Several Cadillac crossovers were badly damaged recently while sitting on a dealer lot in Tampa Bay, Florida, after being hit by a wayward Nissan 350Z.
It’s difficult to estimate what speed the Nissan might have been doing when its driver lost control, reportedly at around 3:30 am on the day in question, but the momentum was sufficient to rip open some of the Cadillac crossovers, making it look as if they had been rammed by a tank. Others remained structurally intact, but are nonetheless fit only for salvage. The total value lost must run well into six figures.
Although the damage was in some cases immense, and surely not survivable, there is plenty of evidence that the Cadillac XT4 and Cadillac XT5 models involved reacted in the way that they should. Airbags went off, crumple zones crumpled, and energy was transferred away from the cabins to the greatest extent possible. The vehicles may not ultimately have coped well with a Nissan hitting them high up at what may have been well over the posted speed limit, but what other vehicles could?
Having had most of its kinetic energy absorbed by the Cadillac crossovers, the Nissan landed upside down and eventually burst into flames. It has been said that the driver emerged unhurt, apart from some minor scratches, though we have so far found no reports to confirm this.
But it’s possible. The fact that there were clearly so many impacts excludes the possibility that there was a single, catastrophic impact capable of causing a fatality. The structure of the Nissan remained intact even though the car was damaged beyond repair. And the fire might have started after the driver scrambled out of the vehicle. “Minor scratches” could easily be all that he (or she) suffered.
No footage appears to exist of the incident taking place, but a video of its aftermath has been uploaded to YouTube. Check it out below, secure in the knowledge that nothing more distressing than badly damaged autos appears at any point.
Be sure to subscribe to GM Authority for more Cadillac XT4 news, Cadillac XT5 news, Cadillac news and high-energy GM news coverage.
This post was created in collaboration with our sister publication, Cadillac Society.
Comments
I wanna cry.
Too much car, not enough driver. Find the miscreant and lock them up for a few years.
Hopefully they find the driver put him or her in jail for 5yrs, band them from getting another license or insurance. U cruise the streets race the tracks, street racing got to STOP
Looks like the nissan hit a sign and then went airborne. They were going very fast to do that.
This street racing and doing donuts in large intersections is getting really bad out here in California! These are mobs of people and if/when innocent drivers get entangled in this stuff, it will be really scary. But all that said, can you imagine being a family in that blue XT4 and being hit that same way? I’m not sure anyone could survive that. And for what?
Thankful this was an accident that didn’t involve any more humans THIS TIME.
To create that much damage 350z had to be making at least 150mph then hit the curb or something and gone airborne and landed on the caddies with that speed.
Hahn?…..
Racers gonna race!
Incredible. Lets hope that the Nissan sports car driver has a good insurance to pay for all those destroyed Cadillacs.
I bet he had no insurance.
Here’s the scoop: Too much horsepower not enough brains. I have an Alpha Romeo Stelvio 505 H/P. I don’t have to drive it 175 mph to believe it. Now there is a 2 sec 0-60 Tesla. God help us!
To bad the driver didn’t get pinned inside his vehicle, would have served him right.
I’m glad he wasn’t hurt, but there definitely should be consequences. Someone above called him a moron, and that’s entirely appropriate.
Dumba$$es gonna dumba$$.
Street racing is becoming a problem, police afraid of getting fired lawlessness thrives!
Can you say, IDIOT? Just plain stupid. This stuff has to stop. This is how innocent bystanders get killed. LOCK them up!!!!!!
Looked up “idiots”.. street racers at 3am in Tampa came up..
Where? Which dealership? I need facts.
Brilliant blog…
It seems like every day there is a report of a street racing accident here in LA. These fools not only put their own lives in danger (which would be no big loss) but the lives of innocent people.
BTW, the video has been removed.