The scene where "Eleanor" is rear-ended by a Cadillac Eldorado on the northbound Harbor Freeway (then-signed as California State Highway 11 and later as Interstate 110) at the Carson Street exit, and spins into a light pole at 100 mph was a real accident. Halicki was badly hurt and filming was stopped while he recovered. According to people on the set, the first thing Halicki said when he regained consciousness was, "Did we get coverage?" Likewise, the film's opening scene captures the aftermath of a real-life train derailment that was not part of the original shooting script; when Halicki heard about this, he wanted to incorporate it into the film. From the part in the scene when "Eleanor" comes to a stop after hitting the light pole, the cut-scene edit when the detective in chase sticks his head out of the passenger window and says, "He just hit a damned light pole", the scene immediately following was 3 weeks later. Halicki finished the rest of the film in a full leg cast and several broken ribs.