A driver on Columbus Highway 670 narrowly escaped death when he jumped onto a highway median seconds before a car smashed into his SUV, which was stopped on the side of the road. The dramatic incident was captured on video by the Ohio Department of Transportation.
The motorist had exited his vehicle, which was parallel to the road after apparently striking the highway divider. Video shows a sedan careening toward the driver and his SUV. The man, spotting the oncoming vehicle, moved onto the highway median at the last second. The sedan then collided with the SUV.
According to a 911 call obtained by local news outlet ABC6, a passenger was in the SUV at the time of the crash. The passenger informed 911 operators that the vehicle had lost a tire and hit the highway divider before the collision.
Ohio Department of Transportation press secretary Matt Bruning emphasized the incident as a safety reminder, noting that the lane where the impacted vehicle was stopped was closed and should not have been occupied by other vehicles. He explained that the lane was part of a "SmartLane" system, which allows the state to temporarily convert a wide shoulder into a travel lane. At the time of the crash, this SmartLane was closed.
Bruning advised drivers to avoid closed lanes and to maintain a safe distance from vehicles in front of them to allow adequate time and space to react to unexpected situations on the highway.
