Getting into an accident on the highway can be a frightening ordeal. The high speeds and narrow shoulders can make finding a safe place to wait for assistance a challenge. However, one thing you should never do is leave your vehicle abandoned in the middle of the road. That's what one driver had to do after hitting a deer in Minnesota, and a dramatic video shows the consequences of that decision.
The video comes from the Minnesota Department of Transportation. It was posted to the MN Crime YouTube Channel, and it shows a red Chevy Silverado sitting right in the middle of Interstate 35 near Forest Lake just outside Minneapolis as two semis approach it. The one with the Gulf Livery colors in the outside lane starts to head for the exit, but the semi in the lane next to it continues careening toward the abandoned pickup.
The semi truck doesn't swerve or slow down as it approaches the Chevy, colliding into the vehicle's rear. The truck folds and crumples as the semi obliterates it, sending it sliding off the highway. The collision was strong enough to cause the Chevy to burst into flames as it spun off the road. The semi truck that struck it skidded off the road as well, stopping on the grassy median between the highway and the highway exit.
Minnesota State Patrol Lt. Gordon Shank told the Star Tribune that no one was injured in the accident. The driver of the red Chevy, Susan Norberg, told the publication that she abandoned the vehicle after striking a deer. The impact was strong enough to discharge the airbags, which filled the cabin with smoke and made it difficult to open the doors. Once freed, she and her passengers found safety behind a guardrail.
Shank wouldn't elaborate on why the semi truck driver failed to avoid striking the red Chevy, as other vehicles were able to do. However, Shank did tell the Star Tribune that the police recommended good driving behaviors and a distraction-free cabin. Then publication did not report if police issued any tickets for the freak accident.
