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Darwin Awards
2008 Slush Pile

This item was recently submitted by a reader.
Should I include it in the archive?
Vote to tell me what *you* think!

Who knew trucks were heavy?

2008 Reader Submission
Pending Acceptance

You will not be able to verify this because it was not recorded in any media. However, I know for a fact the event happened, because it happened to me.

I was having car trouble, so I took my dad's 1977 Chevrolet pickup truck to work. As I made my way home afterwards, the truck died on me not once, but twice. Both times I was able to get it started again and continue on my way. However, I was debated whether or not to try to make it up my steep, two-block-long driveway, or park on the main street. Being tired and not wanting to walk up the drive, I decided to try it.

My truck died half-way up, and this time refused to start, leaving me in somewhat of a quandary.

My driveway intersects with a street, which my truck was now blocking, so I couldn't just leave it there. Thinking the truck may be out of gas, I trudged up, grabbed a gas can, and put gas in. It still wouldn't start. As I work nights, and people were going to leave for work soon (including my mother, necessitating the clearance of our driveway), I was getting nervous; I had to get the truck moved. And then I had a brilliant idea.

There's space on this intersecting road for me to park my truck. All I have to do is put the truck into neutral and steer it in reverse. So I popped the truck into neutral, got out (for reasons that still escape me), and disengaged the emergency brake.

For those of you who are not aware of this, a 1977 Chevrolet truck steers like a brick going in reverse. It's even worse when you have no power steering and are on a steep decline. It took a fraction of a second for me to realize this was a very bad idea (and to lose control of the truck). Fortunately, I had managed to steer it slightly to the left, so it didn't just go down the driveway and out into traffic, causing a serious accident. It simply slammed into a neighbor's fence, taking it out, as well as my driver's side door (which I'd left completely open).

But most fortunate for me, I went for the emergency brake a moment before the door made contact with the fence, otherwise I would have suffered from a broken arm. As it was, I only suffered from massive bruising in my right shin (which has developed into a slightly discolored scar).

I have since learned my lesson: Trucks are heavy.

Submitted on 01/26/2008

Submitted by: Anonymous
Reference: Not reported, Fall '07

Copyright © 2008 DarwinAwards.com

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Bruce said:
Definitely Keep: Personal Account
Ahh, yes, who doesn't take power steering and power brakes for granted? You never realize just how important it is until you don't have it. Thanks for a great lesson!


James said:
Definitely Keep: Personal Account
Why is it that people always seem to exit a vehicle in order to disengage the parking brake??? Why?!? Anyway, it must have been a harrowing few seconds! Thankfully, the damage was relatively light (given what COULD have happened), and you escaped unharmed. Good story just the same! Thanks!


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