Woman's Car Launches 120 Feet Into the Air on Tow Truck Ramp

The incident on a highway was captured on police bodycam video.

In a scene reminiscent of The Dukes of Hazzard, a Florida woman drove her car up the ramp of a tow truck on the side of a Georgia highway and launched 120 feet into the air, crashed and rolled over in an accident captured on police body camera video last week. The unidentified woman sustained serious injuries; her condition was not known. Here's what you need to know about this freak crash.

1
Who Was the Driver?

Lowndes County Sheriff's Office

The driver, who was not identified, was a 21-year-old woman from Tallahassee, Florida, police said. She was treated at South Georgia Medical Center for serious injuries, Georgia State Patrol spokesperson Courtney Floyd said. Her condition was not known.

2
Where Did This Happen?

Lowndes County Sheriff's Office

The crash took place on Route 84 in Lowndes County near Valdosta, Georgia. An unrelated traffic incident had occurred earlier on the opposite side of the highway. A roll-back wrecker tow truck was parked in the left lane with its emergency lights flashing and was about to load a wrecked car on May 24 at about 11:20 a.m.

3
What Happened

Lowndes County Sheriff's Office

The woman drove a 2014 Nissan Altima onto the wrecker's deployed ramp and vaulted into the air, the state patrol said. The car flew 120 feet into the air, flipped in midair and crashed onto the highway, struck another car, and rolled end over end for 23 feet before coming to a rest upside down, police said. Bodycam video shows a deputy running toward the crash, yelling, "1050 rollover!" and asking for a medical response.

4
What Happened Next

Lowndes County Sheriff's Office

Flying debris from the crash hit a Lowndes County sheriff's deputy. His injuries were not life-threatening, police said. The woman was taken to the hospital for treatment.

5
What's Next

Shutterstock

Georgia has a "Move Over" law that requires drivers to slow and move over a lane when approaching emergency vehicles with flashing lights on a highway shoulder. Violators face $500 fines and three points on their driver's licenses.

"And if traffic is too heavy to move over safely, the law requires drivers to slow down below the posted speed limit instead AND to be prepared to stop," the Georgia law said. It's not clear if the woman will be charged in the crash.

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