# Car on the roof **URL:** \ **Category:** General Discussion\ **Tags:** saturn\ **Created:** [January 6, 2012, 11:19am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-on-the-roof/70294 "2012-01-06T11:19:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Scrabbler](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f04885/32.png) [@Scrabbler](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Scrabbler)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2012, 11:19am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-on-the-roof/70294/1 "2012-01-06T11:19:54Z")
[http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=news/national\_world&id=8490900](http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=news/national_world&id=8490900) Just had to post this one, since it’s car related, is very weird, and happened in CA, my home state. Guy apparently steals a car, drives too fast over some rocks, gets airborne, and lands on a roof. He has outstanding warrants and breaks his leg jumping off the roof trying to flee. No one else is injured. Curious to know how the physics worked on this one. I’d have thought most of the time either the person wouldn’t get airborne at all, or would flip, or would sail over the roof. Scrabbler ---
**Author:** ![MCBMW](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/91b2a8/32.png) [@MCBMW](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MCBMW)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2012, 12:37pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-on-the-roof/70294/2 "2012-01-06T12:37:37Z")
I’m surprised as well. Every time I’ve ever tried to take a car up any kind of natural ramp (I grew up in central Illinois, we didn’t have much else to do) the front end dropped like a ton of bricks, even if moving quite fast. I don’t know how he managed this, but all I can guess is that hitting the rocks and curb really fast must have popped him up really good. I’m guessing he would have had to be moving in excess of 60 to get it up there, couldn’t have hit the brakes either. I think the real question here is why would someone steal what looks like a late 90’s Saturn? ---
**Author:** ![dagosa](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/dagosa/32/9837_2.png) [@dagosa](https://community.cartalk.com/u/dagosa)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2012, 3:19pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-on-the-roof/70294/3 "2012-01-06T15:19:30Z")
Without seeing the surrounding area, we wouldn’t have a clue. If the accident report was difficult to piece together with that knowledge, it’s just a very entertaining photo for the rest us. At least you get a good idea why roofs are so "snow load " capable elsewhere. Good to see someone thought to put it in park and set the brake on an incline. At least this guy may get a job offer as a stunt driver when he gets out. Maybe he was auditioning ? ---
**Author:** ![JosephEMeehan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ecc23a/32.png) [@JosephEMeehan](https://community.cartalk.com/u/JosephEMeehan)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2012, 4:48pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-on-the-roof/70294/4 "2012-01-06T16:48:59Z")
The report I read indicated there was a soil berm and he was traveling very fast. I would guess he was also very drunk. ---
**Author:** ![oblivion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3ab097/32.png) [@oblivion](https://community.cartalk.com/u/oblivion)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2012, 12:38am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-on-the-roof/70294/5 "2012-01-07T00:38:46Z")
Pretty strong roof! ---
**Author:** ![wentwest](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/wentwest/32/6073_2.png) [@wentwest](https://community.cartalk.com/u/wentwest)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2012, 3:53am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-on-the-roof/70294/6 "2012-01-07T03:53:38Z")
Things can get pretty dull in Fresno. This ought to give everyone something to talk about for a few weeks. My theory is that the house saw the car coming, and it ducked down. ---
**Author:** ![jtsanders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c2a13f/32.png) [@jtsanders](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jtsanders)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2012, 4:33am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/car-on-the-roof/70294/7 "2012-01-07T04:33:12Z")
I’m glad that the White family is OK.