden? [via GM-Volt] More »

NYC Proposes Jaws Of Life Tax

Mike Spinelli — Fri, 10 Dec 2010 12:00:00 EST

NYC proposes "Jaws of Life" tax on accidents to pay for first responders. [FOX News] More »

Three-Time F1 World Champion Goes Medieval On Track Rival

Peter Orosz — Thu, 09 Dec 2010 11:00:00 EST

Sissies in bright overalls driving around in circles, that's Formula One, right? Not when it comes to Brazilian world champion Nelson Piquet, whose 1982 kung fu moves are presented here on video. More »

German TV Show "Wetten Dass?" Halted After Car Jumping Accident

Ray Wert — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 07:30:00 EST

The live German TV game show "Wetten Dass?" ("Wanna Bet?") was halted on Saturday mid-broadcast after a contestant, Samuel Koch, was severely injured. Koch was trying to jump over a moving car driven by his father. Disturbing video below. More »

"You Just Can't Adjust For Stupid"

Matt Hardigree — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 13:30:00 EDT

This Porsche 356 was stopped for traffic Monday when a Mazda full of teenage-looking creatures slammed into it at 70 mph. The Porsche's driver maneuvered to minimize the impact, but "you just can't adjust for stupid." [356Talk via TCL] More »

How We Helped Hungary's Toxic Sludge Victims

Peter Orosz — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 13:30:00 EDT

The morning after 35 million cubic feet of caustic waste devastated 15 square miles of Hungary, a group of petrolheads traveled to ground zero and set up a mobile kitchen. We lent a hand in a Ford Transit fire truck. More »

Bumblebee Smashes Cop Car In Yet Another Transformers 3 Accident

Justin Hyde — Mon, 11 Oct 2010 17:15:00 EDT

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The star-crossed filming of Transformers 3 suffered another accident today when Bumblebee drove through an intersection and sideswiped a Washington D.C. Police SUV. The crash was not part of the script and the yellow Camaro was seriously damaged. More »

A Frightful Accident on a Turkish Highway

Peter Orosz — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 13:30:00 EDT

This is an in-car clip of a serious-looking accident that happened in Turkey. The driver mistimes a lane change and flips his car—with neither the camera nor the stereo skipping a beat. Warning: NSFW More »

Gotthard Singer Dies In Chain-Reaction Crash

Justin Hyde — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 15:00:00 EDT

Steve Lee, 48-year-old lead singer of Swiss metal band Gotthard, died in Nevada Tuesday after a truck plowed into a group of motorcycles parked by the side of the road, one of which hit Lee. [Blabbermouth.net] More »

VIDEO: Trucker Launched Out Of 18-Wheeler WIndow

Matt Hardigree — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 12:30:00 EDT

This unbelted Turkish truck driver falsely assumed the mass of his tractor-trailer was enough to protect him in the event of a crash. Those physics — along with the driver— go out the window when hit by another truck. Ouch. More »

Motorcycle Crash Closes Golden Gate Bridge In Both Directions

Matt Hardigree — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 12:15:00 EDT

A motorcycle crash on the northbound side of San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge has traffic blocked in both directions, with one witness on the bridge indicating the motorcyclist isn't moving and "looks dead." Update: bridge reopens, traffic still slow. [@abc7kirstensze] More »

Helicopter Crew In Pikes Peak Audi Commercial Shoot Released From Hospital

Matt Hardigree — Sat, 18 Sep 2010 11:15:00 EDT

All four crew members injured during the helicopter crash on the summit of Pikes Peak yesterday were released from the hospital by last night. The crew was filming the driverless Audi TTS autonomous car when the crash happened. More »

Helicopter Crash On Pikes Peak During Audi Commercial Shoot

Matt Hardigree — Fri, 17 Sep 2010 11:31:00 EDT

Officials say a helicopter crashed on Pikes Peak during an Audi commercial shoot today, injuring four. The helicopter was shooting the Driverless Audi TTS. Medical crews are en route, but having difficulty reaching the victims by helicopter. UPDATE. More »

Shish-Ka-Burban: Guardrail Skewers SUV

Ben Wojdyla — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 15:00:00 EDT

This Chevy Suburban drove into the path of an oncoming guardrail and suffered some pretty spectacular consequences. The rail passed through the passenger-side fender, the cabin and out the rear window. Impressive images below. More »

Founding Member Of Electric Light Orchestra Killed By Runaway Hay Bale

Matt Hardigree — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 14:15:00 EDT

ELO Cellist Mike Edwards killed when a runaway hay bale crushed his van. [Daily Mail] More »

Here's What Happens When You Crash Into A Telephone Pole At 100 MPH

Matt Hardigree — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 15:15:00 EDT

It took 45 minutes to extricate Dustin Moholland from his modified WRX after he smacked into a telephone pole at 100 mph. He survived, amazingly, but the car is toast and his friends are surprised it didn't happen earlier. NSFW. More »

Identify This Chunk of Fiberglass, Help Catch A Killer

Matt Hardigree — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 14:00:00 EDT

Kyle Peters was killed riding his bike Tuesday when a vehicle struck the Canadian teenager. The driver fled, leaving behind only this 11" x 16" piece of black fiberglass. If you know what it is, leave a comment below. UPDATE! More »

This Woman Crashed Into A House, Then Turned Into A Moron

Ben Wojdyla — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 15:00:00 EDT

This is 20-year-old Floridian Kristin Ashley Butcher. She allegedly crashed her Nissan into the front of a house, backed out, drove home, called the cops and claimed the car had been stolen, then returned damaged. They didn't believe her either. More »

This Man Survived A 39-Story Fall By Landing On A Dodge

Matt Hardigree — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 10:45:00 EDT

Thomas Magill apparently attempted to end his 22 years of life by jumping off a high-rise building on the West Side of New York yesterday, only to survive by landing on a 2008 Dodge Charger parked 39 floors below. More »

Guy Who Killed Five In Crash Suddenly Remembers Brakes Didn't Work

Matt Hardigree — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 14:30:00 EDT

David Jones is on trial for for killing five people in 2008 when he slammed his Pontiac G5 rental car into a minivan at 98 mph. Now he's decided the brakes didn't work. Sorry, that only "works" for Toyotas. [DMN] More »