The other day, TikToker Aaron Brown (@killintime1995) found out that one of his childhood friends had tragically passed away in a car accident involving a runaway vehicle.
Now, the shocking news has inspired him to share some important tips on what exactly to do if you ever end up in a similar situation.
“I read through how she passed away, and it made me so sad because I know that if I were in that car, she would still be alive, and because of that, I want to tell you what you can do to stay alive if you have a runaway vehicle,” Aaron said.
Your first course of action is to refrain from panicking and steering the car wildly if the accelerator in your car sticks. Instead, grab your gear shift and put it into neutral.
That way, your transmission will be in neutral, stopping the engine from running away. The engine will just be revving loudly and not driving your wheels, causing the vehicle to slow down.
Then, you can push on the brakes, pull over, and turn the car off. He is warning everyone not to try driving out an accelerating runaway vehicle because it will only result in death.
“I just wanted to put this out there and maybe hopefully someone will see this and will learn how to save their life,” Aaron said.
“All it takes is two seconds, grab that shifter, put it in neutral. That’s it. The car will begin to slow down. Slam on that emergency brake. Slam on your brakes after you’ve done that, and you will be okay.”
Many commenters thanked Aaron for using his platform to spread awareness and possibly save countless lives. Several TikTok users also described their own terrifying experiences with runaway vehicles.
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“Happened to my mom when I was a kid. The car wouldn’t stop, and the brakes weren’t working. We were going through a busy intersection, and this man yelled out of his window for her to put it in neutral and then use the emergency brake. One of the scariest moments of my life,” shared one user.
“This is life-saving info. This happened in my Chrysler going down a mountain in VA with my small toddler in the back. I was going almost 95 mph. Threw it in neutral, and it slowed down, and I could brake and turn it off. I threw my blinkers on also, so everyone would avoid me,” commented another.
“This happened to me and my husband in his car when we were first dating, 15 years ago now. He did this exact thing. Threw it into neutral. Braked until we were safe, and he turned it off. It was so, so scary. Stay safe out there, friends,” chimed in a third.
By Emily Chan
Emily Chan is a writer who covers lifestyle and news content. She graduated from Michigan State University with a degree in... More about Emily Chan
