When you roll into the driveway, you expect that to be a relatively uneventful affair. You should be able to just drive in, no problem.
But it turns out that depending on how your driveway is set up, one wrong angle can turn the final few feet home into a whole ordeal. Here’s what happened to one woman.
GMC Yukon Won’t Budge
In a viral video with more than 931,000 views, content creator Ally @allyrains_ shows the precarious situation she’s in.
In the video, you can see that her white GMC Yukon Denali is sitting at an awkward angle at the edge of her driveway, with one rear wheel hanging over the ledge.
“Girlies send prayer, she won’t budge,” the video’s text overlay reads.
The position it's in could make simply driving forward or reversing risky, since the underside of the car could be damaged in the process. The uneven ground also reduces the car's traction.
And viewers are left largely without answers, as Ally never explains how the Yukon ended up there, and there are no follow-ups sharing what they did to get it unstuck.
Gallery: 2021 GMC Yukon Denali: First Drive
Why Do Cars Get Stuck?
Mud and soft ground are two of the most common culprits, Curbside SOS explains. Tires need friction to move a vehicle, and wet soil can give way beneath their weight while providing little for the tread to grip. Snow, ice, and loose sand create similar problems.
Other common reasons cars get stuck include uneven off-road terrain, ditches, and mechanical problems such as running out of fuel.
Sometimes, a car can still technically move, but the wheels don’t have enough contact with the ground.
What Should You Do If Your Car Is Stuck?
Here’s what you should do, according to Curbside SOS and Rhino USA:
- Check for injuries and immediate danger. Make sure every passenger is safe, call 911 if anyone may need medical help, and assess nearby traffic, weather, unstable ground, and other hazards.
- Make the vehicle visible and secure it. Turn on the hazard lights. If it is safe to do so, engage the parking brake while assessing the situation and use emergency markers to warn approaching traffic.
- Inspect the vehicle’s position. Look for contact between the underside and the ground, leaking fluids, damaged tires or suspension, and the direction the vehicle would travel if it suddenly regained traction. Do not keep applying power if movement could worsen, damage, or send the vehicle toward traffic, people, or another obstacle.
- Try a gentle recovery only when conditions are safe. If the problem is limited to lost traction on relatively level ground, lightly rocking the vehicle forward and backward or placing a proper traction mat near the drive wheels may help. Use slow, controlled acceleration. Repeatedly flooring the accelerator can dig the tires deeper and add stress without moving the vehicle.
- Use recovery equipment if you know how to. Rhino USA advises using recovery straps or ropes with appropriate D-ring connections.
Curbside SOS recommends professional help when the occupants are unsafe, the driver lacks the necessary tools or experience, the conditions make recovery dangerous, or another DIY attempt could damage the vehicle.
Why Are Viewers Blaming Her Husband?
Commenters debated who was responsible for getting it stuck and who should be responsible for getting it out.
“At this point back it down, then drive up the grass,” a top comment read.
“Call your dad before your husband gets home,” a person suggested.
“I would just leave it there and when he gets home ask him why he parked it weird,” another wrote.
“It’s his fault you had to drive in the first place so idk why he’d be mad at you,” a commenter joked.
Motor1 reached out to @allyrains_ via email and TikTok direct message. We’ll be sure to update this if she responds.
