Man distracted by bird drives Bugatti into marsh

[Groove]

Hahahahahahaha!

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091113/ap_ ... on_bugatti

LA MARQUE, Texas – A man blamed a low-flying pelican and a dropped cell phone for his veering his million-dollar sports car off a road and into a salt marsh near Galveston. The accident happened about 3 p.m. Wednesday on the frontage road of Interstate 45 northbound in La Marque, about 35 miles southeast of Houston.

The Lufkin, Texas, man told of driving his luxury, French-built Bugatti Veyron when the bird distracted him, said La Marque police Lt. Greg Gilchrist. The motorist dropped his cell phone, reached to pick it up and veered off the road and into the salt marsh. The car was half-submerged in the brine about 20 feet from the road when police arrived.

Gilchrist said he doesn't know if the car was salvageable, but in his words, "Salt water isn't good for anything." He says the man, whose identity hasn't been released, was not injured.

A 2006 Bugatti Veyron was recently offered for sale in Jonesboro, Ark., for $1.25 million.

[DerGolgo]

Yeah, a pelican sure. Devious bastards, them invisible pelicans:

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People who made the video evidently aren't Top Gear watchers (btw, the three morons return tonight...), a Lambo, for christs sakes!

Also, is it me or does it look like those towing folk somehow either overlooked or were unable to either put the car in neutral or to disengage the parking brake?

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[DerGolgo]

this car is ugly. it looks like someone stuck a WIIINNG!!!! on a prius.

Ah, but that wing retracts automatically at low speeds UNLESS YOU CRASH IT!

And ruthless aerydnamics tend to look samey.

Look at it this way: The Prius is reasonably fuel-eccicient (if overhyped) and sneaky silent when running on electric.
The Veyron produces enough excess heat to heat ten average homes during winter, has the widest tires on the road anywhere and when going full blast will destroy a brand new set of tires in 12 minutes. And run out of fuel in ten.
While that may be cool and impressive in theory, actually owning a Veyron must be, these things considered, the ultimate proof of the world's smallest self-esteem. I find that funny on multi-millionaires.

[guitargeek]

this car is ugly. it looks like someone stuck a WIIINNG!!!! on a prius.

So you've probably never heard of the Veyron before, huh?

[WeAintFoundShit]

Also, is it me or does it look like those towing folk somehow either overlooked or were unable to either put the car in neutral or to disengage the parking brake?

Nope, it looks to me like there was no way in hell they were going to dig around in the mud to find a tow point underneath the car, so they lashed the tow chains to the back wheels and dragged it.
That's likely several thousand dollars worth of damage right there in scratched wheels and body work.
Brutal mistake, driving that thing off the road like that.

[xtian]

Also, is it me or does it look like those towing folk somehow either overlooked or were unable to either put the car in neutral or to disengage the parking brake?

Nope, it looks to me like there was no way in hell they were going to dig around in the mud to find a tow point underneath the car, so they lashed the tow chains to the back wheels and dragged it.
That's likely several thousand dollars worth of damage right there in scratched wheels and body work.
Brutal mistake, driving that thing off the road like that.

I heard you cannot change those thyres alone, you have to order them on new wheels anyway. so no expensive scratches to fix there, only the average 6 month salary for a new set of wheels and tyres.

[piccini9]

Saltwater.

[DerGolgo]

Saltwater.

The car is mostly carbon fibre, aluminium and titanium anyway. Can't be that much corrosion.

[Sisyphus]

If I was the towing guy I wouldn't give a rat's ass if it was in neutral or the parking brake was on or what. The insurance claim would be enough to cover any damage incurred in the actual wreck. I'm pretty sure the insurance company will be taking posession of the car, since they just paid for it. Driving over all that riprap on the way to the marsh would have done enough damage as it is.

[DerGolgo]

If I was the towing guy I wouldn't give a rat's ass if it was in neutral or the parking brake was on or what. The insurance claim would be enough to cover any damage incurred in the actual wreck. I'm pretty sure the insurance company will be taking posession of the car, since they just paid for it. Driving over all that riprap on the way to the marsh would have done enough damage as it is.

Considering that, from what I understand, production of the original model has ended and now only the convertible version will be made (in even fewer numbers), replacing that ride will be one heck of a bitch.

[Pattio]

scuttlebutt on some car sites is that the driver of the car is a business-owner: his business is repairing wrecked exotics. Looks like he just sold his Veyron to his insurance company for top dollar, so he can repair it at cost, so he can sell it again for top dollar... 'pelican' my butt.

[Sisyphus]

I deal with those people sometimes. They don't give a shit. It isn't the car, it's owning one. They don't care what the car is engineered for or what it can do or even what it can't do. They don't care what they do to it, or what happens to it. That they own it is enough. They'll buy one, keep it for six months or a year, and then sell it off. They don't give a shit.
So when this guy drives off an embankment into a salt marsh, my response is, who fucking cares.

[DerGolgo]

scuttlebutt on some car sites is that the driver of the car is a business-owner: his business is repairing wrecked exotics. Looks like he just sold his Veyron to his insurance company for top dollar, so he can repair it at cost, so he can sell it again for top dollar... 'pelican' my butt.

Right...so he's shafting the insurance company in order to be able to drive around in the most exotic of cars?
If I didn't know the insurance companies always get theirs from the insured, I'd applaud him.
Heck, I do applaud him!

[motorpsycho67]

If I didn't know the insurance companies always get theirs from the insured, I'd applaud him.

They don't.

My insurance company allowed me to keep my bike and paid me for the wreck, minus $400, which is I guess what they thought it was worth after the wreck.

So, I got to keep my bike and got a check for $1,600.

[DerGolgo]

If I didn't know the insurance companies always get theirs from the insured, I'd applaud him.

They don't.

My insurance company allowed me to keep my bike and paid me for the wreck, minus $400, which is I guess what they thought it was worth after the wreck.

So, I got to keep my bike and got a check for $1,600.

I didn't mean the individual insured concerned in the case at hand but the large number of people insured with an insurance company who end up footing the bill, 'cause it sure as heck ain't coming from the stockholder's dividends.

[MATPOC]

this car is ugly. it looks like someone stuck a WIIINNG!!!! on a prius.

Ah, but that wing retracts automatically at low speeds UNLESS YOU CRASH IT!

And ruthless aerydnamics tend to look samey.

Look at it this way: The Prius is reasonably fuel-eccicient (if overhyped) and sneaky silent when running on electric.
The Veyron produces enough excess heat to heat ten average homes during winter, has the widest tires on the road anywhere and when going full blast will destroy a brand new set of tires in 12 minutes. And run out of fuel in ten.
While that may be cool and impressive in theory, actually owning a Veyron must be, these things considered, the ultimate proof of the world's smallest self-esteem. I find that funny on multi-millionaires.

You forgot to mention that the wing acts as an air-brake when slowing down from high speed, it generates more stopping power than a brake on regular street car

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It is an amazing car, as Top Gear mentioned it costs 5 million to make one and it sold new for one mil. If you click on the story link in first post it says a 2006 Veyron was recently sold for $1.25 mil in US, this is one car that will not depreciate anytime soon.

As for the saltwater damage, I would not worry much about the frame rust but dozens of on-board computers and probably the motor itself, of water got in to cylinders, game over! Bent rods at least, broken engine block, crank... 4 rusty Turbos...

If anyone wants to learn more about this vehicle I suggest downloading Top Gear episodes, Captain Slow had it at 405 kph on VW secret test track, then Jeremy recently raced it across Europe against an airplane and Hammond Raced an RAF Eurofigher in one mile race.

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[stiles]

If I was the towing guy I wouldn't give a rat's ass if it was in neutral or the parking brake was on or what.

Maybe, maybe not. If the tow guy obviously bent the suspension all to hell by misplacing the hooks and the car was not a total loss before the towing damage, the insurance company may well come after the tow company's insurance for that portion of the loss. That car is so expensive it would be worth it, since replacing bent undercarriage bits on that car could easily exceed $50,000.

Been there, seen that.

I have three wrecked Desmosedicis in the shop right now, and just the seat support is $7,900 for the part only. Body panels are about $3,000 each, the gas tank is almost $4,000 the back wheel costs over $10,000 etc etc.

The insurance adjusters dealing with these bikes for the first time are always shocked by how fast seemingly minor damage adds up to $40,000 or more. It says something when the full carbon fiber BST race rims are the budget option at $3,000/ea...

[erosvamp]

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Oh my god! Oh my god! What are they doing to that car?!?

[xaos]

scuttlebutt on some car sites is that the driver of the car is a business-owner: his business is repairing wrecked exotics. Looks like he just sold his Veyron to his insurance company for top dollar, so he can repair it at cost, so he can sell it again for top dollar... 'pelican' my butt.

pattio, my man, youve set the roller coaster loose on me. first i was all happy that some rich guy in a bugati fucked up and splashed his shit in. because (obviously) its always way better when bad stuff happens to rich people, especially when its spurred by their own ineptitude.

then you go and drop the bomb that the rich douche is a scammer and indeed gonna get more wealthy off of it all. bleh!@#!*&^#

[WeAintFoundShit]

I'm guessing that the car belongs to one Joe M. Garza, who shit his pants when he saw his birdless crash into the lake pop up on You Tube, and made the day (if not year) of some random guy who doesn't know the difference between a Veyron and a Lambo.

How much are the rights to that footage worth to ya there, buddy?

[MATPOC]

scuttlebutt on some car sites is that the driver of the car is a business-owner: his business is repairing wrecked exotics. Looks like he just sold his Veyron to his insurance company for top dollar, so he can repair it at cost, so he can sell it again for top dollar... 'pelican' my butt.

pattio, my man, youve set the roller coaster loose on me. first i was all happy that some rich guy in a bugati fucked up and splashed his shit in. because (obviously) its always way better when bad stuff happens to rich people, especially when its spurred by their own ineptitude.

then you go and drop the bomb that the rich douche is a scammer and indeed gonna get more wealthy off of it all. bleh!@#!*&^#

Don't worry, insurance companies are not that stupid, they have armies of investigators, each one earns far less per year than this single claim. If Pattio dug up the dirt on this guy they will get that 10 fold! I'm sure it's in the contract somewhere that they will not pay intentional damage or fraud. I had to fight them to get couple thousand dollars and I was not at fault, in this case he will need an army of lawyers to get his money for this claim.

[Sisyphus]

I hope he gets caught.

The guys that built this car for him are probably absolutely bullshit right now. I have to say, making something that you put your best effort into just to have it fucked up intentionally or otherwise really gets under your skin.
I make things for insanely wealthy people all the time and once in awhile it really peeves me that they will ignore or even intentionally gloss over the fact that there was a person involved in creating their posession. If I dwelled on that often enough I'd have to quit.

[MagnusTheBuilder]

The video above has been removed, here is a new one... this will be removed soon, so watch it while you can.

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Best part... "That will be mine someday, I dunno, I think it's a Lambo or something."

[tumbler]

this car is ugly. it looks like someone stuck a WIIINNG!!!! on a prius.

i could go on for about 40 years why you are so wrong, but i wont.

that is simply the best car ever created.

the prius is the worst car ever created. never confuse the two.

[Rabbit_Fighter]

Damn pelicans!

Reminds me of the time a Pelican flew by me while I was driving my Bentley. Spilled my beer all over my lap and lost control.

[erosvamp]

The video above has been removed, here is a new one... this will be removed soon, so watch it while you can.

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Best part... "That will be mine someday, I dunno, I think it's a Lambo or something."

where are the pelicans?

[MoraleHazard]

The insurance policies used for cars like the Veyron aren't your standard auto policies so I don't think they'll be owning the car. I bet the ins. co. will be looking for a way out of that claim. All of the web traffic about him wanting to stiff the ins. co. won't be good for him.

[WeAintFoundShit]

Yeah, 30k message board posts saying "I didn't see any fucking pelican" aren't really going to help the dude.

[GeekGrl]

Pelican or not, the eejit was on the damn phone when he crashed. As if we need another example of why talking on the phone whilst driving is a fecking bad idea.

A touch of Darwin at work, though ... idiot behaviour for once resulting in the idiot (and only the idiot) losing out.

[erosvamp]

A touch of Darwin at work, though ... idiot behaviour for once resulting in the idiot (and only the idiot) losing out.

+1