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One wild day, a group of friends took off from Hiroshima, Japan, to adventure in different cars. Of these cars, eight were Ferraris, three were Mercedes-Benz, and a lone Lamborghini Diablo, a Nissan Skyline, and a pesky Toyota Prius. By the end of the trip, most vehicles ended up in one of the most expensive supercar crashes to date.

What kind of cars were involved in the $3.8 million supercar crash?

$3.8 Million Supercar Crash
$3.8 million supercar crash including Ferrari and Lamborghini | Associated Press

According to Associated Press, the friends were out driving when one Ferrari driver tries to switch lanes. The Ferrari driver tried to overtake the Prius and hit the median while attempting to do so. The first Ferrari F430 Scuderia crashed and caused a chain reaction, taking most of the other cars. The group appeared to be driving in pairs simultaneously, with two cars alongside one another traveling down the roads.

No one was seriously hurt in the incident, but 10 people sustained minor injuries. Eiichiro Kamitani, highway patrol lieutenant, told the Associated Press, “I’ve never seen such a thing. Ferraris rarely travel in such large numbers.” Since the group was all friends, it makes sense that there were so many supercars in one area.

Some of the vehicles, including the Ferraris, were damaged beyond repair. The total amount was upwards of $3.8 million or ¥300m.

How does such a supercar crash happen?

Eye witness reports noted that the cars were speeding as they traveled in a pack. The police estimated the speeds to be around 85 mph to 100 mph. There were mixed reports about the weather. Some said it was raining, but the photos show the ground did not appear to be wet. However, roads could have dried in the meantime.

The Google Street View for the area shows fairly narrow two-lane roads without much wiggle room on the shoulder. The news footage from that day can be seen in the above video. In a sea of red Ferraris, the little red Toyota Prius sits damaged on the road. Multiple Ferraris can be seen strewn about on the roads, victims of the first Ferrari’s driving.

Since some cars were a bit older, the traction-control systems might have been subpar for the conditions. Add some slow traffic into that and the narrow roads, and you can see how such a supercar crash could happen.

What can we learn from this?

The Ferrari F430 Scuderia crashed first, causing the Ferrari 512 to hit a Mercedes. One Ferrari avoided the accident, but the two red F355 and F360 Ferraris weren’t so lucky. Another F455 tried to avoid the rest of the accident but hit the guard rail. The rest of the cars continued the process until all 14 were damaged, plus the Prius.

What can drivers learn from this? Don’t drive in pairs? Maybe even don’t drive fast? Don’t speed on two-lane roads? Any of these are true, but that’s why accidents are accidents. Also, maybe don’t drive your red Ferrari in a pack of other red Ferraris. Just don’t do it.

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