Vacationing Family Catapults Toyota RAV4 Over Open Drawbridge
Tough Toyota is able to drive away after Dukes of Hazzard-style stunt.
Admit it – you’ve always wanted to jump an open drawbridge. Whether your inspiration came from watching Dukes of Hazzard as a kid or from playing Grand Theft Auto, you’ve thought about it at least once. But in real life, we all know that you probably won’t escape such a stunt unscathed. More likely, you’ll end up injured, in jail, and/or with a totaled car.
Or maybe not. At least if you’re driving a Toyota RAV4, that is. Because, believe it or not, a vacationing family on their way to the Jersey Shore recently unintentionally pulled off a jump that the Duke boys would be proud of. It all happened after the driver, Terence Naphy, paid the toll to cross the Middle Thorofare Bridge in Cape May, New Jersey. But as he was crossing the bridge, he felt it rising underneath his Toyota RAV4.
Naphy was worried that the incline of the rising bridge would cause his RAV4 to plummet into the water 65 feet below. So he did what we’ve all dreamed of doing – nailing the gas and making the jump. Amazingly enough, no one was injured when the ‘ute landed on the other side. And the Toyota, incredibly, was able to drive away. It doesn’t even appear to have suffered any damage on the outside. The Naphys do say, however, that there’s suspension and frame damage underneath.
So how the heck did this all happen? The bridge’s operator told police that the sun’s glare blinded him when he checked for cars. NBC New York also discovered that there are no cameras on the bridge, and its radio communication was down at the time.
There’s no word yet on whether or not the family will receive compensation for the damage done to their RAV4. But it sure sounds like they won’t be attempting any more stunts any time soon. “I will never ever drive that bridge or probably any drawbridge again,” Terence told NBC New York. We can’t say that we blame him.
