The unkindest cut

A driver in China had a very close call in an incident that resembled something from an action film. The man was driving his pickup truck along a major highway when a 1.5m diameter circular saw blade burst from the undergrowth and slammed head-on into his vehicle. Luckily for the driver the saw blade collided with a major structural element of the pickup truck, halting its progress. He was able to bring his vehicle to a halt in the emergency lane, with the huge saw embedded in the radiator of the pickup, di
September 11, 2015 Read time: 2 mins
A driver in China had a very close call in an incident that resembled something from an action film. The man was driving his pickup truck along a major highway when a 1.5m diameter circular saw blade burst from the undergrowth and slammed head-on into his vehicle. Luckily for the driver the saw blade collided with a major structural element of the pickup truck, halting its progress. He was able to bring his vehicle to a halt in the emergency lane, with the huge saw embedded in the radiator of the pickup, directly in front of where the driver was sitting. It transpired that the saw blade was being carried by a pickup travelling in the opposite direction but when that vehicle suddenly went out of control and hit the kerb, the saw was flung through the central reservation and into the opposing traffic. Traffic police commented that had the saw been just a few cm higher however, it would have missed the structural member of the pickup truck, possibly with fatal results.

Related Content

  • Cash crash cashed out
    February 23, 2012
    A British man was given a 40 month sentence for his role in a conspiracy to defraud insurance firms through a long string of staged vehicle accidents. The man caused at least 93 car crashes, which cost the insurance sector some €1.8 million. The unemployed man charged his ‘customers’ a fee of around €555 for each crash that he staged, netting himself at least €51,000 in the three years that he carried out his crimes. The money was spent on holidays and other luxuries for himself and his girlfriend. His favo
    Read More
  • Daring duos?
    March 27, 2014
    In the US, a mother became her son’s partner in crime by acting as his getaway driver following a street robbery. After the son stole a pensioner’s wallet, the mother drove him away from the scene of the crime. The son did tell his mother what he had just done, as the not-so-daring duo drove away. The mother refused to let officers search their home, explaining that her son had thrown away the empty wallet, having spent the US$40 it had contained. The son was charged with robbery.
    Read More
  • Improving a key route through Florida
    November 9, 2015
    Upgrading a key route through Florida – novel construction techniques are helping widen a road in difficult geological conditions – Lucio Garofalo reports. A major road widening project underway in Florida is due for completion soon. The work will improve an important section of road, reducing congestion at peak period and cutting travel times for drivers. The US 331/SR83 highway runs for some 79km and provides an important link in Florida’s Panhandle area, as it connects with Route 98.
    Read More
  • Flashing
    January 27, 2017
    A driver in the UK had an unwelcome surprise recently. He had been trundling along the M60 motorway well within the speed limit and using the middle lane, despite the inside lane being free from traffic. Seeing this, a police car drew behind the driver and the officer flashed the headlights, warning the man to use the inside lane. Instead of moving over however, the driver used his cellphone to call the emergency services and say that another driver was flashing his lights aggressively. The officers involve
    Read More

Highlighted Content