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You might want to brace yourself for this one.
Just over one year ago, James Shaw, Jr. was going for a joyride on the Angeles Crest Highway when he said he got a "second chance at life." The Subaru Forester enthusiast was driving on the mountain highway on January 4, 2015 when he admits he let his fun go a little too far.
"As an auto enthusiast, when you have a nice relatively fast car with a loud exhaust you tend to like tunnels," Shaw wrote in a Facebook post. "They make your exhaust sound that much better, sort of like singing in the shower." Unfortunately for him and his car, Shaw didn't see the curve in the road ahead once he got out of the tunnel, nor the guy standing by the side of the road warning him to slow down. He spun out of control, went over the side of the road, and began tumbling down the mountainside.
Shaw can be heard panicking in the dashcam video he posted on the one-year anniversary of the crash. Miraculously, he ends up landing on a drainpipe sticking out of the slope. "Had I spun off a few feet before or after, I'd be dead," he writes.
Even more amazing, Shaw is unhurt from the crash and manages to gather himself and climb back to the roadway. Among the first responders who arrive is Lou Ferrigno (yes, The Incredible Hulk) who recommends he buy a lottery ticket.
Over on his Instagram account, he posted photos of the aftermath:
Shaw says he posted the video as a reminder for everyone out there to drive safely. "This is a reminder to be safe, pay attention and KNOW THE ROAD before you try to enjoy it," he wrote on YouTube. "I failed on all 3 of those accounts and it nearly cost me my life." One year later, he's also a little introspective:
