Real-Life Incident That Inspired the Most Shocking Scene in Hereditary Returns

The heartbreaking event that influenced one of the most shocking moments in *Hereditary* has re-emerged on Reddit.

Directed and penned by Ari Aster, *Hereditary* stands out as a highly praised film from the past decade, earning it the title of the greatest horror movie in recent polls.

With a captivating performance by Toni Collette at its center, the story navigates a family’s struggle with grief and trauma, intertwined with possible supernatural elements.

One particularly distressing scene presents a devastating accident, seemingly inspired by a real-life tragedy.

In this pivotal sequence, Peter takes his sister Charlie to a party, where a piece of cake leads to her nut allergy flaring up. As Peter rushes her to the hospital, Charlie leans her head out of the car window to get some air. In an attempt to avoid hitting a dead deer, Peter swerves, resulting in Charlie being decapitated by a telephone pole.

After the incident, Peter drives home in shock without informing anyone about the horrific event, leaving his mother to discover Charlie’s lifeless body the following morning.

Hereditary movie poster, featuring Toni Collette. — A24

A Reddit user shared earlier today, “I might have found the accident that inspired *that scene* from *Hereditary*,” alongside a 2004 news article highlighting a strikingly similar incident.

The tragic accident took place in Marietta, Georgia, in 2004, involving 21-year-old John Kemper Hutcherson who was driving his friend Francis Daniel Brohm home from a bar while intoxicated. As the friend felt nauseous and leaned out of the window, Hutcherson swerved off the road, leading to Brohm being decapitated by a service wire.

Reportedly, “Hutcherson then continued to drive 12 miles back to his suburban Atlanta residence, where he went to sleep in his blood-stained clothes, leaving the headless body in his vehicle.”

Additionally, a Redditor commented on their familiarity with the location, stating: “I live nearby and used to pass the site where it happened on my daily commute. I noticed that the utility company has relocated the guide wire much farther away from the road.” *Hereditary* is currently available for streaming on Kanopy and can also be rented from various platforms.

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