Sean Melton of Urban Hillbilly Videos has made a living over the years putting he and his camera in harms way at drag strips all across the nation to bring his customers some of the most spectacular videos ever captured. And despite being up close and personal for more crashes than Quaker has oats, Melton actually being caught up in the melee is a rare circumstance. But back in 2006 at the American Drag Racing League event at the Houston Motorsports Park, both he and Pro Extreme racer Bill Blackwell got a little more acquainted with one another than perhaps either of them would’ve liked.

During the opening round of eliminations while racing alongside Pro Mod veteran Chip King, Blackwell and his Corvette got as out-of-shape as you’ll ever see a race car, eventually striking the wall at a hard 45-degree angle— right in front of Melton, who had set up his camera and tripod to capture all the action from near the eighth-mile marker.

The impact knocked the drivers’ door free from the chassis and sent it up and over the guardrail, on a beeline toward Melton. As he shared in the video comments, the door actually grazed his leg as it sailed by, but fortunately, spared he and his camera from any injury or destruction. Blackwell, after smacking the wall the first time, added insult to injury when he slid back across the track and went headfirst into the wall, buckling the whole front of the car up.