A BMW driver in Arizona missed a golden opportunity to blame his crash on Full Self-Driving. Instead, he told a state trooper that he’d gotten confused about the clutch.
That explanation might have been easier to swallow if the resulting crash hadn’t left a Toyota Camry sitting on top of a Hyundai Elantra.
According to the Arizona Department of Public Safety (AZDPS), the BMW driver believed he was pressing the clutch to release the vehicle’s gear. Instead, his car accelerated forward, rear-ended another vehicle, and triggered a chain reaction in Phoenix on October 19, 2026.
Photographs released by AZDPS show the aftermath: a white Toyota Camry resting at an angle on top of a red Hyundai Elantra, with a silver BMW Z4 convertible behind them. Despite the spectacular damage, nobody suffered serious injuries.
Three Cars, Two Stacked Together
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In an October 26 Facebook post, AZDPS described the unusual scene that greeted the responding trooper.
The Hyundai’s roof was badly crushed beneath the Toyota, whose front end had come to rest above the red sedan’s passenger compartment. The BMW Z4, meanwhile, was positioned immediately behind the wreckage.
AZDPS did not explain the precise sequence that sent the Toyota onto the Hyundai, beyond attributing the chain reaction to the BMW driver’s initial rear-end collision.
The agency also reported that the BMW driver showed no signs of impairment. AZDPS did not mention whether any citations were issued.
Troopers used the incident to remind motorists to familiarize themselves with their vehicles and pay attention behind the wheel.
Fortunately, nobody suffered serious injuries. The same cannot be said for the cars.
And yes, we know the BMW Z4 doesn’t have Full Self-Driving. We also know blaming self-driving technology has become something of a fashionable explanation for spectacular car crashes. We’re just surprised this driver didn’t try it.