Real-Life Dukes of Hazzard? Distracted Georgia Driver Jumps Car Over Rollback Truck
No, it wasn’t a stunt from The Dukes of Hazzard, but an unfortunate accident caused by a distracted driver. But it did happen in Georgia. A video posted on Reddit appears to show a driver distracted by a crash, running straight into a rollback truck that was at the scene of said crash. The truck’s flatbed happened to be inclined, and the sedan happened to hit it head-on, launching high into the air. Luckily, early reports say the driver and passengers survived. You can see the video embedded below.
Can you jump a car off of a rollback truck?
A rollback truck, with its ramp at a steep incline, might seem like the perfect platform for jumping a car. And this is certainly a setup seen on shows like The Dukes of Hazzard. But as one distracted Georgia driver discovered, this stunt won’t end well in real life.
Like anyone who has seen The Dukes of Hazzard TV show, I always wondered if it is actually possible to jump a car over a rollback tow truck. The stunt was so popular on the show, that they even recreated it in the 2005 movie.
One day I was driving–in Georgia, of all places–and saw a rollback tow truck cruising along the highway with its bed at an incline. I’m not sure why, perhaps it was broken. Long story short, I resisted the temptation and kept all four of my wheels firmly on the ground. But another driver in Georgia was not so lucky last week.
An unlucky Georgia driver launched off a rollback truck
The following video appears to be a clip from a police officer’s body cam. It was posted on Reddit on May 26th, 2023, by user DonAltman3.
wait for it……
by u/donaltman3 in IdiotsInCars
The police officer appears to be busy responding to one crash when a driver launches off a nearby flatbed. I can only imagine the driver was busy looking at the crash in the other lane. But I suppose they might have just been on their phone. Either way, it’s an excellent reminder to keep our eyes on the road.
The car’s occupants ‘were banged up but survived’
/U/DonAltman3 clarified the following: “Happened yesterday in Rural South Georgia (Valdosta/Lowndes County.) There was another accident that happened just before this… these people were rubber necking not paying attention and didn’t see the ramp tow vehicle. The people in the car were banged up but survived, I’m not sure how. Tow truck crash bar was ripped off, but the cab was fine. There is another view of this floating around from a different source this one is from an officer’s body cam.. one of the police cars also got footage. Not sure if it was supposed to be leaked but we all got the video within minutes of it happening.”
Breaking the crash bar but not the cab makes sense if said crash bar was attached to the truck bed. Note that the police officer wearing the body cam reacts, running toward the second crash before the car even lands. Good on them.
Who is DonAltman3? Because they say, “we all got the video within minutes” it’s safe to assume this is another first responder, perhaps even a police officer. Whatever the details, it’s just good to know that the car’s occupants survived.
Next, find out which Fast & Furious stunts are actually realistic or see the rollback truck jump from The Dukes of Hazzard (2005 film) in the video below:
