This driver in an older ’90s Honda Civic has no one else to blame but himself after tailgating with a spare tire on backfired.
Loudon County-area driver and Redditor /u/PewPewPewPee shared head-shaking dashcam footage from earlier this week (Oct 27, 2026) to the /r/IdiotsInCars subreddit showing a tailgating driver face instant karma after, despite emergency braking, they end up crashing into the concrete center divider.
Here’s what it looked like on dashcam below, with the original Reddit thread linked here.
The incident happened along Route 28 just as drivers approached the exit towards 267 (Exact location on Google Maps linked here.)
As the dashcam shows, OP is driving northbound on Route 28 towards the Virginia/Maryland border.
Suddenly, a pair of Honda Civics, one an older one from the late ’90s, passes him, going well above the speed limit in the fast lane.
Keen eyes will notice the older Civic is rocking a spare tire in the rear and is tailgating the newer Civic.
The newer Civic brakes, and then brakes even harder as traffic slows in front of him.
Despite braking, the driver in the older Civic loses control, the rear stepping out on him, causing him to rotate a good 90 degrees and into the concrete center divider.
Despite it being one bad crash, thankfully, they don’t rope in anyone else.
“This is Route 28 N in Dulles, Virginia, and it becomes gridlock right at that section every weekday at 5 PM. I knew it was coming, hence why I kept my distance. This jackhole came up behind me flying,” OP clarified in a reply asking if the white SUV seen in the clip brake-checked, triggering the spin-out.
Keen eyes will notice towards the end of the clip, and as pointed out by OP, another doofus in a Lexus drops into the emergency lane, too, to bypass traffic.
“Literally why safe following distance is a thing. Smh,” the top comment from /u/Available-Sky-8191 reads.
“Everyday commutes are getting more NASCAR-like for drivers,” /u/11B-33T added.
In Virginia, improperly driving on the highway shoulder or emergency lane typically carries a standard traffic infraction fine ranging from $25 to $150. This offense is considered a moving violation that adds 3 demerit points to your Virginia DMV driving record, which remain active for two years. However, if your use of the emergency lane is deemed reckless or endangers life or property, it can be charged as criminal reckless driving, which carries a fine of up to $2,500 and 6 demerit points. [
