Those who’ve seen the video think the RSX driver might’ve been driving under the influence.
Redditor and presumed Atlanta resident /u/EffrumScufflegrit shared early morning dashcam footage from July 30, 2023, to the /r/IdiotsInCars subreddit showing a driver in an RSX violently change lane to overtake a Ford F-150 travelling in the left most lane only to fishtail out of control and wreck.
A standard definition copy is posted below with the HD video and OP’s thread linked here.
The accident took place on northbound I-85 just north of the 75/85 split at the Peachtree St. Bridge sign in Atlanta, GA (Exact location on Google Maps linked here.)
As OP’s dashcam footage shows, a driver in a silver mid-’00s Acura RSX comes blazing past him well above the speed limit and changes lane into the fast lane to momentarily tailgate an F-150.
The F-150 brake checks the RSX, presumably enraging the RSX driver, causing him to yank his steering wheel left to change lanes to attempt an overtake.
The RSX driver doesn’t just change lane, he swings wide, too, causing his FWD sport compact to immediately fishtail, his backend swinging right, left, and then right one last time.
Not letting off the gas, the driver tries to power through, but fishtails out of control and slams into the side of I-85 in front of the F-150.
“That car shouldn’t have needed to swerve in the first place,/u/Just-Construction788 comments.
“Seemed pretty easy to recognize the speed difference and slow down or stay in the middle lane. Also, that car should have easily recovered from that swerve. I’d guess that they have bald tires, worn suspension, or some other issue. That and/or they are inebriated or just absolutely terrible at driving.”
According to Firestone Tires, to avoid fishtailing out of control once the back starts to swing out from under you, you should turn the steering wheel in the direction of the skid while taking your foot off the gas and gently braking. Accelerating does not help.
If this driver was really under the influence, that’s another whole can of worms.
Don’t drink and drive! Period.
I’m going to assume the driver survived.
With that in mind, this could’ve turned out so much worse.
As for everyone else, no matter how calm the freeways look, like this pre-dawn footage shows, it’s best to stay vigilant always, keeping your defensive driving head on a swivel.
And yeah, buy and install a dashcam, too.
