Distracted Driver Jumps Car Over Drawbridge

9 years, 5 months ago - 8 July 2015, Autoblog
Distracted Driver Jumps Car Over Drawbridge
A Florida man accidentally achieved every aspiring stunt driver's dream when he jumped an opening drawbridge this week and lived to tell about it.

Cameras on the Flagler Bridge in Palm Beach, FL, were rolling when James Montano drove his SUV through the bridge arm and over the drawbridge's widening gap.

He wasn't trying to live out any dreams of daredevil antics however, he was too distracted by his GPS to notice the bridge going up. Police told WPTV that Montano was lucky that he made it to the other side.

"The implications of what could have happened, had he hit at a different time or he hit the ramp and went over the side, you're talking about a potentially fatal accident," Officer Philip Salm with the Palm Beach Police Department told the station.

Montano and his passenger were treated for minor injuries. Montano was charged with reckless driving. The police were right about his luck, too. According to the US Department of Transportation 3,154 people were killed in motor vehicle accidents that involved distracted driving. Another 424,000 people were injured in similar crashes.