Driving on the interstate is an occasionally exhilarating, often stressful, and frequently bizarre experience.
There are always vehicles to dodge on the shoulder, crazy drivers cutting people off, and accidents to worry about and avoid.
One driver who knows this plight all too well has shared a particularly dangerous and bizzare hazard they encountered on a highway, and taken to TikTok to document the experience.
In the video, TikTok user @Wood2Spit posted what appears to be the back of a 16-wheeler propped up vertically on an exit sign, smack bang in the middle of the interstate. Based on their page, it appears they make a living by rescuing trucks from these types of accidents.
In the video, a long rope slowly pulls down the propped-up trailer from its wedge between a sign for exit 200 and a sign indicating that Richmond is just ahead.
Out of all of the roadkill, car accidents, and speed checks to dodge on a trip down the interstate, this is by far one of the most bizarre roadside encounters the internet has ever seen.
Thankfully, the TikTok user did note in the caption that no one was injured and all parties involved are perfectly fine.
Naturally, there is one question ringing clear in the minds of those in comment section: How did this even happen?
Knowing that everyone is safe and sound, viewers have jokes, quips, and theories about the accident in the viral video. With almost 50 million viewers, someone is sure to get to the bottom of it. One person defended the driver by saying the signs have no business being smack dab in the middle of the roadway.
Another user joked that the driver must have been confused about the legality of parking vertically in the middle of the interstate. Others said the driver took the arrow pointing upward on the sign a little bit too literally, or that the driver just wanted a closer look at the directions on the green signs.
And of course, there is the question of who was going to explain this turn of events to the insurance company.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, it is estimated estimated that over 8,000 Americans died in traffic accidents in the first three months of 2024. That’s a decline of over 3% from the same period in 2023. While the decline is encouraging, drivers should stay vigilant to decrease roadway accidents, especially those that result in your vehicle being vertical.
The law offices of Hanson and Mouri recommend that drivers engage in defensive driving, eliminate distractions, follow traffic laws, keep up with regular vehicle maintenance, always wear a seat belt, and never drive while impaired.
If you don’t want to be on the business end of one of these extremely viral TikTok videos, it’s probably best to engage in these safe driving practices.
In saying that, this particular accident appears to be a freak of nature more than anything else. Some people are theorizing that the driver raised the bed without realizing it and got it stuck on the signs above.
But perhaps we’ll never truly know the story behind this physics-defying incident. That is until someone comes out of the woodwork with the dash cam footage, or the insurance company puts the driver on blast.