Man says Apple Watch saved his life in brutal car crash, and photos show the aftermath

The safety features Apple introduced alongside its new iPhone and Apple Watch models this year are already proving their worth. On Saturday, an Apple Watch Series 8 owner shared the breathtaking story of a car crash he survived. The man claims that without the watch’s Crash Detection feature, he might be in much worse shape.

Apple Watch’s Crash Detection works

Here’s the full story of the incident from Redditor Carnivoroustaco:

CRASH DETECTION WORKS. Tire blew out and I hit a telephone pole going about 70. Head against the wheel, continuous honking, smoke coming for the car. Felt the little haptic that authorities were being called. This was in the middle of nowhere so if it weren’t for the watch, who knows how long I would’ve been there. Next thing I know I’m being hauled away in the ambulance. I’ve got an orbital fracture, and 3 broken ribs. My face is more blood than skin, and my hands are stained with glass and blood. BUT, I’m alive. Thank you Apple. I’m sure I would’ve been found eventually but there’s no doubt the S8 made it quicker. Check your tires. Be safe friends. All your well wishes mean the world to me! If you own the new products, turn that crash detection ON!

We saw plenty of valiant attempts to test Crash Detection shortly after the devices launched, but no one was going to risk serious bodily harm to see if the feature really worked. But this man’s story shows how much of a difference Crash Detection can make.

The user also shared a few photos of his car, one of which we’ve embedded below:

The user sent an email about the incident to Apple CEO Tim Cook, who responded hours later, wishing him well and telling him that accidents like his are why the company developed the feature. Although the user tells everyone to turn Crash Detection on, it’s worth noting that the feature is on by default on Apple Watch Series 8 or Apple Watch SE (2nd Generation).

Related coverage: Apple execs explain Crash Detection amid controversy of false positive alerts