This driver in a Mercedes-Maybach GLS-Class Luxury SUV failed to make sure it was 100% safe to complete this left turn on Sheridan St.
Floridian and Redditor /u/Nicolas8050 shared dashcam footage from earlier this week (Aug 29, 2024) to the /r/IdiotsInCars subreddit from Hollywood, FL showing a driver in a Mercedes-Maybach luxury SUV turning left onto Sheridan St. fail to yield to traffic approaching from the right and side swiping this dashcam owner as as result.
Check out the dashcam footage from the victim below.
posting while waiting for police to show up [oc]
byu/Nicolas8050 inIdiotsInCars
The incident happened in the 4600 Block of Sheridan St./ Florida State Road 822 as drivers exited the local Children’s Medical Center (Exact location on Google Maps linked here.)
As the dashcam footage shows, the dashcam owner is driving in Lane #1 on Sheridan St.
It’s worth noting it’s overcast, had recently rained, and the roads are slick.
A driver in what’s later determined to be a Mercedes-Maybach GLS SUV (an SUV starting at $175K) is seen attempting to turn left across two directions of traffic going right and left in front of them.
The driver in the GLS makes it across the first half of Sheridan St and then proceeds, without stopping or slowing, into the other side of Sheridan St.
As a result of not yielding properly, confirming it’s 100 percent clear, the GLS driver sideswipes OP.
OP handles the hit like a pro and, despite getting spun toward oncoming traffic, OP steers into and off the center median, ultimately regaining control and pointing in the right direction.
“…depending on the vehicle/relative motions, it’s even possible that OP got nothing but a brief flash of the SUV in their peripheral vision before getting hit,” /u/ErectStoate commented, a comment OP concurred with by replying, “this.”
You can safely assume no one was seriously injured or hurt.
OP doesn’t go into much detail but, as his title states, he posted this video while waiting for police to arrive to take a statement.
“If that guy didn’t have a full view of oncoming traffic he shouldn’t have pulled out into it, that’s basic driving rules lol. It’s his fault he hit you, you were hustling driving in your lane, hope you’re ok, make sure to get seen by a doctor just in case,” /u/Kai-xo commented.
“Even staring at that SUV (which no one would do while driving) it’s hard to tell they’re going to hit you until it’s happening,” /u/Foggy_Blues added.
A bit of advice worth noting, in dealing with these types of left turns comes from /u/Exiciting_Signal3058 who replied that,
“I always tell my daughters if you feel traffic is too much on the other side your best chance would to go with the flow of the traffic and make u-turn.”
Left turns often mean going against traffic.
As this dashcam footage unfortunately shows, the dangers of crossing traffic are only compounded when variables pile on top of each other, in this case, other turning drivers blocking that driver’s view, and slick roads to boot.
Unless you can be sure it’s clear to turn, I’m taking /u/Exiciting_Signal3058’s advice and will consider immediately turning right and just making a u-turn instead.
