It had been misting which slicked the roads just enough that when they tried to beat the red, they lost traction. They also didn't have their headlights on, which caught all of our attention before that ill-fated maneuver.  

Bonus that I didn't catch on camera: They eased up to the shoulder, thought about it for a second, and then drove across the grass to get to where they'd been headed. (A BMW SUV that actually off-roaded!)

Need better tires if they're going to try to beat a yellow turning. Even with a slow speed turn, one can spin out if their tires are bald with zero traction 

[USA] [OC] BMW spins out as they try to make a left (silent)