Insane moment driver zooms backward down busy New York City highway as horrified onlookers gasp ‘I was speechless’

DRIVERS filmed a bizarre moment when they found a small sedan driving in reverse on some of the country’s most congested highways.

Videos show a red Chevy Aveo sedan driving several miles down some of New York City’s most iconic roads.

SWNS

SWNS

Drivers caught the Aveo driving Southbound on the FDR River Drive in an initial video shared with SWNS and The New York Post .

A later shot captured the car exiting the Brooklyn-bound exit of the Brooklyn Bridge.

Eyewitness drivers were shocked by the brazen driving.

“I was in disbelief when I saw it,” Victoria Metzger, 29, said after driving close to the about-facing sedan.

Metzger, an emergency medical technician, filmed the Aveo as it proceeded down the Manhattan driveway.

The vehicle appeared to be advancing at a high rate of speed for a car in reverse.

However, the vehicle was slower than most of the highway traffic.

The driver is seen in the video teaching over his right shoulder to look out the rear windshield.

“I couldn’t stay or keep up for long because we were on our way to a call,” Metzger said.

“So, I didn’t report it to police.”

Maria Claro, 35, saw the car exiting the Brooklyn Bridge and heading onto Adams Street.

“I was speechless when I saw the car,” Claro said.

“After I stopped filming, the vehicle just kept on driving up ahead.”

Drivers filmed the videos about three miles apart from each other.

ABOUT-FACE WARNINGS

Officials in the New York area have warned drivers about the growing danger of wrong-way drivers.

Connecticut state officials said they have witnessed an uptick of drivers going the wrong way down the highway.

The officials said distracted drivers who are flouting road laws are to blame.

What defines 'distracted driving'?

Distracted driving claims lives every year nationwide, and it's 100% preventable

However, many drivers assume that distracted driving is limited to using their phone while behind the wheel.

While using a phone to text, call, send emails, scroll through or post to social media, and make or accept video calls is illegal nationwide, other behaviors can be just as distracting – and dangerous.

Other behaviors that distract drivers:

• Adjusting the radio or GPS
• Applying makeup in visor mirrors
• Eating and drinking, as it takes one or both hands from the wheel
• Reaching into the backseat to grab personal items
• Rummaging through a purse, glove box, or center console

Thankfully, driving distracted can be prevented. Here are some proven tactics to stay focused:

• Put your phone in “Do Not Disturb” or “Driving Mode,” as it temporarily pauses notifications, but will push a call or text through if urgent
• If distraction is difficult to avoid, put the phone in a safe place, like a purse, glove box, center console, or back seat
• If a text message or call needs to be sent or made, pull over and park
• Give the phone to a passenger when applicable to send a text or make a call
• Be a role model – practicing safe driving in front of impressionable passengers helps pass along safe behaviors

Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration , Connecticut Department of Transportation

“It’s what’s happening on all the interstates because it’s really attributed to drivers,” Josh Morgan, the spokesperson for the state’s Department of Transportation, told the Hartford Courant .

“It’s just that cars are driving way too fast.”

The state passed laws strengthening its rules against wrong-way driving.

Motorists will now be fined more if they’re caught entering the highway on an exit ramp.

Morgan added that several recent fatal wrong-way incidents were entirely preventable.

“[In] a lot of cases, people are driving impaired,” he said.

“And that combination is leading to more crashes, more injuries, and more fatalities.”