Mustang Driver Does Everything Right And Still Ends Upside Down

Accidents on the road happen all of the time, but more often than not, we’re talking about fender benders or door dings. In one recent crash involving a Ford and a Jeep, we got a front-row seat into something far rarer. Tire-on-tire contact, even at slow speeds, can create havoc in just a moment or two. In this case, it launches a Mustang into the air.

In the clip, we see a Ford Mustang accelerate toward an intersection and move from lane two to lane one. As it approaches the intersection, the road widens to allow for two more lanes, one on each side for those who are turning left or right. The Mustang pulls from lane one into the left-turn lane. What they didn’t realize is that a Jeep was headed that way too.

More: How Much Damage A Stray Tire Can Cause If It Hits Your Car

The Jeep begins in the far right turn lane, appearing to turn out of a local business before then trying to cross all lanes of traffic. As the Jeep approaches the far left turn lane, the Mustang is already there. The two begin to come together as the Jeep driver then veers back to the right, seemingly trying to avoid contact. Sadly for the Ford driver, the cars do touch, and specifically, they do so tire-to-tire.

Video A Reddit User

Here’s where physics takes over. When one tire climbs another, the rotating mass of the wheel effectively acts like a ramp combined with a spinning lever. Instead of absorbing the impact, the Mustang’s suspension and wheel are forced upward, converting forward momentum into rotational force. That sudden upward motion lifts the car, and once the center of gravity moves past the tipping point, the car has no way to recover.

In fact, the force is so significant that you can see the edges of the left tires on the Mustang compress and then bounce the car up into the air as it rolls. The result is dramatic. The Mustang gets launched over the median and flips onto its roof in a fraction of a second. On the other hand, the Jeep appears almost completely unfazed. Let it all be one more reminder to be extra careful in traffic.