Image via Jerome Police Department
People are shocked by a photo of a Mazda crossover crushed by a large rock which fell on it. For some, they thought such a thing only existed in cartoons, particularly the Road Runner episodes. But the reality is signs that warn “Watch For Falling Rocks” aren’t installed just for fun.
Watch an old Volvo wagon crash into a Ferrari F40.
This incident went down on a mountain road outside of Jerome, Arizona. The remote town is situated in the mountainous area of the northern part of the state, about midway between Sedona and Prescott.
Along the sheer rock canyon walls, positioned at the precipice, are large rocks and even boulders which seem balanced precariously. While locals can treat the spectacles as just part of the landscape, even acting bemused by tourists who are freaked out by them, the reality is in the right conditions the rocks can come tumbling down.
In this case, it has been raining consistently and the erosion loosed the rock just enough to let gravity do the rest. One person on social media claims the driver, an elderly man, pulled off onto the shoulder of State Route 89A because the rain turned into a downpour, limiting visibility.
The guy obviously was trying to avoid getting into an accident on the canyon road, only to have a rock break free from the canyon wall above and fall on his car. Thankfully, it impacted the hood, which caved in and took the brunt of the blow. The windshield spidered and the front fascia as well as the fender were also damaged.
But the occupant cell of the Mazda seemed to be completely intact. Had the man pulled forward just a couple of feet or more, this easily could’ve been a fatal situation. Thankfully it wasn’t.
Keep this in mind the next time it’s storming and you’re in a canyon with rock walls.
Image via Jerome Police Department
