Before we get started, this article is about a woman surviving a one in a million accident. There's footage. It's jarring, to say the least. If that sort of thing bothers you - proceed with caution.
Authorities in Melbourne, Australia are working feverishly trying to figure out the cause of a freak accident. Nella Lettieri, 53, was driving along the Tullamarine highway during evening rush hour on Monday. Without warning, the highway sign dropped down in front of her. There was no avoiding the sign - it created a 20 x 15 foot wall of metal in front of her before toppling forward, crushing her SUV beneath it. Thankfully, Nella was fine.
Her car, though... not so much.
9 News
Highway safety authorities say the sign was installed at the end of 2017 and was regularly and properly maintained. They don't have any answers about how the sign failed or whether other signs that were installed at the same time are also at risk of falling. Teams were out at multiple locations inspecting signs for most of the next day.
All of that is intense enough, but it's about to take a turn. Driving behind Nella was Ali Murad, who just so happened to have a dash cam. When we say behind, we don't mean a few cars back. We mean directly behind. He watched the whole thing go down from his front row seat and is very aware that it could have been him. Ali missed death by inches as far as he is concerned. He told 9 News "she was driving a big SUV, I was driving a smaller car… it would've crushed my car."
The footage is jarring.
VIDEO: Woman narrowly escapes death when sign plummets onto freeway in Melbourne, Australia https://t.co/l7Gb460CzB— BNO News (@BNO News) 1547007485.0
Twitter reacted to the footage with a healthy dose of disbelief and shock... and that trademark Twitter wit.
Yet another way that Australia will try to kill you. https://t.co/UpAlaO1ctG— Us Against The World (@Us Against The World) 1547010839.0
Holy crap! I've never even thought of this happening before... https://t.co/xz3Lb4yHGP— John Dean (@John Dean) 1547003141.0
@ozwalled @BNONews @AJemaineClement Underrated reply.— are we the grail? (@are we the grail?) 1547051130.0
WHAT IN THE FINAL DESTINATION?! https://t.co/Y2XtPC5SXz— Kelly 🕷📚 • 81 (@Kelly 🕷📚 • 81) 1546998553.0
@JezzaThorne @BNONews Or the conversation with her supervisor/boss as to why she was late to work. Boss: You hones… https://t.co/8JJmOR03CZ— Carol W P (@Carol W P) 1547029134.0
@BNONews Me all over that injury claim https://t.co/yzwmajclBS— ceraunophile (@ceraunophile) 1547030160.0
@BNONews Why has no one mentioned how incredible her reflexes were?? Holy shit her reaction time was amazing— t (@t) 1547031052.0
@BNONews @JuiceGod23_ Me soon as I got out the car.... https://t.co/xTCKQvmrs6— Jasmine™ 🥰 (@Jasmine™ 🥰) 1547053440.0
@BNONews Add this to the list of my irrational fears, right after falling into a manhole— Candice Cane (@Candice Cane) 1547051693.0
No word on whether Nella went and played the lottery or hit a casino after finding out she was the luckiest woman in the world.