No, that bollard didn’t budge. She backed into it fast enough to shoot the SUV straight up the bollard, it clears the bumper, and BAM! — the SUV dropped down on the bollard. That bumper should have crumpled, but it was rugged and rounded enough to deflect the impact downward or, equal and opposite reaction, send the vehicle upward. Traffic bollards are still tough enough to stand up to SUVs, but not tall enough to be seen by the drivers.
This is the right answer. Bollards made of concrete and steel are designed to stop cars. There is no elasticity in that bollard. If she bent it, it would’ve stayed bent.
Check the bottom of the bollard, it looks visible damaged where it meets the ground, like it had bent backwards towards the camera.
I think the OP is right. It wouldn’t need elasticity; it got bent down just far enough for the back end of the car to ride up on it, then when they pulled forward it dragged the bollard upright, at which point it punched through the floor.
My guess is the metal had begun to rust where it meets the ground, and then some freeze thaw cycles crumbled the concrete, leaving it weak right where it meets the ground.
Yeah there’s not nearly enough damage to the back of the car for it to have hit so hard as to launch it into the air. Plus you can see yellow paint on the ground where the bollard was clearly laid over. OP is right.
The thing is it ended up almost perpendicular to the ground. No bend at all. To have the car pull forward and bend it back that way is a heck of an ask.
How fast was she supposed to be to jump up at least a meter, come to a dead stop, drop down… but have no more than a scratch on the impact zone?
First, I didn’t say it came to a dead stop before it dropped. I think the impalement killed its momentum. Second, fast probably wasn’t the right word, but she hit the gas hard enough to climb that bollard. I was thinking she just plowed into it, but she might’ve backed into it slowly, got stopped, didn’t know why, then pressed down harder on the gas. That would explain the minimal impact.
My guess is it wasn’t speed. It’s probably an all-wheel drive car and the front wheels are really close to the front.
So a stubborn driver could tap the bollard, get mad their car stopped, then after contact hit the gas hard and ride up the bollard while still keeping traction on the front wheels because they’re never pushed off the ground. The bumper would take less damage because after the first push most of the motion is upward.
How does it ride up the bollard when we assume the bollard does not budge?
Seriously, you can even see the damage on the bollard, it is clear that it got bend down.
but not tall enough to be seen by the drivers
They’re the height of a child and also high-vis yellow. You need More Proof someone’s not paying enough attention to pilot 2 tonnes of metal?
One thing to note is that if the vehicle being driven wasn’t an SUV, that bollard would have easily been seen through the rear view mirror. Looks like the bollard is ‘just’ low enough to stop below the top of the rear seats. SUVs bad.
I believe that all cars sold in the US since 2016 have been required to have back-up cameras.
someone’s not paying enough attention
That’s one way of looking at it.
Another would be, its evidence of bad vehicle design & inadequate visibility from the driver’s seat.