A driver with an already smashed-in, damaged rear tailgate darted into the carpool lane without looking because of course they did.
SoCal driver and Redditor /u/Stewarts_dad shared headshaking dashcam footage from the 405 from earlier in February (Feb 25, 2026) showing an idiotic driver barging into the carpool lane, from two lanes over, without looking, of course, barely escaping one gnarly rear-end collision that would’ve been of his own doing.
Check out the idiot’s move below with the original Reddit thread linked here.
The incident happened on the 405 just before Exit 47 towards La Cienega Blvd and Manchester Blvd. (Exact location on Google Maps linked here.)
As the dashcam shows, OP is headed northbound on the 405 in the carpool lane.
Clearly delineated by two solid yellow lines and a white line, vehicles technically are not allowed to join the carpool lane until they reach a designated hashed line segment.
Of course, with cars piled up in the non-HOV lanes and traffic zooming by in the carpool lane, the temptation is too high to join the faster-moving traffic.
However, instead of, at the very least, preventing an accident by doing a free shoulder check, this doofus in a red Ford Explorer (Lic plate 5GHC786) from two lanes over brute forces their way into the carpool lane.
And, oh, of course, their rear tailgate is already smashed in.
As OP’s title says, he fixed his brakes for the first time the day before, and, good thing, because he got to test them out in under 24 hours.
OP slams on his brakes to avoid rear-ending them, missing them by mere inches.
“There is a reason the rear end of the car is damaged,” the top comment from /u/Naive_Complex_8389 points out.
“I guess that double yellow line is optional for some people,” /u/ArdvarkMaster added.
This is a great example of why you should slow down when other lanes do, even if yours is clear. I’m not saying don’t proceed past them, I’m just saying don’t pass cars right next to you at 50MPH over their speed. Great reaction time on your part, though,” /u/LaserGay commented.
“I was going 50 to their 35, but while they were braking, I was just off the gas 😅 I thought a jumper would come from the next door lane so I was studying them, not expecting a near perpendicular merge,” OP replied.
In California, driving in the carpool lane illegally can cost $490–$550 and may add 1 point to your license. Always check the signs getting caught can hit your wallet and your record.
