Event Coverage Clarence misfortune; 10/15/2025

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You could have been laying somewhere else. This was my sister's brother-in-law:
Driver killed after tire crashes through windshield in Brooklyn | New York Post

 

That is horrible. Sorry for your family's loss, so senseless. I am not a litigious person normally but I hope they sue the **** out of that waste company. 21 Inspections with a 65% failure rate? And yes, I am thankful only Clearance was banged up in @atch 's accident. It could have been much, much worse.

 

Late to the conversation but glad you are looking at this whole thing with a healthy perspective Atch. Good on ya.

I hadn't ever even considered this type of accident until my brother, who lives in Austin TX said that a trailer wheel/tire had bounced across the median and was coming at him and he knew that the lane to his right was open so he took evasive action, but the wheel hit his F-150 just in front of the rear DS wheel and lifted the rear of his truck (less violently than the YT video) and pitched it a bit sideways. He said he caught the slide and pulled over to check the truck (and change his shorts.) Looked under the truck and saw that the tire left tread marks under the bed and across at an angle where it exited. Said it was so surreal he wasn't even sure it happened. Save for the tire tread evidence.

We are here by a very thin thread. Be thankful and share your good fortune.

 

Update:

• Friday (after a 2 month wait) I got an email from insurance company stating that they had reviewed the body shop estimate and will pay about 85% of the estimate and have disallowed the other 15%. Karl, the body guy, tells me that this is common and that by the time all is said and done he will have proved that the other 15% is real damage and that it will eventually get paid. I'm 74 years old and this is my very first collision damage claim so I don't know what's real and what's not. For now I'll take Karl's word on it.
• Just got home a few minutes ago from visiting Clarence in the "hospital" (body shop). Karl has been waiting on the insurance settlement before getting deep into the project. He's removed some of the damaged parts but so far hasn't ordered/bought any new parts, awaiting actual cash showing up.
• I will be getting all 4 fender (2 upper and 2 lower) pieces new since nearly every original fender I've ever seen has/had rust as bad as my original fenders, which I still have.
• All the rest of the original sheet metal I need I've located and will go get soon in the next couple of weeks.
• The Vintage Air compressor and condenser will have to come from Vintage Air.
• The aluminum radiator will come from one of the suppliers of new replacement radiators.
• Fan, water pump, pulleys, etc., most likely will come from one of the local parts houses.
• Yeah, it's a pita, but if this is the worst thing that happens this year it will have been a tremendous year. Thanks for all of your concerns and comments.

fwiw, here are before and after pix.

At Lloydfest in September 2025:


A month later; the wheel on the ground is what hit us:

 

^ Man, that ****s. Glad it wasn't worse and no injuries.
I was towing a boat for a company I used to work at, going south on I-5 about center of Boeing field, when a big rig lost a tire and wheel in the elevated north bound lane. I saw it as it was just making it over the guard rail and headed right at me. I was able to swerve over a lane to the right just before the tire and wheel ***embly hit me head on. It hit the boat about midships, destroying it and the trailer. Made a mess all across the highway and shut down all the south bound lanes. I'll never forget how big the thing got as it came at me. Damn lucky it hit the boat and trailer instead of me or someone else.

 

Firstly glad everybody's ok, the rest is only sheet metal and plastic.
As an ex collision repair guy, he's right, insurances like to play that little dance. They deny some of the repairs, the shop sends pictures talk to them again, maybe the insurance resends the same adjuster to take the same pictures the shop sent them, then will agree. But not for all they denied the first time, just for a portion of it. Then the shop will have to plead to them again. But usually by the end everything is taken care of.
Insurances sure like to tango with bodyshops.

 

I'm just seeing this....pretty insane...the wheel that hit you looks like it came off the spindle
glad you and your buddy are OK....and you have a clear path forward...
see you at the 2026 SK500

 

That is certainly a blessing. Thank God!
A few inches and either one of you might not be here.
Clarence took the bullet, so to speak.

I had a close call years back when a wheel, tire and drum came off a pickup being towed on I-4 in Orlando. Bounced over the concrete median barrier, bounced in front of me on the inside lane and was headed straight for me. I nailed the gas and the car sped up enough that loose wheel went over me. Unfortunately the guy behind me hadn’t seen it and got hit.

 

@winduptoy,
Larry, when I was choosing a pic for reply #125 above it was a tossup whether to use the one with Bill's (@Bill's Auto Works) Stubby or this one with your Vicky and (@drdave) Dave's '34:

 

What a cool picture of sunnier days!

 

fun times....and it is the people you meet along the way

 

At Lloydfest in September 2025:
View attachment 6592974

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That was a good day, glad I was there for it. Clarence will come out of this looking just as good as ever

 

!!

 

I've never met you, but I'm sure I've seen Clarence-in-white somewhere. I think maybe at the Flying Eyeball Reunion in Davenport several years ago? Too bad about the damage to Clarence.

Gary

 

Glad to hear you may start seeing some progress soon Mike.

 

Gary,

You probably have seen it. It was white for about 20 years and has been to events all over the country. From York (PA) to Bonneville and most places in between. You might have seen it in Quincy at the color run or at BBT50's or ???

 

Damnit man! Just now seeing this. Hate to hear Clarence got a broke nose and a nosebleed but at least you didn't get punched in the face personally! Didn't get to meet you last year @ SK but will make it a point to hunt you down this coming year! Looking forward to seeing Clarence all fixed up too!

 

Gary,...that panel you remember is not "Clarence"...that one belonged to my buddy, it was a former U.S. Navy truck from California. It was white with gray primer spots and had skirts. I did the ch***is work on that one.,...just for your info.

 

OK. Thanks for the info.

Gary

 

Perhaps an afterthought but wondering if that trailer showed up for repairs somewhere along that route, most likely of course it was a tandem axle & may have limped along if close to the intended destination without detection by other motorists. Any chance it may have been a rental ?

 

I really have no way of knowing. I never saw the trailer and only saw the wheel for a tiny fraction of a second before it hit us. The witness, who was driving a semi in front of us, said it was the rear wheel on a 3-axle gooseneck trailer so they probably didn't even know they lost it until their next gas stop. The Illinois State Police had absolutely no interest in helping to find the culprit.

 

Atch I am so glad you were not hurt! Clarence will live again look forward to seeing you at Lloyd fest next year! Gary

 

I know how quickly things happen, as I was most recently rear ended at interstate speeds in the right-hand line of the I-80 (3) lane throughfare, no stop & go traffic just an individual totally asleep at the wheel, that totaled my 32 Sport Coupe.

 

@ROADSTER1927
Thanks Gary. If I'm still lookin' down at the gr*** expect us to be there. In Clarence of course.

@dirt car
Man that really sux. Is anything salvageable? Can it rise from the ashes?

 

Unfortunate accident for sure, but count your blessings. The same thing happened to my
next door neighbor, only he wasn't so lucky. Creased his truck cab right at the steering wheel
killing him instantly, but his grandson sitting in the middle was o.k. as well as his son on the
p***enger side of the front seat. Life can change in an instant. Glad you are here to tell the
story. Cars can be fixed, people not so much