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Security Camera Captures the Moment Man Learns Just How Bad Black Ice Can Be

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As winter bears down on Americans all over the country, one man’s experience with black ice should serve as a warning to others about how dangerous it can be.

Virginia resident Tim Besecker was headed to work on Monday morning, just like any other work day. But nothing was normal about that first step on his driveway, which was covered with a thin sheet of ice.

Home surveillance video captured what happened next.

Besecker lost his balance and almost immediately fell. However, he managed to stay on his feet — at least for a little while. He somehow kept his balance as he continued to slide down his driveway, holding his jacket and bag in one hand. He skidded several feet before crash-landing near the mailbox at the curb.

Take a look:

While this video is only a few seconds long, it probably felt like a lot longer for Besecker who struggled to stay on his feet.

“I was just looking for the grass,” he told WTTG Wednesday.

“I was looking for something to grab onto — and there was nothing — so, down I went,” he added.

While this video is humorous, it a reminder of just how treacherous black ice can be — slip on some black ice, hit your head and you’ll be in very bad shape.

Black ice is a thin coat of ice that forms on roads and other surfaces. Weather.com explained that the ice is so thin, it is basically transparent. That transparency is what makes it so dangerous: people simply don’t see it.

Black ice is most likely to form when wet surfaces refreeze after temperatures drop below freezing at night.

As you can see in this video, Besecker’s driveway does not look dangerous. Besecker most likely thought he could make it to his truck, which was just a few steps from him.

Wrong.

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Besecker’s wife, Kelly, posted the video to social media with the hashtag #blackiceisreal, and also said her husband was not injured during the fall.

We are happy to know Besecker wasn’t injured during his fall, and hope he enjoys his brief internet stardom.

H/T Rare

Share this story on Facebook and Twitter to spread the word about how dangerous black ice can be.

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