Video captures 3-car crash as California drivers apparently watch SpaceX rocket

A SpaceX rocket that soared over a Southern California freeway Friday generated plenty of "oohs" and "aahs" — and a three-car pile-up.

The rocket, dubbed the Falcon 9, was launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base at 5:27 p.m, leaving a brilliant streak across the sky.

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Later that evening, a YouTube user with the screen name Mark Sales posted a video of three cars colliding as the rocket passed overhead.

The contrail from a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is seen in the sky Friday, Dec. 22 2017, in Apple Valley, Calif. The launch was more than 200 miles from Apple Valley yet was still brilliantly visible. The Falcon 9 booster lifted off from coastal Vandenberg Air Force Base, carrying the latest batch of satellites for Iridium Communications. (James Quigg/The Daily Press via AP) less The contrail from a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is seen in the sky Friday, Dec. 22 2017, in Apple Valley, Calif. The launch was more than 200 miles from Apple Valley yet was still brilliantly visible. The Falcon 9 ... more Photo: James Quigg, AP Photo: James Quigg, AP Image 1 of / 49 Caption Close Video captures 3-car crash as California drivers apparently watch SpaceX rocket 1 / 49 Back to Gallery

The short clip was filmed along Interstate 10 in Banning via a dashboard-mounted camera, according to the Los Angeles Times. A man and children can be heard in the video, commenting first on the rocket and then on the unfortunate drivers ahead of them. The car that recorded the crash was unscathed.

WARNING: VIDEO CONTAINS STRONG LANGUAGE

Friday's event marked the 18th and final SpaceX launch of 2017. Calls poured into TV stations as far as 200 miles from the launch site. Witnesses speculated about the rocket's ethereal glow, prompting the Los Angeles Fire Department to issue a statement preemptively debunking any UFO theories.