Here is a piece of advice for those of you who drive through tunnels or over bridges: Please, don’t hold your breath.
It’s quite possible that you heard some piece of superstition that suggests you hold your breath in these situations. Perhaps you and a friend want to see who can hold their breath the longest as you travel through a tunnel. Whatever the motivation or the reason, know that it’s a bad idea.
If you don’t believe me, take it from 19-year-old Daniel J. Calhon of Snohomish, Wa.
Calhon told investigators on Sunday that he had fainted while trying to hold his breath as he drove through the Highway 26 tunnel located near Manning, Ore.
He held it until he lost consciousness, which resulted in a loss of control of his 1990 Toyota Camry.
OSP: Teen holding breath while driving through Oregon tunnel faints, causes crash. http://t.co/6HYG35GzJ5 #KOIN6News pic.twitter.com/SBQ6H9u7GR
— Brent Weisberg (@BrentKOIN) May 26, 2014
The Camry drifted across the centerline and then crashed head-on into a Ford Explorer. Shortly afterwards, a pickup truck ran into the back of the Camry.
Both Calhon and 19-year-old passenger Bradley Meyring of Edmonds, Wa. suffered minor injuries, but avoided any serious harm.
67-year-old Thomas Hatch Jr and 61-year-old Candace Hatch were the driver and passenger in the Ford Explorer and they also suffered minor injuries. All four persons were taken to area hospitals for treatment.
The two persons in the pickup were uninjured in the crash.
@BuzzFeedAndrew Well the dude just wanted his wish to come true. Apparently he wished for a car crash, so success.
— Hayes Brown (@HayesBrown) May 27, 2014
Fortunately it was a situation where no serious harm came to all the persons involved.
However, the cause of the multi-car crash is both bizarre and a prime example of the boneheaded nature of youth, where dumb ideas seem relatively harmless.
State Police Lt. Gregg Hastings said in a statement that he isn’t sure of the exact reason why Calhon would have been holding his breath while driving under the bridge. The officer does suspect it could have been part of a game or a matter of superstition.
Man Holding Breath in Tunnel Causes Crash-MORAL OF THE STORY DONT HOLD BREATH IN TUNNELS http://t.co/dwzPQRFmc6 pic.twitter.com/mdw2ypNNjn
— Savannah Thunell (@SavannahThunell) May 27, 2014
As stated at the beginning of this article, either reason is a bad idea, especially when you are behind the wheel of a car. It’s best to save your pointless shenanigans for those instances where you’re not going to be a danger to yourself or others.
Image via YouTube
