--- title: "Watch an Avalanche of Runaway Lumber Wipe a Car Right off the Highway" date: "2024-12-06" modified: "2024-12-06" authors: - name: "Nico DeMattia" job_title: "Contributing Writer" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/nico-demattia" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/watch-an-avalanche-of-runaway-lumber-wipe-a-car-right-off-the-highway" categories: - "News" --- # Watch an Avalanche of Runaway Lumber Wipe a Car Right off the Highway ![Loose lumber destroys car on the highway in PA.]() *Derek Gooderham. ABC27* There's one thing that will pop into the minds of my fellow millennials when they first see this video: *Final Destination 2*. While this isn't exactly like the famous log scene from the 2003 movie, it still involves lumber falling off of a delivery truck and smashing into other cars. Fortunately, also unlike the movie, no one was hurt when an avalanche of falling wood swept a car away on I-83 in Pennsylvania. Uber driver Derek Gooderham was driving his passenger on I-83 when he and his dashcam saw a tractor-trailer crash on I-81, on the bridge above. As a result, its entire load of lumber was dumped down the embankment onto I-83 and it swept a car (a 2013-2016 [Chevy Malibu]()?) away in what looked like a tidal wave of 2x4s. The avalanche of lumber hits the car and carries it across an entire lane, the shoulder, and into the adjacent embankment. Thankfully, it seems the driver of the smashed car is OK. “I just saw him come out of the car,” Gooderham told *[ABC27]()*. “He was staggering up, raised his hand up, which I was assuming he was signaling that he was okay.” Additionally, the PennDOT didn't report any injuries from the incident. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJ46BEg8hHY While the crash into the embankment wasn't all that violent, getting hit at speed by falling 2x4s has devastating potential. Lumber like that can easily go through car windows at such speeds, so the driver was lucky they weren't hit by a board or ten smashing through the passenger windows or even the windshield. I'm sure they walked away pretty shaky, though, as a sudden wave of wood pushing you across the highway seems alarming, to say the least. Fortunately, only a few other cars were involved in the lumber avalanche but none were seriously affected by it. The video shows a pickup truck (possibly a [Chevy Avalanche]()?) ahead of the impacted car that could have caught a few stray splinters but it's hard to tell. If it did, the driver kept on driving anyway. And Gooderham was far back enough that he was able to stomp his brakes and avoid the falling lumber altogether. So only one car was involved and no one was injured in this strange, sudden, and incredibly dangerous accident. *Got tips? Send 'em to tips@thedrive.com* ## Author Nico is a writer and reviewer from New Jersey who probably thinks he’s a lot funnier than he actually is. His love of cars began when he was just a kid playing Gran Turismo 3, grinding out enough race wins with a Mazda Miata to save up for an in-game RUF 911. That passion for small, lightweight sports cars drove his desire to learn more about the industry, get his hands on as many cars as he could, and bring those experiences to life on the page. He cut his teeth writing about BMWs, Volkswagens, and Audis, mostly, and has owned far too many of each. He’s on his fourth 3 Series sedan, but all of his old, cheap German cars have forced him to learn more about car maintenance than his mechanical capability can handle. Too many late nights have been spent scrambling to get a car running by morning so he could get to work. For some reason, he never seems to learn that old Bimmers probably aren’t the best daily drivers. But he loves more than just old German cars. He’ll gladly drive and discuss anything with four (or even three) wheels. Cars aren’t his only passions, though. Nico is also a big nerd and loves movies, video games, comic books, and cares far too much about the New York Giants. So don’t be surprised if you see football references or dumb, obscure movie quotes in any of his car reviews. ### Author social links [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()