Light Pole Becomes a C8 Passenger

[teamzr1]

The photo shows the Arctic White Corvette wrapped around a utility pole that literally spliced through the front end of the car, winding up lodged against the windshield frame in the center of the C8.
Assorted parts of the ‘Corvette can also be seen scattered in front of the vehicle.

Also shown is the driver still breathing and being loaded onto a backboard by first responders after being trapped inside the Corvette for about 15 minutes.

He was treated on the scene before being rushed to Orange County Global Medical Center, where he was listed in serious condition.
The crash happened around 12:53 a.m. Friday in Irvine, California at the intersection of Modjeska and Still Night.
Authorities are still investigating the cause of the crash, but the extent of the damage would seem to indicate high speeds were involved.

Anyone with information regarding the collision is asked to contact Detective Joshua Balos at jbalos@cityofirvine.org.

 

[Pitre]

I really hate seeing pictures of smashed up Corvettes.

 

[Invetterate]

Given the amount of damage and the fact that there are traffic lights in the immediate background, what sort of speed was this idiot doing in a built-up area?

Looks like he has paid a high price though. Hopefully no one else did.......

 

[Rich]

I really hate seeing pictures of smashed up Corvettes.

I agree. In this case the driver must be in a bad way.

 

[Llewelyn]

Wow! Two take homes from this... 1 he must have been going ridiculously fast... 2 whoever made that pole certainly built it to last!

 

[teamzr1]

 

[teamzr1]

• The top five most dangerous cars are the Hyundai Venue, Chevrolet Corvette, Mitsubishi Mirage, Porsche 911, and Honda CR-V Hybrid, with fatal accident rates nearly five times higher than the average vehicle
• Two Teslas, the Model Y and Model S, make the most dangerous cars list despite Tesla’s advanced driver-assist technology
• Tesla also has the highest fatal accident rate by brand, followed by Kia, Buick, Dodge, and Hyundai
• Compact and subcompact cars have had the highest rate of fatal accidents by size, at 3.6 fatal accidents for every billion miles
• Full-size models have the lowest fatality rates by size, at 2.0 fatal accidents for every billion miles

Automotive safety has improved dramatically over the past two decades. But according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the last five years have seen a higher rate of accidents and fatalities on America’s roads than the previous 12 years.
The fatal accident rate is now 2.8 per billion miles and the Hyundai Venue is the car with the highest fatal accident rate, while Tesla has the highest fatal accident rate of all car brands, according to the latest study by iSeeCars.

iSeeCars.com analyzed fatality data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) of model year 2018–2022 cars with car crashes that resulted in at least one occupant fatality to identify the most dangerous vehicles on U.S. roads today.

“New cars are safer than they’ve ever been,” said Karl Brauer, iSeeCars Executive Analyst. “Between advanced chassis design, driver assist technology, and an array of airbags surrounding the driver, today’s car models provide excellent occupant protection. But these safety features are being countered by distracted driving and higher rates of speed, leading to rising accident and death rates in recent years.”

 

[Roscobbc]

People might think that excessive speed was a major factor in this collision with a light pole........but a substantial pole like that, presumably supporting a very high array of luminaires would show a similar resistance to a vehicle as a median sized tree and probably very similar to running in to the structure of a railway bridge. Speed wouldn't need to be so high. We have a few streets locally with 100 year old Oak, Sycamore and Lime trees.......a high number of 'tree strikes' even a lower lower urban speed have resulted in fatalities. Wonder if the rear placement of engine and transmission makes a huge difference?