Smokey And The Bandit
On August 1, the Naphys family were headed out on a happy day trip to Cape May, New Jersey to do some shopping and dining. To get to the quaint Jersey shore town they had to cross the Middle Thorofare Bridge, which connects Wildwood and Cape May. That’s when an error by the bridge operator caused the drawbridge to open with the Naphys stuck on the inclining bridge. Terence Naphy, the dad who was driving their Toyota RAV4, saw no other choice but to go all “Dukes of Hazzard” and jump the drawbridge.
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The family’s SUV was on the steel grate when the bridge began rising approximately 3 to 6 feet in the air. The father was worried that the full tilt would cause the RAV4 to plummet 65 feet to the water below. With his wife, daughter, and daughter’s friend in the vehicle, he wasn’t about to chance it, so he gunned it and jumped the rising drawbridge with a large ship crossing underneath. “He accelerated, and of course then we landed with a big impact on the concrete on the other side,” said Jackie Naphys. He successfully jumped the bridge, nobody suffered any injuries, but the RAV4 did suffer over $10,000 worth of damage from the ambitious jump, a small price to pay considering the alternatives. “I’m thankful we’re still here because I think if we went in the water or stayed on the bridge, we wouldn’t still be here, or we’d be seriously, seriously injured,” said Terrence Naphys.
“The Cape May County Bridge Commission and the County of Cape May are currently conducting an investigation into the situation that occurred on August 1st at the Middle Thorofare Bridge. We take the safety of the traveling public very seriously and systems are in place to prevent incidents like the one that has been reported from occurring. Once the results of our investigation are complete we will take any and all necessary action to ensure the continued safety of our customers.”
“[The employee] advised me that he anticipated all vehicles being clear, and all rails being down, but wasn’t sure due to a strong sun glare,” the police report said.
Here is a recreation of events from that day using a clip from “Blues Brothers.”
Here is a recreation of events from that day using a clip from “2 Fast 2 Furious.”
Here is a recreation of events from that day using a clip from “Smokey and the Bandit.”
Here is a recreation of events from that day using a clip from “Dukes of Hazzard.”
In the end, all guys want to jump bridges with their car.