The highway is mostly a safe place to drive, especially if you obey speed limits and keep a distance from the vehicle ahead. However, things didn’t go smoothly for a Kia Soul near Los Angeles, California which rolled over after hitting a runaway wheel in a terrifying accident.
The incident was caught on video by a Tesla dashcam and uploaded on Twitter by @Anoop_Khatra. The Kia Soul was driving in the left lane, trying to overtake an old Chevrolet Silverado. When the two vehicles were almost next to each other, the left front wheel of the truck came off, getting in the way of the Kia.
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What happened next looks like a CGI stunt from a Hollywood blockbuster, even though it is 100% real. The Kia drove over the tire, which served like a spring catapulting the vehicle several feet into the air. During its short flight, the car flipped before violently landing on its bonnet and roof. Due to the speed of the vehicle, it flipped again ending up on its wheels with heavy damage all around the bodywork but with the shape of the cabin being pretty much intact.
According to the witness, the Kia driver miraculously walked away from the wreckage. Luckily no other cars were involved in the accident. We don’t know if the wheel came off because of improperly tightened lug nuts but the timing of it was really unfortunate for the Kia Soul driver. It is hard to believe that a vehicle can jump that high without driving off a ramp, but the result is definitely a testament to the safety credentials of modern vehicles.
