This 2012 M5 was traveling at a top speed (approximately 186mph/300kmh) when the driver lost control of the car as he braked and swerved to avoid a car. As the driver of the M5 swerved to avoid a car which joined the highway aggressively (without noticing the oncoming BMW), the M5 struck the divider, bounced off and shot across the highway, where it flipped several times on the grass at the side of the A81.
The 60 year old driver, 20 year old passenger, and a dog were all seriously injured, but are alive. Judging by the severity of the damage to the car, it’s a testament to the M5’s safety technology that no one was instantly killed.
The car which cut off the M5 did not stop and fled the scene of the accident. The M6 and M3 on the scene belong to the M5 owner’s sons, who were traveling with the M5 at the time of the accident. One of the sons, seeing smoke coming from the M5’s engine after the crash, was able to prevent any more danger by using an extinguisher on the engine.
It’s easy to forget sometimes just how much power our BMWs have and while they are some of the safest cars in the world, we are all still human, capable of suffering injuries and making driving mistakes (or simply suffering bad luck). So please be safe out there!