Police are investigating a bizarre situation where a woman was driving on the 405 with her trunk open and only three wheels. Hetty Chang reports for the NBC4 News on Oct. 6, 2022.
A bizarre sight with a shower of sparks was caught on camera Tuesday on the 405 Freeway in Orange County.
Chad Towersey watched in disbelief as an Audi SUV with only three tires and an open back hatch pulled alongside in a with sparks coming from the vehicle's right front brake rotor as it scraped on the asphalt. Towersey, of Costa Mesa, said the driver seem oblivious to the SUV's condition.
Towersey said the driver continued for several miles. He figured he had to do something about a potentially dangerous situation on a busy freeway.
"I was just dead set on trying to get her attention so I could get her off the road," said Towersey. "She looked over at me and just gave me this little wave like nothing was going on."
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Towersey confronted the driver after she exited from the freeway in Irvine, where he said she rear-ended another driver.
Irvine police said the responded to the scene of the crash. Police told NBCLA they did not see Towersey's video until the day after the encounter, so officers thought they were responding to a minor fender-bender.
The woman was not arrested, but police said the matter remains under investigation. A field sobriety test was conducted, but police said they did not have enough evidence to take the driver into custody.
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The SUV was impounded.
