Florida man caught on camera driving backwards after 'car got stuck in reverse'

[WestMichRad]

A man who was caught on camera driving backwards told police that his “car got stuck in reverse”.
On Friday (13 March), Flagler County Sheriff’s Office received multiple reports of a motorist driving in reverse on a busy road in Florida. Deputies stopped him after he spun round and put the car in drive.
William Murphy III, 47, of Palm Coast, said his car had a mechanical issue and he “thought the best option was to drive it backwards to AutoZone”.
Murphy was arrested for habitual driving while license suspended/revoked. He was transported to the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility, where he was later released on $1,000 bond.

https://www.independent.co.uk/tv/news/florida-car-driving-backwards-police-video-b2941900.html

Video but no further text at link.

[tanyev]

1. Poor decision making, but impressive reverse driving skills.

I couldn't do that if I wanted to.

[Dave Bowman]

2. Florida Man strikes again.

[dickthegrouch]

3. Not impossible

I once rented a car in the airport with a whole 120 miles on the odometer.
Got to my destination and then tried to leave hours later.
The shift was in Park, the only way I could have gotten the key out, but the engine wouldn't even turn over.
I eventually realized that is the symptom if the shift is in the wrong place. So I tried to move it through all the possible positions but it refused to go into the drive position. It would move from P -> R -> N but not D.
I put it in R and lo and behold the engine started.
I then moved it to P and, as I'd guessed, the car moved BACKWARDS.
Somehow the cam for the gear positions had got one place off, with no access to a "P" position.
I drove it straight back to rental facility for a replacement, and told them the emergency brake was essential to ensure it didn't roll anywhere it shouldn't since P was unavailable and R was actually functioning as N.
Thankfully whatever actually occurred in the shifting mechanism didn't happen while driving.

[twodogsbarking]

4. Thou shalt not drive backwards and get caught. I never saw any sign saying I couldn't do it.