A shocking accident video from Kerala has gone viral over the past week, showing a Hyundai Exter smashing into a concrete highway barricade and reduced to total wreckage.
The visuals of the accident that occured on February 5, 2026, suggest a high-impact collision. The front of the vehicle is completely crushed, with severe structural damage visible across the cabin area. Despite the extent of destruction, the person driving the car survived the crash.
Owner speaks: “It felt like losing a family member”
The video was shared by Jeena Vineeth on her Instagram, identifying herself as the owner of the vehicle.
In her post, Jeena said the car had been purchased after extensive research, with safety being the primary deciding factor. She wrote that she was not very familiar with cars and had deliberately chosen a vehicle that offered the highest safety features within her budget.
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Jeena also said that although she holds a driving licence, she rarely drove the car herself due to limited practice, and that her husband was the primary driver, using the vehicle with great care.
Referring to the aftermath of the accident, she wrote that the car was declared a total loss.
“The driver was discharged from hospital the very next day,” Jeena said in her Instagram post, adding that no life-threatening injuries were sustained.
She, then, described the emotional impact of the loss, stating that only after the accident did she realise how deeply attached she was to the vehicle, and that seeing it destroyed felt “like losing someone at home.”
Safety in focus after the crash
The incident has renewed discussion around vehicle safety, particularly in the compact SUV segment.
As of early 2026, the Hyundai Exter has not yet received an official crash-test rating from Global NCAP or Bharat NCAP. However, based on its structural design and standard safety equipment, the vehicle is widely expected to achieve a 4- or 5-star rating once tested.
According to Hyundai’s specifications, the Exter comes equipped with:
Standard safety across all variants
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Six airbags
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ABS with Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD)
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Rear parking sensors
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Three-point seatbelts for all seats
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Emergency Stop Signal
Active safety systems (standard on higher variants)
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Electronic Stability Control (ESC)
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Vehicle Stability Management (VSM)
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Hill-Start Assist Control (HAC)
Additional safety features
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Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)
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Dual-camera dashcam on top variants
The Exter is built on the same platform as the Grand i10 Nios, with additional structural reinforcements. Hyundai has previously expressed confidence in the vehicle’s safety performance under independent testing.
Why this story resonated online
While official crash-test results are still awaited, the Kerala accident has struck a chord online.
The vehicle was destroyed.
The person inside survived.
For many viewers, that contrast — backed by the owner’s words — is what has turned a crash video into a wider conversation about safety, attachment, and what really matters when accidents happen.
