The dashcam owner implies this driver might’ve been under the influence, which, despite being in an Altima, explains a lot.
OC commuter and Redditor /u/MarcusGordathian shared absolutely headshaking dashcam footage from earlier last month (April 10, 2025) to the /r/IdiotsInCars subreddit showing a driver, possibly DUI, in a Nissan Altima illegally passing in a breakdown shoulder moments before rear-ending an innocent driver, causing a multi-car collision.
Check out the dashcam video embedded below with the original Reddit thread linked here.
The incident happened on a stretch of the 5 before an exit onto Lake Forest Dr. (Exact location on Google maps linked here.)
OP’s dashcam footage starts with a rear POV showing our Nissan Altima driver approaching a car in the slow lane and, instead of passing on the right like a sane driver, the Altima driver dips into the emergency lane, sideswiping his car into a guardrail in the process.
Careening at full speed, the Altima driver then keeps accelerating forward, slamming into an innocent driver in a red car.
That sends the innocent driver spinning into parallel traffic, causing them to what looks like get hit by a driver in a full-size truck.
Ultimately, the Altima driver gets spun around before coming to a stop, with the innocent driver who got hit ricocheting to the far left side of I-5.
Thankfully, the approaching traffic was driving defensively enough to miss the driver who got hit, slowly coming to a stop in the breakdown lane.
OP clarified that the innocent driver and their passengers were OK.
“Surprisingly, they are (uninjured.) No serious injuries.”
OP also responded to a comment asking if it was a medical emergency, making an educated guess.
“Unlikely (a medical emergency.) The CHP didn’t tell me much, but they said the video “Cleared up inconsistent statements.”
“WOW complete disregard for human life. The person should never be able to drive again..insane,” /u/SuckaFree703 commented.
“Thanks for having video of this and for giving it to CHP. That driver is a threat to the lives of others and should have permanent revocation of driving privileges,” /u/Fun_Telephone_1165 added.
“I feel like Orange County is on this sub every day,” local /u/Double_Dang commented.
This definitely falls under reckless driving, with violators in California facing up to 90 days in jail, a $1,000 fine before all the fees, or both.
