It’s no fun driving behind a slow truck, especially when your car is a very winter-capable Subaru WRX. What’s the point of having symmetrical all-wheel drive if you can’t use it? A snowy weekend is the perfect time to go drive your Subie, but when you do so please do better than this driver and don’t attempt to make a blind pass on a snowy road. You never know what’s coming the other way.
A major winter storm did to the Eastern Coast what my daughter normally does to any dish when she gets ahold of a can of whipped cream. From Virginia up through Maine just about everything is smothered in a lay of sparkling snow and ice. This storm has already claimed more than 40 lives according to the Associated Press, but the good news is that this videos contains none of those people.
The clip below comes from this week’s snow storm and was posted by the New York State Department of Transportation, which operates plows that salt and clear the state’s many thoroughfares. Warning, even though no one is hurt in this video, it’s pretty gnarly. The video is on NYS DOT’s Facebook Page and X/Twitter, so pick your poison there. I’m going to embed it in FB form here:
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=2030086324024256
You can see pretty clearly what happened. There’s an 18-wheeler heading one direction on a two-lane road and our Mr. Plow headed the other way. Behind the 18-wheeler is a Subaru WRX and, as the video begins, the WRX is already about halfway through passing the big truck.
Either because the driver didn’t see the massive yellow plow or saw it too late, the driver decides the best course of action isn’t to slam on the brakes but to try and to Colin McRae themselves out of the way. Obviously, that doesn’t work as the WRX is mid-slide while the plow is attempting to brake. While the WRX almost pulls it off, almost is a pretty dangerous place to be.
Twitter user Erik Ghirarduzzi happened to be passing by the accident, which he says occurred in the Adirondacks between Inlet, New York and Blue Mountain. It looks like the crash probably occurred on State Route 28, but I’m not 100% sure.
So what happened to the Subaru? Erik got a picture of that as well. It’s not pretty:
Yeah, that’s half a Subaru where a whole Subaru used to be. The driver of the car is extremely lucky to escape unharmed and even more lucky that no one was in the back seat because it’s hard to believe anyone surviving back there.
It’s hard to say for sure what the driver should have done in this situation because there’s so little room and the roads are covered in snow. It’s possible the driver could have tried to brake and duck back behind the 18-wheeler, but that’s assuming there was enough time to make that maneuver work. At the same time, Just braking slowly in a straight line might have reduced the speed, but that’s a hard call to make while staring down a plow, which is basically a scooped blade.
Obviously, the right choice was just to not make a blind pass of an 18-wheeler just because your car is a very capable snow machine. You can’t outrun physics and, clearly, you can’t outrun the snow plow’s blade.
H/T to JCat on the Autopian Discord
Photos: Erik Ghiraduzzi and NYS DOT
I’ll be the first to say it: That video was very satisfying!
Complete idiot gets his without killing or injuring anyone else.
I doubt the ‘plow took any significant damage–those things are built to deflect heavy things–like whatever’s hiding beneath the snow (sometimes including cars)–at fairly high speeds. Note how the blade deflects when the car hits it. They’re built to do that.
I’m guessing a commercial plow blade and frame cost more than a WRX.
The blinding obvious right choice was not to make the pass – in those conditions you’d need like three times the available distance as you would in good conditions – but once he committed, the best choice was probably to ditch the car. You’re stuck, but you’re stuck in one piece and alive.
This comment section is a thing of beauty.
Mr. Plow? That’s my name! That name again is Mr. Plow!
Whatever. Plow King rules!
it’s the King Biscuit Plower Hour!
Every WRX boi-racer I’ve ever known drives like this in the snow. And they’re shocked.. shocked!.. when they fly off the road.
The laws of physics win every time
I just want to say I love the comments sections here. In a world where the news is always bad and most the internet comments are full of hate and vitriol, The Autopian is an oasis. My mental health thanks everyone here. Also, I’m drunk. But that doesn’t change those facts.
So did the front or the back of the car win the race?
(Love Bug flashbacks)
Let’s just call this for what it is: incredibly stupid. Could have been a passenger car driven by you or me instead of a snow plow. I hope this goes on his or her resume. Exceptions for a trip to the ER.
I used to live up there; the locals can be crazy passers on the roads, and the NY State snowplows/speedplows are huge.
On most of those Adirondack roads like 28 or 30 (or my favorite, 458, where many years ago, we hit a snowbank due to an out-of-control UHaul truck), there’s no runout in most places and little room for error, as the Subi driver FAFO’ed.
I haven’t been up there in the winter since before covid. This article weirdly makes me want to go.
I can’t for the life of me stop myself from dreaming of a “Gendarme of Saint Tropez” 2CV thing every time I look at that photo…
https://youtu.be/t6QsPIcV0nM?t=118
That rear side-curtain airbag holding on for dear life is positively inspirational.
For Sale: WRX conversion to FWD. Some exterior damage. Stain on driver’s seat.
(Edit: I see others had the same idea.)
WRX driver is a jackass? A surprise to no one.
Roger Moore did it better.
Nobody does it better. Makes me feel sad for the rest.
I will post the default NASIOC response to this news article: “Dibs on the wheels”.
That is, if you can find the rear ones…
The Plowman had a foot-long Subie for lunch…
I’m guessing he didn’t have the Cobb short shifter
(Morgan Freeman voiceover)
When did the world go and get itself into such a big damn hurry?
I guess it came down to a simple choice for that Subaru driver. Get busy livin’ or get busy dyin.
“for sale: Subaru WRX front clip. Car was in good running condition when car was cut. USA emissions legal car, not JDM”
Holy Shit! I can’t believe I didn’t think of this before (or anyone else). So obvious.
Mythbusters!
or
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VA_YYca9wUM
This is a new spin on #TwoWheelsBad
Just trying to imagine the sound of this epic fuck up. When I got hit while stopped at a red light by someone going 45mph it sounded like a bomb went off. I bet this was loud as hell.
I hope this fool realizes how lucky he is to be alive.
And a title for this video.
“Florida man drives in the snow.”
It’s chucklefucks like this moving down here who gave rise to “Florida Man” in the first place.