Scorpio-N driver forgets to apply handbrake on riverbank: Here’s the result [Video]

In cities, people often rely on car wash services. However, if you move a bit towards rural or semi-urban areas, cleaning one’s own cars and bikes is a common sight and part of their lifestyle. While most complete the task with a bucket of water, others drive their cars to the banks of nearby rivers for washing. Here, we have a video from Chhattisgarh where a driver forgot to pull the handbrake of a Mahindra Scorpio N SUV while washing it on a riverbank. Here’s what happened next.

The video has been circulating on various social media platforms. The one we’re sharing is from Baikunthpur Koriya Instagram page, depicting an incident in the Baikunthpur Koriya region of Chhattisgarh. According to available online reports, the driver brought the Scorpio N to Jhumka Bandh in the Baikunthpur region, a spot where locals typically wash their cars and bikes.

The unfortunate driver of the Scorpio N had brought the SUV for washing. After parking it near the bank, the driver stopped the SUV. Perhaps, upon exiting the car, they failed to realize that the handbrake hadn’t been engaged. As the driver left the vehicle, it seems the SUV started rolling down the slope. Before the driver could react, the SUV ended up in the river.

The video illustrates the depth of the river; the Mahindra Scorpio N’s tailgate was partially visible above the waterline, with everything else submerged. Locals gathered swiftly. There are numerous internet videos showing how quickly a car sinks in water. In this case, it appears the windows were rolled down, expediting the water’s entry.

A crane was summoned to recover the SUV. In the video, a rope secures the car, but it seems the front bumper sustained damage as the crane attempted to pull it out. While the car was being retrieved, water gushed out from the SUV’s cabin. Pulling a submerged car is a risky task as the vehicle’s weight increases once water fills the cabin. It was prudent for the driver to call for a heavy-duty crane. Incidents like this have occurred in India before; a few months ago, a family in a Honda Brio parked their car on a ledge, forgetting to engage the handbrake, causing it to roll forward and plunge 12 feet into a pool of water.

Regarding this incident, it’s unknown whether the Scorpio N involved was the manual or automatic version. Given the nature of the accident, it’s assumed it was likely the manual version. We really hope that no one was injured while trying save the car from drowning in the river. people often tend to climb inside the cabin to apply brakes and get themselves trapped in the vehicle. The best way to prevent such incidents in downhill parking areas is by being vigilant. Make it a habit to engage the handbrake whenever you park your vehicle. If not, engage a gear to prevent the vehicle from rolling back or forward. This does put a lot of pressure on the transmission but, we think it is still better than getting your vehicle drowned in a river.