How anyone could have survived this spectacular crash is impossible to consider. But it’s true. A woman in an Altima in Mount Vernon, Washington, holds the record for escaping from the most unlivable crash for the ages. 

This mid-size Altima allowed for space in case of it folding upon itself

Can you envision any survivable space left in this 2015 Nissan Altima to have saved the driver? This happened on the Skagit River bridge, just north of Seattle. A tractor-trailer rig smashed into the Altima. As the momentum forced it over the car the Altima folded onto itself. It looks like instant death.

But no. The 46-year-old driver walked away from the crash after the semi-truck was lifted off of her car by a large wrecker. And her injuries were described as minor. But how this happened is even more unexplainable than the driver’s survival.

The semi-truck behind the Altima didn’t stop

According to the Seattle Times, Washington State Troopers said this all started with the woman following the semi-truck. When the truck slowed down due to traffic, she too slowed down. But the truck behind her didn’t. 

It plowed into her, sliding it into the semi-truck in front of her. The force folded the rear of the Altima over the front half. That truck ended up on top of the car, which explains what you see in the photos. Looking at the images, can you even determine what kind of car this was?

State Troopers stopped bridge traffic for vibrations causing problems for the driver

Once the state troopers determined the driver was still alive they stopped traffic because it was causing the truck on top of the Altima driver to shake. We assume the shaking was causing extra pressure on the woman. That’s how confined she was. 

Once that wrecker lifted the semi off, the driver climbed out of the smashed car by herself. She said she was experiencing only minor chest and head pain. She was immediately taken to a hospital for treatment and recovery. 

As for the truck driver that started this whole drama? He was cited for “following too closely” to the car in front of him. That means he gets a fine of $189. Do you think that is too much or too little? 

Should everybody now be driving 2015 Altimas?

Our take is that everyone should now be driving 2015 Nissan Altimas. What other conclusion would you draw from this crazy crash? So, how did the 2015 Altima rate for crashworthiness? 

The IIHS gave it a Top Safety Pick. Its overall evaluation was a grade of “A.” Also its “structure and safety cage” received an A. The only category it got a so-so rating was for lower leg and footwell protection. In the case of this accident, that is not relevant. 

Obviously, the different agencies testing vehicles don’t consider the possibility of a car being folded upon itself. How often does this actually happen? But the lesson from this is that maybe you should consider the safety ratings of the vehicle you’re interested in buying. Or the one you already drive. You never know what some giant semi-truck might fold it onto you.