The incident occurred on Sunday, June 22, as record-breaking temperatures affected much of the Midwest.
According to USA Today, a bystander had been monitoring a growing bulge in the roadway when it suddenly erupted, rising over 18 inches just as a car drove over it. The resulting footage captured the vehicle going airborne in a dramatic scene now making waves across social media.
Video captured the moment a road buckled and sent a car flying as a heatwave impacted Missouri on Sunday. pic.twitter.com/wPVLrk3XZY
— AccuWeather (@accuweather) June 23, 2025
The Cape Girardeau Police Department confirmed the incident and stated that, fortunately, the driver was not injured. Officials urged drivers to use caution during heatwaves, emphasizing the importance of wearing seatbelts and reporting any unusual road conditions to local authorities immediately.
The National Weather Service has placed the area under a heat advisory until Friday, June 27, with temperatures expected to remain around 106 degrees. Road buckling, also known as pavement blow-up, can occur when intense heat causes expansion and pressure under concrete surfaces, resulting in sudden structural failure.
This is not the first vehicle-related viral moment in 2025. Earlier in April, a clip featuring YouTuber IShowSpeed went viral when he reacted to a Chinese car capable of “jumping” and “dancing.”
As extreme weather events become more common, experts warn that infrastructure must be reinforced to withstand these conditions. The incident in Missouri serves as a stark reminder of how climate-related heat can cause unexpected dangers on the road.