The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 13 letter word FENDER-BENDER
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
F
E
N
D
E
R
-
B
E
N
D
E
R
More clues leading to the result FENDER-BENDER
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "minor hit on the road in America /minor hit on the road in America" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case minor hit on the road in america /minor hit on the road in america = fender-bender.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does FENDER-BENDER mean?
FENDER-BENDER noun- A minor accident involving at least one motor vehicle.