Elk Grove, CA: “Are You Serious?” Distracted Driver Runs Red Light at Elk Grove Blvd & Taron, Nearly Collides with Dashcam Car

A Sacramento-area driver narrowly avoided disaster after a distracted motorist mistook a green turn arrow for his own signal at a busy Elk Grove intersection. The incident, captured on dashcam on May 26, 2026, unfolded at the junction of Elk Grove Blvd. and Taron Dr. where the Reddit user /u/rTheWorst shared the footage on the /r/IdiotsInCars subreddit. The westbound driver, heading straight through the intersection, saw a green turn arrow for oncoming traffic and incorrectly assumed it was his cue to proceed. The eastbound dashcam car was executing a U-turn when the mistake occurred, but managed to complete the maneuver without impact. After stopping at an ARCO station, the dashcam driver confronted the offending motorist, shouting, “…f***in’ for real?” The guilty driver responded with an apology. Commenters on the thread speculated the driver’s error stemmed from misinterpreting the green arrow, a common mistake when drivers aren’t fully attentive. In Elk Grove, running a red light incurs a fine of approximately $490–$600 including court fees and penalty assessments, adds one point to the driver’s DMV record for about three years, and can inflate insurance premiums.