US

Bad Weather Driving: Viral Vid Shows Out-of-Control Crashes on Snowy Utah Road

We already showed you the first bad-weather driving video of the year last week, where drivers in Seattle couldn’t seem to figure out how to navigate a snowy road. There were no accidents in that one. But the one you’re about to see — the second viral bad-weather driving video of the year — has several.

A Utah man captured several cars unsuccessfully trying to drive down a local road. And when snow, icy roads, and cars mix, the result is a cringe-worthy video.

Car Crashes on Snowy Utah Hill

“It went from focusing on the snow falling to focusing on people sliding down the hill,” Rhee Braby told KSL-TV. “This is how it is the first hour of every snowstorm until the plows get here.”

Here’s what the video description says:

the video starts out slow but picks up, there are 3 curb hits, 1 360, about 6 accidents,3 cars in yards, and lots of cars out of control. Utah snow storm

This is how KSL describes it:

Another car did a 360. Moments later, a driver lost control, drove into a vacant lot and hit a tree. One pickup is seen driving too fast down 400 North.

“He’s got some speed,” says Brady as he shooting the video.

The driver almost made it down the hill but hit a curb and lost a hubcap. Another car drove off the road, ended up in the bushes and had to be towed out.

See for yourself:

Comments (134)

  • BagpipenAZ
    Posted on January 23, 2012 at 11:44am

    This is exactly why i moved from Utah to Arizona. Never moving back!!!

    Report Post »  
    • KickinBack
      Posted on January 23, 2012 at 12:53pm

      Would make a great Geico commercial.

      Report Post » KickinBack  
    • fulcrum
      Posted on January 23, 2012 at 1:05pm

      These are very likely idiots from CA who moved here recently and think that driving a 4 wheel drive vehicle makes them immune to the effects of snow and ice.
      We get thousands of them every year that moved here from southern states who do not know how to drive on snow or ice and make our body shop business community richer.

      Report Post » fulcrum  
    • KickinBack
      Posted on January 23, 2012 at 1:21pm

      @fulcrum

      Same here in MI where SUV stands for Stupidly Used Vehicle.

      Report Post » KickinBack  
    • B_rad
      Posted on January 23, 2012 at 1:32pm

      Yup, I routinely see 4WD vehicles in the ditch because people think it makes them invincible. Somehow they don’t get that 4WD does nothing to help you stop on ice.

      One comment to the author. Mr. Seidl, when you say “We already showed you the first bad-weather driving video of the year last week, where drivers in Seattle couldn’t seem to figure out how to navigate a snowy road”, you are giving the impression that the video shows Seattle drivers driving poorly. The video shows a very different thing. The drivers were confronted with ICY roads (the snow had very little to do with it), on which they couldn’t do a thing. That there were no accidents, I think, acquits the drivers in that video quite well.
      This video is a much better example of drivers doing all the wrong things. If we were to take evidence from just these two videos, it would seem Seattle drivers (who see very little snow) have done a far better job than Utah drivers, who should be well used to it.

      Report Post » B_rad  
    • JohnTwoFeathers
      Posted on January 23, 2012 at 2:02pm

      Gotta get home.. Gotta get home…Gotta four wheel drive…ice aint nothin to me…Gotta get home …WHAM….Ain’t gonna get home…Stupid people doing stupid things with no common sense of driving in bad conditions.

      Report Post »  
    • crackerone
      Posted on January 23, 2012 at 2:47pm

      Cue the Monty Python music.

      Report Post »  
    • crackerone
      Posted on January 23, 2012 at 3:25pm

      20 Car Pile up on South Carefree and Powers Colorado Springs (Benny Hill Version)

      Hope this cut and paste works.

      Report Post »  
    • rcw_68
      Posted on January 23, 2012 at 3:36pm

      Actually, the best thing to do is to put your car in low gear. However, when these kind of conditions happen, Nothing helps. All you can do is just hold on.

      Report Post »  
    • TheRev1776
      Posted on January 23, 2012 at 3:47pm

      I moved from Sunny South Florida straight to a Northern state with snow and actual seasons. I came with a rwd SUV, which I swear would be the death of me the first winter. Studded snow tires and 500lbs of sand in the back helped turn it into a more pleasant drive. After that I bought a FWD compact car with just snow tires on it for winter. Every first snow fall I find an lot and go crazy. Two reasons I do it: 1. it gives me a chance to push the vehicle and learn how it reacts to certain maneuvers and what type of snow do the tires enjoy. 2. I like to do doughnuts and drift so snow covered mall lots are great and safer then playing stupid on the roads.

      Point in all of this is I did what I had to do to learn how to handle weather I never experienced before.

      Report Post » TheRev1776  
    • little big man
      Posted on January 23, 2012 at 3:53pm

      You know a wise man once told me that when your car starts to slide on snow and ice put the car in neutral.
      If you keep the car in drive and have your breaks on the transmission keeps pulling the car, by putting it in neutral it disengages the transmission and stops pulling the car.
      It may not stop your slide, but it will let you control your car better. I know I live in the NE and do this all the time and it works.

      Report Post » little big man  
    • M1A2_Tanker
      Posted on January 23, 2012 at 4:06pm

      As a Colorado native (moved away at 23 (2003) due to CA folks) And now live in Arkansas, I can tell you first hand that the ice storms in the south are far worse than any ice or snow in Colorado. The folks in the south KNOW how to drive on ice. I will concede that there is not a whole lot of snow here so I can’t vouch for their snow driving abilities. But we get far more Ice than anywhere in Colorado. All 4WD gets you is 4 wheels spinning.

      Report Post »  
    • Cynic-clinic
      Posted on January 23, 2012 at 8:42pm

      The cars that perform best in snow are those that are balanced 50-50 by weight-50% of total weight in front and the same in the rear.. Those that are front-heavy are the most uncontrollable and those with too much weight in the rear are most likely to get stuck. Once the 50-50 is achieved in a 4-wheel drive vehicle, you have the best for snow. You can weigh the front and rear at any public scale and add sand bags in the rear if necesary.

      Report Post »  
  • searscho
    Posted on January 23, 2012 at 11:30am

    I was there that Saturday evening just after a lot of this happened. The problem is that it was rainning all day and then abruptly turned into snow. It made the roads very slushy and then turned into snow over ice. Plus this hill is CRAZY steep! By the time we arrived, police cars were showing up to baracade the streets. The porblem was, that most of these people coming down the street don’t live up on the hill. They were there visiting the LDS Temple. When they drove up 2-3 hours earlier, it was probably fine. Just raining. But when they came out ready to head home, they were greeted with all this slushy slippery snow. Unfotunately this is pretty much the only way back down. The other road that heads out from the Temple is about as steep and probably saw just as many accidents. When we saw all of this chaos, we decided to not even chance it and we headed back home. So glad we made it in one piece.

    Report Post »  
    • tmbell87
      Posted on January 23, 2012 at 2:52pm

      Looks like they forgot to pray for a safe trip home. Or better yet, they didn‘t get god’s message to stay home in the first place.

       
    • Bishop_RomneyCare
      Posted on January 23, 2012 at 6:15pm

      Was Bishop Romneycare speaking?

      Thats a lesson: avoid a Romney at all costs, in Utah, Florida, Mexico – ANYWHERE. Slippery and slimy, just like the snow.

      Report Post »  
  • COFemale
    Posted on January 23, 2012 at 11:26am

    We had a similar snow storm last year where we had ice mixed with snow and watched a semi slide down a hill a little steeper and shorter than this hill. People do not use common sense when it snows and yes many of these people can be Florida transplants. Depending on the location in Salt Lake, many could be stationed at Hill AFB.

    Report Post » COFemale  
    • searscho
      Posted on January 23, 2012 at 11:35am

      This was in Bountiful Utah. About 20 minutes from Hill AFB.

      Report Post »  
    • cemerius
      Posted on January 23, 2012 at 1:27pm

      Yeah same thing here in Florida when it rains all the “Northerners” do 5 mph on the interstates….weather is weather and no matter how “seasoned” you are if you are NOT paying attention you are an idiot! I just “threw” that Northerner comment out there because there are many states that do not have to deal with snow not just Florida! Heck, people are idiots even when the sun is shining and the birds are chirping….pretty good advice to EVERYONE the damn cell phone does not out rule the act of driving!! Been behind too many that are bobbing and weaving and doing 5-10 mph below the speed limit!!! ******* jack driver’s licensed people!

      Report Post » cemerius  
  • SFsuper49er
    Posted on January 23, 2012 at 11:11am

    Wasn’t much snow there but when you get that small layer of wet ice under it you can be going 2 mph and have a hard time with it… Lets psycho analyze it… Wet ice surface, 32-33 degrees = Very slippery… Very cold dry ice, 0 degrees or minus 0 = Not so slippery… (Example … Ever have a ice cube stick to your fingers or go out early on a cold morning and have the ice crackling under your feet… That‘s because it’s very dry and very cold. You can get some grip on this but wet ice… Park it ! The temperature outside tells the smart driver the story on how to drive on it.

    Report Post »  
  • Bucky007
    Posted on January 23, 2012 at 10:58am

    -Southern CaliforniaTransplants!
    -Newt Gingrich supporters!
    -Laura Ingraham, Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity and Ben Stein lovers!
    -
    Question of the week….
    Will Rush, Sean, Ben and Laura start “wearing protection” while engaging in their slobbering love affair of their Deliverance Fatboy Newtie?

    I guess physical health is no longer an issue with our Presidential candidates?

    Report Post »  
    • mlebates
      Posted on January 23, 2012 at 11:30am

      FYI… I lived in Utah for 5 years… I may have met 3 “CA Transplants” the whole time I lived there. Most everyone are Utah natives… I think it’s hilarious when Utah people try to blame the bad driving on other people, when in fact it’s THEM that suck!!!

      Report Post »  
    • one.dakine.howlie
      Posted on January 23, 2012 at 11:42am

      MLEBATES, come on over to my street here in Utah. I can introduce you to at least ten different families ON ONE STREET that are from SoCal. I’m not saying that SoCal transplants are the only ones to blame for crappy driving but my highway patrol brother-in-law can testify to the majority of snow-related accidents involve drivers that have lived here less than five years.

      Report Post »  
    • vrwconspire
      Posted on January 23, 2012 at 12:40pm

      Since when is Rush showing support Newt? He does support ANY of them over Obama. Might want to bone up on your facts first.

      Report Post »  
  • MS-GlenNBC
    Posted on January 23, 2012 at 10:40am

    Newt Gingrich caused this Progressive Snow Storm !!!!

    Glenn told me so…. So it must be….. The truth lives here.

    Report Post » MS-GlenNBC  
    • NeoFan
      Posted on January 23, 2012 at 10:49am

      Soros is a loser.

      Report Post »  
    • nelbert
      Posted on January 23, 2012 at 10:57am

      Well. That was a fairly pointless comment. I thought you would at least blame Bush for the snow.

      Report Post » nelbert  
    • MS-GlenNBC
      Posted on January 23, 2012 at 2:56pm

      No….

      Glenn says it is Gingrich that is the most dangerous. Even as dangerous as the Nazi’s killing 11 million people.

      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iGFxEupRK0E

      Bush was never as dangerous and Glenn Beck has made Gingrich out to be.

      Report Post » MS-GlenNBC  
  • NowSaying
    Posted on January 23, 2012 at 10:39am

    The Utah man who filmed this should be held responsible for most of the damage. Instead he should have attempted to warn or stop the drivers. The insurance companies should look into him. This society only wants entertainment at whatever cost.

    Report Post »  
    • NeoFan
      Posted on January 23, 2012 at 10:49am

      You should pay for it because you commented on it.

      Report Post »  
    • nelbert
      Posted on January 23, 2012 at 10:55am

      You’re as fruity as a nut cake.
      I thought the guy did pretty well shouting out warnings. I saw a couple people take heed appropriately.

      Report Post » nelbert  
    • JP16
      Posted on January 23, 2012 at 11:10am

      While warning drivers would have been a better thing to do, it ultimately lies on the drivers to recognize the dangers of the road. Maybe even a call to the police to state how dangerous that section of road was to see if they could get a plow there faster or get a police officer to block off the road.

      Report Post »  
    • one.dakine.howlie
      Posted on January 23, 2012 at 11:31am

      Really? The ice, snow, steep mountain grade, and string of damaged vehicles wasn’t enough warning???

      Report Post »  
    • mlebates
      Posted on January 23, 2012 at 11:31am

      My friend has parents that live in that area. People were attempting to stop other motorists from going down the road… Like the typical utah person… they don’t listen and keep going.

      Report Post »  
    • Mommy_of_3
      Posted on January 23, 2012 at 1:22pm

      Always looking to blame someone else for others complete lack of common sense. That mentality is the one of the reasons our justice system is a joke.

      Report Post »  
    • B_rad
      Posted on January 23, 2012 at 1:46pm

      @NowSaying, WHAT?!? So the guy filming this was supposed to risk his life to climb to the top of the hill and what, wave down people in their cars?? How many would have paid any attention to him, assuming he could have made it there in one piece with all the idiots barrelling down a snow-covered, icy hill? Get a grip, and stop trying to point fingers at someone, anyone, so the real people to blame have cover. Seriously, what an inane, immature, assinine thing to say.

      Report Post » B_rad  
    • NowSaying
      Posted on January 23, 2012 at 2:20pm

      Ok your right it was stupid to blame this guy but lets just stand around and let thousands of dollars of damage happen and many people get injured. Sounds like a Liberal agenda… no body does anything…sounds like you never want a serious crisis to go to waste. Maybe we need to ban snow. Buck up and take responsibility for your surroundings. P.S. if the camera guy got hit he would probability sue the driver.

      Report Post »  
    • NeoFan
      Posted on January 23, 2012 at 7:16pm

      @Nowsaying: Your a genius. Next time I will video you while you jump out in front of the cars to stop them.

      Report Post »  
    • B_rad
      Posted on January 23, 2012 at 8:10pm

      @NowSaying, thank you for admitting your error, that shows integrity. Though I’m not sure what the crack about not letting a good crisis go to waste is about. That said, you cannot know from this video that the guy filming took no action. He very well may have called the police or the street dept to alert them of the dangerous conditions. In fact, toward the end of the video, you see a street plow. Perhaps they got there when they did because this man, or his friend, called them, perhaps not. What we do know that he did was call out to people to alert them to dangers headed their way. Many people would not have done that much, unfortunately. I think he did what he could without endangering himself.
      Many of the drivers here were victims of circumstance and did nothing wrong, but quite a few did very stupid, dangerous things and should be cited. They are the ones to blame, not some guy with a camera.

      Report Post » B_rad  
    • iomegaboy
      Posted on January 24, 2012 at 12:56am

      That’s not logical.

      Report Post » iomegaboy  
  • AmericanStrega
    Posted on January 23, 2012 at 10:39am

    It‘s UTAH for Pete’s sake! What, did California and Florida all decide to visit on a snow day? Oh yeah, never stand on the brakes when in a slide. As my Dear Old Dad used to say, “Pump the brake, PUMP IT!” :0

    Report Post »  
    • B_rad
      Posted on January 23, 2012 at 1:55pm

      Not one of the vehicles in this video (with the possible exception of the Dodge Dakota that was going WAY too fast) was old enough to not have anti-lock brakes. In modern vehicles you DO NOT pump the brakes, the car does that for you far better than any driver can do themselves. On ice like this, ABS, or even a great driver pumping the brakes for all he‘s worth can’t do anything. There is nothing worse than hitting the brakes and feeling the car go faster. When you realize your brakes aren’t doing anything, it’s far better to let off and steer into the skid. You’re far more likely to have at least a little control. The problem is that it’s counterintuitive and not enough drivers have had serious training or practice to do what does not come naturally but might save your butt.

      Report Post » B_rad  
  • schroeder123
    Posted on January 23, 2012 at 10:39am

    so why doesn’t the city give a few bags of salt to the home owners ?
    They are out there anyway…give them the tools for a safe street .

    Report Post » schroeder123  
    • one.dakine.howlie
      Posted on January 23, 2012 at 11:34am

      Why would they do that when they have snow plows out there dumping it? Besides, salt is only going to do so much when you have an inch of ice on the ENTIRE street.

      Report Post »  
    • Yoselahonda
      Posted on January 23, 2012 at 3:44pm

      This was likely in the first hour of snow. Bountiful’s a pretty good sized city and I doubt you could expect them to have too fast a response time after business hours, on a Saturday when everybody is home.

      Report Post »  
    • AZ_CONSERVATIVE
      Posted on January 24, 2012 at 1:43am

      So you think the city should arm homeowners with rock salt and little fertilizer spreaders to salt the road? Hahahahahahaaaa. Well that would be safe!!!

      Report Post »  
  • TruthAlways801
    Posted on January 23, 2012 at 10:38am

    We haven’t had a lot of snow so the first few good snows of the season we see this stuff all over. We constantly have to watch out for the massive amounts of morons that think driving like normal is ok in snow-topped unplowed inclined ice rinks.. The reputation of Utah having bad drivers is for a reason, it isn’t a gratuitous title.. I am glad I work from home so I can avoid it most of the time.

    Report Post »  
  • Rabble In Arms
    Posted on January 23, 2012 at 10:29am

    If it wasn’t so stupid it would be funny.

    Report Post » Rabble In Arms  
  • NOT A CRAZY
    Posted on January 23, 2012 at 10:22am

    They don’t believe in studded snow tires in Utah, or what?

    Report Post » NOT A CRAZY  
    • mlebates
      Posted on January 23, 2012 at 11:34am

      Some people do… But they definitely don’t believe in chaining up when there is a bad snow storm.

      Report Post »  
    • one.dakine.howlie
      Posted on January 23, 2012 at 11:50am

      @MLEBATES Probably because only a moron would waste time putting chains on tires when there’s only two inches of snow on the ground and the majority of the roads are already plowed.

      Report Post »  
    • one.dakine.howlie
      Posted on January 23, 2012 at 11:54am

      This was also the first major winter storm for Utah this year and it‘s been above average temperatures all year which means most people still haven’t put there snow tires on yet. Also, it rained all day then suddenly turned into snow so everyone was taken by surprise.

      Report Post »  
    • B_rad
      Posted on January 23, 2012 at 2:01pm

      Something for you folks to consider is having your tires siped. Siping is making thousands of tiny little cuts in the rubber of the tread. I tried it the last time I put new tires on a vehicle and the difference was amazing. I was able to drive up my steep, snow covered driveway quite easily and noticed far more control in every scenario. Well worth the $5 per tire.

      Report Post » B_rad  
    • mlebates
      Posted on January 23, 2012 at 10:32pm

      One.Dakine
      I hail from NorCal (close to Tahoe) and we don’t use chains in town… Utah doesn’t require chains PERIOD. So going through mountain passes, on the highway where there is a SIGNIFICANT difference in snow depth. If there was a bad snow storm, I would chain up, and laugh at all the morons that slid off the road who thought they could go through the canyons w/ only the tred they had on their tires.

      Report Post »  
  • 80mesh
    Posted on January 23, 2012 at 10:15am

    all us good snow drivers are sittin home watchin the circus we wait till all the dummies have crashed and the plows have done their work

    Report Post » 80mesh  
    • smithclar3nc3
      Posted on January 23, 2012 at 10:34am

      Thats not snow iit’s ice covered in snow even with chains on your tires you have little control. Hell just the angle of the hill is enough

      Report Post »  
  • RightUnite
    Posted on January 23, 2012 at 10:14am

    Wow! That was hard to watch!! Hehehehe!! Glad I don’t have to drive into work!

    Report Post »  
  • Grillmark55
    Posted on January 23, 2012 at 10:07am

    One of the MANY reasons that I moved out of Minnesota!

    Report Post » Grillmark55  
    • RightUnite
      Posted on January 23, 2012 at 10:16am

      I’ve never seen it THAT bad in Minnesota, and I’ve lived here 54 years. Though that first snowfall of the year, it can be bad, but that video was REALLY bad! ;-)

      Report Post »  
    • OneTermPresident
      Posted on January 23, 2012 at 10:35am

      The snow? Never seen people in Minnesota do this.. they know when to hold em and when to fold em.. some of the best Winter drivers in the world for obvious reasons.

      Report Post » OneTermPresident  
    • Yoselahonda
      Posted on January 23, 2012 at 3:52pm

      Does Minnesota have any cities that literally are built on the side of a MOUNTAIN like Bountiful is? Rapid change in condition because the weather hangs around 32 instead of just steady 0 and a very steep hill equals a crash regardless of experience. The silly thing is that they built the city so high up the mountain in the first place.

      Report Post »  
  • kimwife91
    Posted on January 23, 2012 at 10:05am

    I live in Bountiful watched it rain hard all morning and then it abruptly turned to heavy snowfall, we were all caught off guard by this one. I stayed home used my food storage, stayed off the road.

    Report Post »  
  • Mommy_of_3
    Posted on January 23, 2012 at 10:02am

    I‘m glad I’m not the only one who laughed. I did get a little nervous when people on the street were in danger though. And even though I giggled (okay…I laughed), I still hope everyone was okay and there were no injuries!

    Report Post »  
    • gordonknapp
      Posted on January 23, 2012 at 6:09pm

      Always the ‘blame game’. In this weather, park it awhile and give the road crews time to clear things up. Take a nap, read a book, take a walk but PARK IT! “Read IS OVER THE ROAD TRUCKING FOR YOU?” truckingforyou.com

      Report Post » gordonknapp  
  • lukerw
    Posted on January 23, 2012 at 9:54am

    I was in San Fransico the year that it had Freezing Rain: it was a Hoot!

    Report Post » lukerw  
  • Atlanta Media Guy
    Posted on January 23, 2012 at 9:35am

    Great Video! I always wondered why people from the areas that get snow regularly would always laugh at us, in the south, when the ice and snow arrives. I always hear people say that it takes a special talent to drive in winter conditions. You think? See folks it doesn’t matter where it is, ice conditions are impossible to drive through. Stay at home next to the fire. I’m glad no one was hurt, with all the people walking around vehicles.

    Report Post »  
    • greensteam
      Posted on January 23, 2012 at 10:17am

      ice conditions are not completely impossible, in canada there is a sport called ice racing. its like drifting, only its on ice and much harder. people do it and make careers out of it. the race tracks are not set up to be easy, they are sloped and uphill, downhill. the cars are not too special. but most people should stay at home, unless it is life or death and they know what they are doing.

      Report Post »  
  • MikeIndia
    Posted on January 23, 2012 at 9:33am

    I think after the first 10 cars got smashed I would have blocked off the beginning of that road which looked like the top of a hill.
    Also, I wonder how many of those vehicles had bald tires.

    Report Post »  
    • AmazingGrace8
      Posted on January 23, 2012 at 9:52am

      Bald tires, could be, but driving winter roads, Mt., I can tell non-Mt. drivers because alot of times, with great tires…..they think having a 4×4, or front-wheel-drive, you can drive as fast as you can and stop on a dime! Kinda reminds me of the tourists who visit Yellowstone Park and try “roller-skating-in-a-buffalo-herd”. Glad no one was hurt!

      Report Post »  
    • searscho
      Posted on January 23, 2012 at 11:15am

      They did block off the roads. I was there that Saturday evening when it all happened. When we got to the steeper part of the hill, there were a bunch of police cars and baracades. The problem was that it just got nasty really fast. We just turned around and headed home.

      Report Post »  
  • westfayetteville
    Posted on January 23, 2012 at 9:26am

    You know it’s almost hard to feel sorry for some of these people

    Report Post » westfayetteville  
  • badswing
    Posted on January 23, 2012 at 9:25am

    not for anything but why are going so freaking fast??????

    Report Post » badswing  
  • isur5ed
    Posted on January 23, 2012 at 9:24am

    “He made it! . . oh, never mind.” This whole video is a mess . . . I must say, though, that a few of those drivers did especially well handling the drift in such bad conditions.

    Report Post » isur5ed  
  • SpankDaMonkey
    Posted on January 23, 2012 at 9:22am

    .
    Now that was funny………..

    Report Post » SpankDaMonkey  
  • Delta D-5-3
    Posted on January 23, 2012 at 9:19am

    Wow……..what what they all………18 and just got there licenses???? Thanks for the laughs Utah!!

    Report Post » Delta D-5-3  
    • Utahcatholic
      Posted on January 23, 2012 at 3:18pm

      I lived in NJ for 50 years before relocating to Utah 3 years ago.

      NJ drivers are some of the worst, aggressive, nasty, inconsiderate drivers on the road but Utah drivers are for sure the worst, mind-wandering, inattentive, brain-dead, tailgating, cell-phoning, texting, distracted and dangerous drivers on earth. I actually believe Utah drivers are worse than NJ drivers.

      Report Post »  
    • Utahcatholic
      Posted on January 23, 2012 at 3:41pm

      I would bet my house that half these drivers were on the cell-phone and/or texting as they started down the hill.

      Report Post »  

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