Too often, plenty of people take car safety for granted, so when a near-death crash finally happens, lots of odd reactions could also occur. Such is the case for one man in San Carlos, California, who was seen praying in the driver’s seat after his Ford Mustang Mach-E began crashing along the barrier and into another car. Initially, people blamed the Ford EV’s malfunction, but the police investigation revealed a possible DUI instead. Here’s the video:
The incident happened on August 13, approximately 1 PM, along the US-101 highway in San Carlos, California. The driver on the right side of the road who took the video managed to zoom in on the green Mustang Mach-E and saw the driver, hands off the wheel, appearing to be praying while his EV crashed into the barrier. The EV then proceeded to grind the side of the barrier for several hundred feet more before merging into the other lane and colliding with a red Mitsubishi Mirage before finally stopping.
It’s not clear who started the rumors that the Ford Mustang Mach-E’s self-driving system malfunctioned and caused the crash; however, the California Highway Patrol, which investigated the crash, found there was no malfunction. Police have since arrested the Mustang driver under suspicion of a DUI (driving under the influence, either on drugs or alcohol). All drivers involved were fine, and CHP has released a statement to quell the misinformation online:
“While we understand public interest in such incidents, video clips may not capture the complete context or investigative process. The CHP conducts each investigation thoroughly, professionally, and in accordance with the law,” according to CHP Redwood City’s statement
Still, some people were on the fence about what exactly happened since the Ford Mustang Mach-E’s BlueCruise system should’ve detected the vehicle in the process of a crash. And while the police are still investigating the driver for a DUI, so far, nothing else has been conclusive yet, though they have determined that the vehicle didn’t malfunction.
People Online are Questioning the Driver’s Actions
Despite the police explanation and suspicions of DUI, many have questioned why the driver would take his hands off the wheel to do whatever it is he did on the video, which appeared to be praying. I believe the crash with the red Mirage could also have been avoided if the driver had steered a bit. People have thus mocked the man online:
“Was he praying?” asked TrustBrilliant7008
“He let Jesus take the wheel,” answered allisjow
“Why the f*** wasnโt he steering?” questions Mylomeer
“Could he not put it in neutral? So many questionsโฆ” adds monzttr
“How could he do that when he’s using both hands to pray? ๐” chimess in IllCamel5907
It’s also possible that the driver could’ve just panicked and didn’t know what to do, though that also raises more questions and challenges to the validity of his driver’s license. Whatever the case, the CHP and California courts should reach a verdict after several days or weeks and determine whether the Ford Mustang Mach-E or the driver was truly at fault.
