It's the compression and drag of the motor and etc. rolling over. Try pushing your car with the tranny in gear and you'll get the same effect.

About a 3 years ago, my brother left the e-brake up on my civic and it rolled across the street and hit a telephone poll. 2K in damage. I now always leave my car in gear just in case i forget to put the ebrake up. Sorry to hear that.

 

This is taught by every driving school and tested by every agency in towns and cities where there are significant hills. The "hill park" is an integral part of getting a licence.
If parked on a driveway such as what this topic has covered, assess the situation and topography of the immediate area. Turn the wheel in the direction that, in the event of an "incident", the vehicle moves towards to point of least damage to people and property and least distance of travel. It's a matter of picking the "lessor of all evils".

 

Park it in gear...Thats what I did to prevent things like that.

Bumber about the accident though, sorry to hear.

 

Live and learn... It could've been a LOT worse....

 

While we are on the subject, I have learned to keep the E-brake on when parked on an incline toward a curb. When starting the car, the car will roll forward until the power brakes kick in. If too close to that curb, you will get curb rash on the front spoiler and ruin your day.

 

The first time I parked the S2000 on a steep driveway, I pulled the e-brake all the way up and walked inside. This was at a friend's house and when the car was fairly new. About 15 minutes later his father came in and asked me why I had parked in the middle of the street. The e-brake, still pulled up, was not holding the car and it had slowly rolled all the way to the middle of the street. It's a good thing he lives in a quiet area with very little traffic going through because my S2000 was sitting sideways in the midde of the street. I was lucky it didn't hit anything.

Ever since then, I've left my cars in gear when parked on a incline (of any kind). I leave it in reverse when I'm backed in and in 1st when I'm head in. Just make sure you remember this when you are starting the car up. I've had a friend who forgot about leaving the car in gear and letting go the clutch upon start. Since he parked so close to the garage door, the car lounged forward and let's just say it wasn't pretty.

I guess lesson is... next time throw the box and pull that e-brake But I'm sure the surprise factor caught you off guard.

 

I can imagine this happening in my head... You get that "oh shit" feeling as you realize you can't do anything in time to stop it...

Was really really tired one night, late, stopped for gas... Got out, slid credit card, turned around, car was creeping away. Hadn't pulled the E-Brake hard enough. 99% of the time I leave it in gear AND pull the E, but since I was so tired, i hadn't put it in gear....

Even though it wasn't close to hitting anything, and I was able to easily stop it, still shook me up real good.

 

What was in the box that you couldn't have thrown it aside and pulled the handbrake?

 

Did it look like a Mr Bean video?
J/K sorry to hear you damaged 2 Honda's

Btw.. which gear do "we" use?
1st or reverse or any other?
Personally I use 1st.

 

LOL! a new e-brake mechanism was inside the box. LMAO.