Dramatic CCTV footage from Romania’s northwestern city of Oradea has stunned residents and gone viral online: a Mercedes-Benz, speeding the wrong way into a roundabout, suddenly flies into the air, hurtling over a bus and two cars before crashing through a pole and slamming into the side of a building. The cause? Authorities say the 49-year-old driver suffered a diabetic episode, causing him to faint and lose control at high speed. Neighbours nearby said the crash sounded like a thunderclap.
A Sudden Medical Emergency, a Dramatic Flight
The Mercedes was seen on security cameras racing far faster than surrounding vehicles just before impact. Investigators say the out-of-control car struck the concrete rim of the roundabout, sending it soaring more than 100 feet into the air. Miraculously, the “flying car” narrowly missed a surveillance camera as it spun over a bus, two cars, and then slammed violently into a pole and the wall of a sports facility. The impact left a gaping hole, with emergency crews quickly rushing to extract the injured driver.
Despite the dramatic nature of the accident and the mangled wreckage, doctors say the man—whose name was not released—sustained several fractures but, against all odds, no life-threatening injuries. He was transported urgently to hospital, and many online are already calling his survival miraculous.
License Suspended, Investigation Ongoing
After the incident on Wednesday, local police wasted no time in responding. The driver’s licence was suspended for 90 days, and authorities slapped him with a fine of 1,600 Romanian leu (about Rs 27,000 or £274). An official investigation remains ongoing.
Under Romanian law—as in much of the EU—drivers living with diabetes are required to demonstrate appropriate management of their condition, including awareness of hypoglycaemia risk. Those who repeatedly experience episodes like this may be deemed unfit to drive.
While the bizarre crash has drawn international headlines—some joking that Romania may have produced its first “flying car”—it has also sparked renewed discussion about stricter medical monitoring and testing for drivers at risk of sudden health-related incidents on the road.
