A highway accident scene begets a real-life ‘Dukes of Hazzard’ stunt

Photo via CBS Broadcasting Inc.

If you’re wondering why The Dukes of Hazzard has been trending on Twitter today, allow us to remind you of the pitfalls of distracted driving. The Georgia State Patrol released a harrowing video from last week showing a highway driver traveling full speed up a tow truck ramp and sailing through the air, before crashing into another vehicle and flipping end-over-end.

The source at WCTV Eyewitness News provided further context: The video was captured by the body cam of a Lowndes County Sheriff’s deputy who was assisting at a previous crash scene on Highway 84. On the opposite side of the highway, a 21-year-old driver mistakenly drove up the tow truck’s back ramp, presumably distracted by either the wreck or something in her vehicle.

According to WCTV, the car traveled approximately 120 feet in the air while flipping sideways before hitting another vehicle and then rolling down the road. Georgia police said the woman suffered serious injuries but survived. She was transported to South Georgia Medical Center.

Apparently, the incident is reigniting the conversation around Georgia’s so-called “Move Over Law,” which requires drivers to slow down and change lanes to add distance between their own vehicles and emergency transports, including tow trucks. The penalty for breaking the statute is a $500 fine and three points on the driver’s license — in addition to seeing your life flash before your eyes as you hurdle through a Grand Theft Auto setpiece.

Of course, Twitter doesn’t care about laws — it cares about guffaws. And now that we know the woman survived, the internet has no compunction about pointing out how similar her accident is to various stunts in the old Dukes of Hazzard TV show.

For the uninitiated, the series ran from 1979 to 1985 and garnered consistently high ratings, largely due to the law-evading antics of its two Georgian heroes, Bo and Luke Duke. The duo drove a 1969 Dodge Charger with a bright orange paint job and a Confederate flag painted on the top, known as “The General Lee.” Their nemeses were corrupt authorities who sought to bring the cousins down at all costs.

Want a visual aid? See below:

We know what you’re thinking: “Georgia boys who drive recklessly and promote the Confederate Flag? I’m rooting for the cops.” But you may fail to grasp just how comfortably reliable it was to see the Duke boys narrowly escape the law by using various rural standbys as ramps: grassy hillsides, chicken-hut rooftops, hay bails, etc.

Many Twitter users commented on the similarity:

Everyone lived. Pay attention while driving. Having a confederate flag and calling your car the General Lee are not the only parts of the Dukes of Hazard you shouldn’t emulate. https://t.co/uXS3HI0QL2

— Classic McDavid (@henchman21) May 31, 2023

Ok I don’t see cones or anything behind the tow truck, I think Ms. Dukes of Hazard is gonna come away with some $$$ https://t.co/lgVlxOs20x

— ????????????¯_(seth)_/¯???????????? (@sethdontsurf) May 31, 2023

But the user below managed to frame the news perfectly:

????#UPDATE: After multiple requests the dukes of hazzard theme song has been added. Thankfully no one has died and the female driver is hospitalized with serious injuries pic.twitter.com/2cPyWWiHvg

— R A W S A L E R T S (@rawsalerts) May 31, 2023

There you have it: The reason people are suddenly talking about a really old show featuring a character literally named Boss Hogg. We wanted to tell you before you mistakenly watched the 2005 Dukes of Hazzard film or its sequel, which perfectly capture the ethos of a car wreck but for all the wrong reasons.

About the author

Matt Wayt

Matt lives in Hollywood and enjoys writing about art and the business that tries to kill it. He loves Tsukamoto and Roger Rabbit, and thinks snap zooms in CG shots are tacky.