Includes 10 uses, showing it is far from a one-off phrase. Numbers 4 & 5 (bicycle) and 7, 8, 9, 10 ("everyday usage") are the uses I am most interested in.
Question 1
If a vehicle "crashes into a bend," does there have to be a physical structure (such as a guardrail, tree, fence, hedge line) at, or as part of, the bend into which to crash? Several uses (1, 2, probably 3, 6) are ostensibly used when such an obstruction exists. My question, again, is does such an obstruction have to exist for the phrase to be used? Because it is unclear from many of the uses, especially Numbers 7, 8, 9, 10) whether one is present.
Question 2
If used by a bicyclist, can it mean the rider simply loses traction and comes into contact with the ground--at a bend? (This could be synonymous with AmE (?) "wipe out (phrasal verb 2)".) See numbers 4 & 5 below.
USES:
From over 10 usages I found, I take it that "to crash into a bend" is an expression used in British English and Australian English (as well as in current Englishes derived from BrE, such as in Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, Bhutan). It is apparently not used in American English. Also note, when talking about driving in general, bend is characteristically British English (eg, driving through a bend), whereas curve (or turn) is used in American English. I think all uses are within the past 12 years.
No 1 At an auto race in Thailand
Just some extracts from Toyota Motorsport event at Sapan Hin, Phuket, on Sunday 9 October, just seconds after a racing car crashed into a bend, but driver got out OK and went off in ambulance...
This is the caption to a a video posted on youtube. Apparently, the subject of the description is this car:
No 2 At the gran prix
It's fun seeing a car crash into a bend - I've learnt that I'm a sadist
No 3 From old Nintendo Grand Prix Auto Race game
So once you have started the race, you will notice that it can be quite a challenge to master the controls...If you crash into a bend or run over the curbs, it will cause damage to your vehicle...
See the accompanying youtube video of the dated game, showing bends into which a race car can crash.
No 4 (Bicycle) MOH Qualifying - Respect the Mountains.... (BrE)
on the way down to the super steep “double black” – dropping in, my arms are killing – probably 15 minutes into the race now – so struggling to exert enough force to brake, and with bodies strewn left, bodies strewn right, I am sent slightly off line and crash into a bend. Hot damn – people pass me. Brush down and off again, and literally off again as I wash out into a flat corner – not enough brake! Ouch my arms. Have a little dirt nap – check my makeup – what am I having for tea? Pull pads up – oh best get going again – people are passing again. Gasp. Negotiate the tricky corner before the shale descent with aplomb – back on it – think of having a rest before dropping in to this carve-able descent, keep yourself on track with little shale berms – no rest – no time! Drop in, carve past bodies, to slightly muddy stream crossing – again front wheel washout – getting used to this, 3rd off in as many minutes – splash!...
It's possible that in the above description of a mountain bike course that there is no guard rail to crash into. The same can be said for the following usage:
No 5 (Bicycle) around taiwan on 2 wheels 02 – the full monty (5) (BrE)
from shipai 石牌 , it was a fingers-and-hands-numbing-brake-holding 20km downhill to lunch point 坪林. we had to constantly remind ourselves that if we got distracted for even 1 second, we’d crash into the bend or worse, string our cycling mates along.
No 6 4th JK Tyre Indo Bhutan Friendship Rally (race car circuit, Bhutan)
...Then car number 23 rolled over and had an accident and another crashed into a bend.
The rally (race) is in Bhutan, whose English is traditionally British English. There are many photos that accompany the article thread.
EVERYDAY USES:
No 7 Car seat decisions (UK?, not US)
When I was driving home a week ago- car in front of me doing about 40mph and crashed into a bend. Driver was injured and I had to dial 999 for her,...
(999 is the emergency phone number used in the UK and elsewhere, but not in the USA).
No 8 Dims not very good (the UK)
It wasn't too bad on the dual carriageway but once off it I couldn't actually drive without my full beams being on for fear I'd actually crash into a bend.
No 9 Signs of the Times (Ireland)
...A growing issue in County Cork is missing road signs which leave dangerous areas unmarked for visitors passing through...or worse, some one could crash into a bend because there are no signs to warn you its there.
No 10 a fatal accident in a neighborhood in Australia (with photo of bend)
Police are piecing together how a 56-year-old driver from Maryborough failed to negotiate a bend heading towards Buderim village and crashed into a tree... A neighbour known as "Jill" said it was not the first time she had witnessed a car smashing into the bend heading uphill along Lindsay Rd.
In 30 years she has lived in her home, Jill has had a car burst into her front yard and saw a motorcycle crash into the bend.
Yet
Whether or not the phrase can be used when there is no "physical feature" other than the bend (ie, AmE curve) itself is not known to me. Which is why I am posing the question here.
[No 11] Removed, as its authenticity is questionable (ie it could be machine written or a spam site)