World

Is the Incredible Video of Manhole Cover Completely Flipping an SUV a Fake?

You can imagine the danger an open manhole could pose to a texting walker or perhaps a small sedan, but is it really dangerous enough to flip a Land Rover SUV? And what if the manhole is actually covered?

In this shocking footage from Russia, it appears the manhole starts off covered and then is caught by an SUV’s wheel, causing it to flip entirely.

Manhole Cover Catches SUV Wheel and Causes It to Flip Fake?

Check out the footage caught by another car’s dashcam:

Here’s the crash from another angle:

After the incident, spectators rush to help the driver out of the vehicle, who appears to be unharmed and goes about inspecting the SUV.

Manhole Cover Catches SUV Wheel and Causes It to Flip Fake?

View of the flip from the dash cam.

Manhole Cover Catches SUV Wheel and Causes It to Flip Fake?

Witnesses come to the driver's aid.

The Australian publication Canberra Times points out this freak SUV crash could be a fake, noting another video of the crash uploaded on April 26 has the dash cam timestamped as occurring in 2007. The poster of the video on YouTube states the dash cam timestamp is wrong and that it did in fact happen this past Thursday. The timestamp on this version says the incident did occur last week.

What do you think? Will you be weaving around manholes next time you hit the road?

[H/T: Jalopnik]

Comments (50)

1 2
  • jlondon53
    Posted on May 1, 2012 at 9:45am

    I don’t care when it was filmed, if it was staged, or what kind of vehicle. The fact remains that it could happen exactly like this. The type of vehicle has nothing to do with it. It’s the size of the wheel relative to the size of the hole – and speed. If the wheel can get far enough into the hole, and the speed is slow enough to allow the wheel to sink – but fast enough – a flip is inevitable. My wife hit an open and overflowing manhole during a rainstorm. Believe me, it’s potentially very bad. Completely destroyed the wheel and front end.

    Report Post »  
  • RedDawn2012
    Posted on May 1, 2012 at 5:47am

    It’s not a fake crash, but it WAS a setup. Dash cams aren’t exactly common in Russia, but the camera in the tree (or apartment window) that was looking DOWN at the EXACT spot of the flip seals the deal. Sort of the “building 7” of this “false flag” event.

    Report Post » RedDawn2012  
  • sanco
    Posted on May 1, 2012 at 12:53am

    It’s definately a fake… On blow-up I saw a 2“x2” heavy mesh metal rectangular screen covering the manhole. As the van ran over it, it exploded. You can see the screen with an approximately 12“ x 14” heavy metal cylinder attached ending up laying next to the windshield of the van!!!
    Apparantly the explosives were in the cylinder which were remotely exploded by the passenger of the following van who were also taking the pictures. Look again for yourselves if interested…FAKE…

    Report Post »  
  • Speaking-Monkey
    Posted on May 1, 2012 at 12:23am

    Looks real to me, SUVs are very unstable and should be illegal. Could have rolled that beast w/o hitting anything at that speed. High center of gravity, soft independent suspension, with inexperienced and stupid drivers. Suv’s and most vans are death traps, more dangerous than guns per capita and hands down the number one highest unnatural killer in the modern world. Pick-up trucks for example have a solid rear axle, lighter rear, lower center of gravity, and stiffer suspension. It disgusts me, your kids can be hooked on drugs, carrying a pistol while playing with matches and none that really matters anymore when you stuff them in an SUV which seriously endangers their lives and those around you more than the other 3 combined. ( ’cause you think SUVs are cooler than station wagons.) Even worse, SUV drivers are slaughtering innocent small car drivers, pets and pedestrians every day. If you think all of Newton‘s laws of gravity and inertia don’t apply to your 6000 plus pound vehicle (cause you paid extra) when hit a big hole or try to swerve from hitting that squirrel, then your too stupid to drive one or maybe just insane.

    Report Post »  
    • James Frazier
      Posted on May 1, 2012 at 2:26am

      You sir are absolutely wrong. I will take my Isuzu Rodeo (SUV) and drive it until it falls apart. Never once as it flipped or came near it.I have hit two deer with it and it has saved my life.If I had been in a Honda or any other little compact car the deer probably would have came up threw the windshield and caused horrible injuries.Read this link on the safety test done to disprove your theory http://tinyurl.com/7g5yytb

      Report Post »  
    • James Frazier
      Posted on May 1, 2012 at 2:31am

      You are wrong…. http://tinyurl.com/7g5yytb

      Report Post »  
  • Whitey4West
    Posted on April 30, 2012 at 7:26pm

    The wasn’t even a cover on the manhole….Looks to me like whatever it was that was laying over the top of the hole, got hung up in the rear and somehow made it flip??

    Report Post »  
  • majasdad
    Posted on April 30, 2012 at 7:16pm

    Who gives a shite.

    Report Post »  
    • Weiners Wiener
      Posted on April 30, 2012 at 7:40pm

      YOU do. That’s what you read the story and responded with your stupid little comment. Seriously, someone needs to invent a unique new term for people just like you, who go out of their way to 1) click on a link, 2) read an article, then 3) post things like, “I don’t care..”, etc. Obviously you DO care or you wouldn’t have done all that. Grow up.

      Report Post »  
    • AManOnceSaid
      Posted on April 30, 2012 at 11:42pm

      A Man Once Said:
      “Those who use the wrong head to control their emotion are usually the creator of STUPID children”
      The first one would be the communist CHINESE with 1.3 billion dumbasses running in a circle chasing their tails
      The second would be slum dog INDIAN with 1.2 billion mindless, curry-smelly beggars who don’t give a sh** about anybody else but themselves, like you majasdad

      Report Post » AManOnceSaid  
  • neffy812
    Posted on April 30, 2012 at 6:15pm

    I design manholes for a living, and I can tell you for sure that this is fake. Manhole covers are flat and round. You can see the manhole “cover” rolling on the road after the vehicle stops rolling, and it’s just a small metal cylinder with a flat wire grate on top of it. Also, if there was really enough pressure behind it to flip an SUV, it would have blown off the other covers in the street. All of those manholes are connected by pipes, so the pressure would have been distributed almost equally between all of the manholes.

    Report Post »  
    • Cemoto78
      Posted on April 30, 2012 at 6:43pm

      How many different sizes of manhole covers are there? Must be an interesting profession. I imagine there is a whole lot of other things you must have to consider when designing manholes and how far apart they must be etc., sounds extremely interesting.

      Report Post » Cemoto78  
    • 4xeverything
      Posted on April 30, 2012 at 9:18pm

      @CEMOTO78

      Were you being sincere or an @ss? Either way your comment was hilarious.

      Report Post » 4xeverything  
  • GrumpyCat
    Posted on April 30, 2012 at 5:44pm

    I agree the front wheel did not hit the manhole cover square but this give credence to the cover being knocked off, catching under the rear and flipping the vehicle.

    The vehicle would not flip if a wheel fell in a hole. Something had to jack it up to throw it over and a manhole cover is just the thing.

    I once ran over a screwdriver with a motorcycle. Front tire flipped it up. Blade wedged on my engine. Handle bit into the ground. Punched nice 3/4″ diameter hole in my engine. Similar to what happened above. I don’t believe it is fake.

    Report Post »  
    • HisNameWasRobertPaulson
      Posted on April 30, 2012 at 8:37pm

      Your motorcycle can fall on its side and you can pick it back up. If your van did the same thing, you could not pick it back up. A matter of simple physics shows that your analogy is misplaced. Honest, but misplaced.

      The mass of the van multiplied by the speed of the van would take an enormous blow to lift the van like that. It did not come from the manhole. This is a setup. Standard hollywood style effects.

      Just take a look at any old tv show or movie. You will see the same type of effect.

      Report Post »  
    • RedDawn2012
      Posted on May 1, 2012 at 5:38am

      The vehicle would not flip if a wheel fell in a hole? Wrong! In ‘61 my horse was galloping full speed in the desert of WY, and, when he stepped in a hole, he flipped head over heels while I rocketed off like shot out of a cannon, luckily with no harm done to either of us. In ‘04 the same thing happened when I was on a 20″ folding bike and barreling down a steep hill. I hit a speed bump with sand in front of it that I hadn’t seen. The front wheel instantly went sideways, the bike flipped over forward, and once again I rocketed out like I’d been shot from a cannon, this time with lots of road rash and pain. If that SUV’s left front tire had entered that hole, it would have flipped in exactly the manner it did. However, I’ve played if over and over in slo mo, and it seems that the tire just misses the hole to the left, so it’s still a mystery to me.

      Report Post » RedDawn2012  
  • The_Postal
    Posted on April 30, 2012 at 4:22pm

    I love how these video‘s come out and the comments below you’d think everyone was universally a crash test expert with a degree in advanced physics.

    Looks real enough to me, but I’m not going to spend the next 10 minutes watching it repeatedly to come up with some Bullcrap, halfbaked, and utterly worthless explanation why it is or isn’t real.

    Report Post » The_Postal  
  • deskpilot
    Posted on April 30, 2012 at 3:41pm

    In the HIGH view angle, (un-enlarger) place your video slider @ the 0:20 mark. note the pattern on the forward left quacdrant of the manhole cover. Note that after the flip, it is missing. Could that be an electronic trigger “keyboard” type mat? Either that, or the left side of the rim of the cover fails as the front wheel rols over it and flips cover up, and it jams into the suspension or chassis. Moving force of SUV meets immovable force of jammed cover ~COULD~ result in flip.

    Report Post »  
  • The-Monk
    Posted on April 30, 2012 at 3:22pm

    Jealous wife trying to get rid of her cheating husband and filmed it to re-watch over and over… (Pun intended)

    Report Post » The-Monk  
  • The-Monk
    Posted on April 30, 2012 at 3:02pm

    FAKE!!!! The manhole cover was on before he went over it and his tires did not run over it. Also, his front tires pass the covered manhole before the SUV flies up.

    Looks like someone planted something in the manhole that went upwards, struck the center-rear under carriage that caused the flip. Sorry, this was staged.

    Report Post » The-Monk  
  • The-Monk
    Posted on April 30, 2012 at 2:44pm

    That’s not a Land Rover…. it’s a Land Rover-over-over-over.

    Report Post » The-Monk  
  • FreedomsQB
    Posted on April 30, 2012 at 2:43pm

    Fake !!! If it were real the tire and wheel that went into the hole and flipped the van would have been DISTROYED! Instead you could see as the vehicle rolled that they were perfectly intact, in line and free rolling. Fake, Fake, Fake as Elaine on Seinfeld would say!

    Report Post » FreedomsQB  
  • uspsureshot
    Posted on April 30, 2012 at 2:31pm

    So am I the only one who sees smoke shooting up from under the manhole cover? Looks rigged to me.

    Report Post »  
  • Le Sellers
    Posted on April 30, 2012 at 2:21pm

    This looks like a job for Mythbusters. Is there a Hyneman in the house?

    Report Post » Le Sellers  
    • The-Monk
      Posted on April 30, 2012 at 3:05pm

      Are you sure his name isn’t spelled Hinnieman? : )

      Report Post » The-Monk  
  • THX-1138
    Posted on April 30, 2012 at 1:03pm

    Real.

    Car caught the wire (rebar?) mesh welded to the top of the man hole “sleeve” at the top of the hole. There was no cover, just the mesh. The “sleeve” ends up right next to the car when it stops. You can see the mesh on top of it.

    Report Post » THX-1138  
    • The-Monk
      Posted on April 30, 2012 at 3:19pm

      Looks like that road drains in the center and not at the sides like most roads. The heavy mesh is the cover. But, his tires never travel over the manhole. Also, the “sleeve” looks like it has a smaller diameter than the manhole. I think this was a staged prank on an unknown, random, person.

      Report Post » The-Monk  
    • THX-1138
      Posted on April 30, 2012 at 3:35pm

      Tire/Wheel didn’t catch, the front end did. It rolls over the hole and some front end part (not familliar with exactly what’s under that model) caught the mesh (which may well have been bent up in hopes of causing this exact thing). When it pulled the steel sleve out of the hole it threw the ass end of the truck straight up (as you might expect).

      Don‘t know if it was a set up but it’s not “fake” (and I bet the driver has the bruises to prove it)…

      Report Post » THX-1138  
  • COFemale
    Posted on April 30, 2012 at 12:59pm

    If it was not staged why would their be a video rolling in a vehicle behind. How many vehicles arbitrary films other vehicles for the heck of it?

    STAGED and FAKE.

    Report Post » COFemale  
    • SoiledDove
      Posted on April 30, 2012 at 2:19pm

      You’re kidding, right? Ever heard of a dash cam? People film for the same reasons cops do–evidence. I think it’s a little paranoid to have a dash cam running all the time myself, but to each his own. The mere fact that someone happened to be filming the accident does not prove it is a fake.

      Report Post »  
  • Razlord
    Posted on April 30, 2012 at 12:36pm

    NSI Instructional Video: Public Photography is Terrorism
    http://www.infowars.com/nsi-instructional-video-public-photography-is-terrorism/
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=41o1zTxmH_A

    Report Post »  
    • Razlord
      Posted on April 30, 2012 at 8:45pm

      LIBSALWAYSLIE,

      i‘m sorry did i hurt it’s fargin feelings?

      come back when yours drop.

      Report Post »  
  • Razlord
    Posted on April 30, 2012 at 12:27pm

    here is an idea …why dont you investigate it , instead of doing half azsed journalism.

    every dam article left wide open, no investigation , no facts, nothing.

    why dont you vet obama/soetoro/brouhnel/whatever his dam name is…
    real dam lame blaze.

    Report Post »  
  • Cruelnunusual
    Posted on April 30, 2012 at 12:17pm

    Obviously staged, there are TWO videos of it?

    Report Post » Cruelnunusual  
  • bikerr
    Posted on April 30, 2012 at 12:01pm

    In the bottom video the cover is on. The tire track doesn’t line up with cover.Suv flips after the hole. Looks like a device flips the vehicle.Movie prop?

    Report Post »  
  • Its_coming
    Posted on April 30, 2012 at 11:58am

    looks more like they hit a piece of invisable matter strand – only thing I could come up with…

    Report Post »  
  • LIBSALWAYSLIE
    Posted on April 30, 2012 at 11:52am

    if its fake, its very well done.

    Report Post » LIBSALWAYSLIE  
    • AmazingGrace8
      Posted on April 30, 2012 at 1:35pm

      Agree.
      Refreshing it shows a sunny day somewhere in Russia (secret location), showing leaves on the trees, no snow, no heavy coats, no fur hats. Who would have “thunk-it ?” Must be propaganda because I saw the movie Dr. Zhivago & if I remember right, there was only 30 days of spring/summer and the rest of the days in the year were never-ending, WINTER! LOL

      Report Post »  
  • Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
    Posted on April 30, 2012 at 11:48am

    Lets see, this is alleged footage of an accident occuring in Russia…

    Russia – enough said.

    Report Post » Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}  
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