'I thought I was going to die': Woman, 21, severely injured in 'Dukes of Hazzard-style' crash where she flew 120ft through the air slams tow truck driver for parking in the middle of the road - and says she still has nightmares about the incident

Daily Mail UK ^ | June 14, 2023 | Aneeta Bhole

[Morgana]

A woman, 21, who survived a 'Dukes of Hazard-style' horror crash in a now-viral video said she was left severely injured and makes it difficult to sleep.

Tanaijsha Bruton soared 120 feet in the air - struck another vehicle and tumbled end over end before coming to rest upside down during the May 24 Georgia highway wreck.

Video from the incident quickly went viral and drew comparisons to various TV and movie car chase scenes.

Bruton told WALB-TV she couldn't remember everything from the incident, but was shown the ordeal on social media. She said she remembered the pain she felt afterward.

'It hurts really, really bad. I felt everything,' she said.

A Lowndes County sheriff's deputy was responding to an earlier wreck on the day when his body camera recorded Bruton's sedan flying into the air after driving up the ramp of a tow truck.

The astonishing footage showed the moment Bruton's car flipped after hitting the ramp of the tow truck at full speed.

At the time, a Georgia State Patrol confirmed that a 21-year-old Tallahassee woman was severely injured in the airborne crash on Highway 84, but miraculously managed to survive. Bruton was , who was transported to the South Georgia Medical Center after the crash near Valdosta, Georgia.

The deputy rushed to help Bruton who was transported to South Georgia Medical Center after the crash near Valdosta, Georgia.

In the video, the deputy was seen walking along the stopped highway on the other side while attending to a separate crash.

The camera turned as he faced the other side of the road with the red tow truck in view.

[Ol' Dan Tucker]

Tow truck may have had rear-facing flashers on - those would be the ones that she would/should have seen. But we can’t see the rear of the tow truck because the video is from the front/side.

Most flat-bed tow trucks also have overhead lights because the rear flashers are no different than ordinary tail lights.

[Ol' Dan Tucker]

...and she managed to hit a giant parked truck at full speed...

Happens all the time when someone stops in the traffic lanes.

[Ol' Dan Tucker]

So...a driver, operating their own motor vehicle, is not responsible for their own personal actions while operating their vehicle.

Yeah, got it.

So, an emergency vehicle, parked in a traffic lane on a highway with no emergency lights, aka, wrecker light bars, illuminated, is not responsible for their own personal actions while operating their emergency vehicle.

Yeah, got it.

[meyer]

I guess it depends on the vintage of tow truck. Police around here, in the newer vehicles, have directional control of their flashing lights. Basically, they can turn on or off, front, rear, both, flashing high beam headlights (bad idea), etc., depending on circumstances.

In this case, nobody in front of the flatbed truck would need to see them, but people behind definitely would. we also don’t know what was, or was not, blocking that lane further up the road. I mean 500 feet earlier, a cop car might have been out there with lights flashing. We’re only seeing part of the picture.

And finally, it was broad daylight. common sense indicates that if a vehicle is stopped in your lane, you need to also stop. Visibility wasn’t a big issue here.

[moovova]

"..., is not responsible for their own personal actions while operating their emergency vehicle."

The driver wasn't operating the emergency vehicle...he wasn't even in the vehicle.

Got it?

[Ol' Dan Tucker]

Tow truck may have had rear-facing flashers on - those would be the ones that she would/should have seen.

Except that the rear-facing flashers, aka, tail lights wouldn't be visible on a flat bed because they're attached to the flat bead, itself and would be next to the ground once the bed was extended.

Even if they were on the chassis underneath the bed, they still wouldn't be visible because the bed would block them from view.

This is why flat bed, and most tow trucks have overhead light bars attached to the bed. See below. Note the overhead light bar, aka, wrecker bar.

Notice where the tail lights are located.

If you go back and review the video you can see that the tow truck did not have his wrecker bar lights illuminated.

[Ol' Dan Tucker]

The driver wasn't operating the emergency vehicle...he wasn't even in the vehicle.

Got it?

The driver can be seen walking around the front of the vehicle when the collision happened.

Riddle me this.

What are those funny-looking amber light bars on the front top of the bed used for?

Did you see these illuminated when viewing the video? I sure didn't.

Before you come back and suggest he had his normal emergency flashers on, these wouldn't be visible because the bed would block them from view.

That's why tow trucks have overhead light bars attached to the bed.

Got it?

[Ol' Dan Tucker]

I guess it depends on the vintage of tow truck. Police around here, in the newer vehicles, have directional control of their flashing lights. Basically, they can turn on or off, front, rear, both, flashing high beam headlights (bad idea), etc., depending on circumstances.

This particular tow truck looks pretty new.

[KevinB]

That's not what I wrote, but have fun with that line of thinking.

You wrote that the tow truck driver was 100% at fault. That means that you think the lady was 0% at fault, which also means you think she had no obligation to keep a proper lookout.

[Ol' Dan Tucker]

You wrote that the tow truck driver was 100% at fault. That means that you think the lady was 0% at fault, which also means you think she had no obligation to keep a proper lookout.

Picture this.

There's an collision on the other side of the highway. Emergency vehicles are there with emergency lights flashing. Naturally, as you come upon the scene, you look over there to see what's going on, because, well, that's what emergency lights are for -- to make see and avoid.

Meanwhile, there's a tow truck parked in the left lane on your side of the highway with no emergency lights on the bed's light bar illuminated.

The bed is up and is approximately the same color as the highway ahead. Since the bed is up, it's obscuring your view of the truck's cab.

Why do you think, given these circumstances, that she wasn't keeping a proper look-out?

[Flag_This]

"Happens all the time when someone stops in the traffic lanes."

Sure, especially if you're not watching the road. Stay alert, stay alive.

[Ol' Dan Tucker]

Sure, especially if you're not watching the road. Stay alert, stay alive.

Picture this.

There's an collision on the other side of the highway. Emergency vehicles are there with emergency lights flashing. Naturally, as you come upon the scene, you look over there to see what's going on, because, well, that's what emergency lights are for -- to make see and avoid.

Meanwhile, there's a tow truck parked in the left lane on your side of the highway with no emergency lights on the bed's light bar illuminated.

The bed is up and is approximately the same color as the highway ahead. Since the bed is up, it's obscuring your view of the truck's cab. For all intents and purposes, the tow truck is camouflaged.

Tell me this. What is the purpose of those amber light bars on the bed of a tow truck?

When you watched the video, did you see them illuminated? I sure didn't.

[Yardstick]

I think you make some good points. It was a “perfect storm” of circumstances that could plausibly have led to what happened even if she was driving with normal alertness (i.e. not reading her phone or whatever).

[meyer]

I think you’re referring to what I’m calling flashing lights - as the light bar. I thought it was understood that those are the lights I’m referring to. There is no tow truck or flat bed that doesn’t have them, at least none made in the last 30 years.

What I’m saying is that newer, modern light bars or flashing emergency lights are directional. You can turn on and off rear facing lights, front lights, side lights, all lights, and even control other lights in the modern lighting setups.

Cops use them to warn oncoming traffic behind them, without annoying oncoming traffic from the other direction. LEDs make that ability easy.

[moovova]

I've never said the emergency vehicle's flashers were on or off, nor do I have any intention of arguing the flashers were on or off. But the status of the flashers seems to be your entire argument.

You previously suggested that the truck driver was operating their vehicle, but now you admit they weren't...the driver was walking around their vehicle.

Anything else you want to admit you were wrong about? Like maybe...SHE WASN'T EVEN ON THE ROAD.

From another article...

“In the footage, a sedan can be seen veering off the side of the road and climbing up the tow truck’s bed like a ramp, resulting in a high-speed launch into the air."

https://www.carscoops.com/2023/05/distracted-driver-launches-car-off-flatbed-truck-after-glancing-at-another-crash-in-georgia/

But please...continue to come to the idiot driver's defense.

[dfwgator]

"Nothing to be proud of, Rusty!"

[Ol' Dan Tucker]

You previously suggested that the truck driver was operating their vehicle, but now you admit they weren't...the driver was walking around their vehicle.

Perhaps you and I have two different definitions of the word, "operating." You seem to think it only means being behind the wheel, aka, driving.

Does the tow truck driver "operate" the vehicle with the bed extended and dragging on the ground?

Anything else you want to admit you were wrong about? Like maybe...SHE WASN'T EVEN ON THE ROAD.

Look at this animated gif of the collision, specifically when it shows the grey SUV. How wide is the shoulder on this side of the highway? Do you have any reason to believe the shoulder on the other side is any wider?

The honest answer is that both are the same width, which means there is no shoulder to the left of the fast lane.

We can clearly see that the tow truck wasn't parked in the grass.

If there's no shoulder and the tow truck isn't parked in the grass, where is it parked?

(Hint: the tow truck was parked in the left lane of the highway)

[Ol' Dan Tucker]

I think you’re referring to what I’m calling flashing lights - as the light bar. I thought it was understood that those are the lights I’m referring to. There is no tow truck or flat bed that doesn’t have them, at least none made in the last 30 years.

That's my understanding, as well.

What I’m saying is that newer, modern light bars or flashing emergency lights are directional. You can turn on and off rear facing lights, front lights, side lights, all lights, and even control other lights in the modern lighting setups.

Gotcha. It's possible that this tow truck had these types of lights.

Personally, I think if he had rear-facing lights illuminated, the lady would gotten over into the right lane.

[Ol' Dan Tucker]

Anything else you want to admit you were wrong about? Like maybe...SHE WASN'T EVEN ON THE ROAD.

Here's a photo I found that shows the width of the shoulder on both sides of the highway.

Clearly the tow truck was parked in the left lane.

[Flag_This]

And yet, the vehicle that passes the tow truck before Daisy Duke somehow managed to see and avoid the tow truck successfully. There are all sorts of hazards and dangers competent drivers need to watch for - dead vehicles happen. The fact that there was something going on in the other lane should have been a clue to reduce speed and exercise more caution.