A woman in Bellevue, Washington, is fortunate to have survived an incident where a runaway dump truck lost its brakes while descending a hill, barreled through a red light, and collided with her early-’90s Honda Accord as she crossed the intersection, launching both the truck and her car into the nearby woods.
According to local police who spoke with KOMO News, the dump truck was traveling north on Forest Drive when it experienced brake failure on a steep 15 percent gradient. Although the driver managed to navigate a sharp curve near the base of the hill, the road ultimately leads to a T-intersection, causing the truck to collide with oncoming traffic on Coal Creek Parkway.
The unfortunate Honda driver was in the center lane, and likely couldn’t see the truck barreling towards her due to stopped traffic in the left turn lane. The dump truck struck her Accord head-on, causing the car to spin off into the roadside bushes, while the truck ended up further in the woods.
Footage from the incident captures the remarkable reflexes of a Chevrolet Suburban driver who was following closely behind the Accord, as well as other motorists who stopped to help. Fortunately, the woman only suffered what police described as minor injuries—one comment on YouTube indicated she’s a friend of the driver, stating she incurred cuts, bruises, and a broken foot—while the dump truck driver emerged unscathed.
Given the vast difference in weight between the Honda and the dump truck, it’s surprising that the woman wasn’t more severely injured. This incident highlights both the commendable safety features of Honda vehicles and an element of luck.
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