Driving off a cliff may be common in action movies, but it's generally not something carmakers consider when preparing their products for crash tests. Yet one Ford Focus did remarkably well in protecting its occupant during an 80-foot fall in Brighton, England.
Despite dropping his car into the ocean after swerving off a cliff-top road, the 33-year-old driver suffered only minor injuries, according to The Argus. This may be in part because the Focus cleared the promenade at the bottom of the cliff, which officials from the Newhaven Coastguard called "miraculous."
The driver was able to get out of the car on his own, but getting him to safety was a bit more difficult. He was placed on a stretcher at the bottom of the cliff and pulled up a series of ladders to the top. Swimmers were also deployed to search for survivors, although there apparently weren't any passengers in the car.
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The Focus was also recovered, showing the evidence of impacts at both the front and rear ends, but with the passenger compartment more or less intact. The cause of the incident is "under investigation," officials said.
The cause may be unknown, but how someone could walk away from an 80-foot fall in a small hatchback is probably worth looking into as well.
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