Large Pelican and a dropped cell phone results in a million dollar drink

Texan drives $1 million sports car into marshes

[url=http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/33906595/ns/us_news-weird_news/]Texan drives $1 million car into marshes - Weird news- msnbc.com[/url]

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[quote]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.

Celebrity driver
The police declined to release the driver's name, although the incident has drawn a great deal of attention on his vehicle.

The Houston Chronicle reported the Texan has become something of a celebrity. He reportedly told the Texas City wrecker driver who towed his car that California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger called him Wednesday, along with several other celebrities.

“He said he was getting so many calls that he finally stopped answering his phone,” said wrecker driver Gilbert Harrison of MCH Truck and Auto, which is storing the car.

But Harrison said the driver seemed to take his very expensive mistake in stride.

“He was calm,” Harrison told the Chronicle. “If it had been me, I'd have been cussing, but he was calm. I imagine inside he was probably pretty upset.”

The Bugatti Veyron is the fastest and most expensive production car in the world.

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

No mention of his speed but the wings are up. Dropped his phone? Owns a Veyron but not a Bluetooth headset? Hard to believe. :rolleyes:

"distracted by a pelican" ??
Along with csl, I jsut don't believe this.
The guy's a clown and clearly trying to avoid being declared a COMPLETE idiot !!

... OR ....

[comspiracy theory]

This way the insurance pays him the agreed value he has the car insured for.
A value most likely in EXCESS of what it's currently worth.
THus making him solvent again so he can buy 4 Big Macs for a light lunch :)

[/conspiracy theory]

"Celebrity driver"? Not many (if any?) "celebrities" from Lufkin, Texas.

Saw this the other day, wouldn't doubt if Matra's theory is spot on.

That must have been one huge ass pelican.

Either that or he saw the pelicans that pick up Master Chief. That would make me drive a Veyron into water.

Here's his celebrity headshot:

[quote]The Bugatti Veyron is the fastest and most expensive production car in the world. [/quote]

GO AMERICA would've shat bricks.

But with the rather limited number of Veyrons, it won't be too hard to find this guy's name and info.

Damn it, man! See what happens, "GO AMERICA!!!"??? Stop talking Grade A crap about the Veyron! Somebody's Veyron gets wrecked everytime! Is this your intention? :)

[On a side note] He's going to be one happy guy with pixie dust blowin' out his wahzoo once his 10-day ban is over, if this thread lives that long. :)
I have a feeling that this is only the beginning for "GO AMERICA!!!".

Ugh, it's funny but it's a damn shame at the same time. It's probably just another one of the many oil billionaires from Texas.

[quote=ScionDriver;914860]It's probably just another one of the many oil billionaires from Texas.[/quote]
What's wrong with being an oil billionaire? :p

We do have billionaires who made their fortunes in other industries, by the way. Law, technology, communications etc.

ah i see the veyron being used for it's true calling

[URL="http://www.lufkindailynews.com/news/content/news/stories/2009/11/14/bugatti.html?cxntcid=hm_lk_Local"]Soggy Bugatti driver said he has shared exotic cars with children, others[/URL] News

COmment suggests insurance scam :)
[quote]andy house a millionaire, not even a hundredaire wake up people him and the guy who actually owns the car are pulling a fast one.but if you don't mind people who rip off insurance companys for a couple of million and you have to pay for it in the long run than so be it.[/quote]

It only gets BETTER :) ...

"that'll be mine one day" ... "It's a Lambo dude" ... "oh shit"
No sign fo that pesky polican tho'
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32yyvmlGOdo"]YouTube- Bugatti Veyron Crashing into the Water - CRASH - SPLASH![/ame]

Don't normally hold much in YouTube comments ... but in this cas I coudl imagine the idiot left the engine running and fecked it up 100% :(
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xIKD8iTFxVQ"]YouTube- BUGATTI VEYRON IN LAKE !!!!! GALVESTON - TEXAS (11/11/2009) (EXCLUSIVE)[/ame]

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etjkvQef9yM&NR=1"]YouTube- Ferrari Sacrificed to Save Boy's Life[/ame]

At least teh Ferrari story is plausible, avoidign a boy is more likely than a "pelican".
Guess the financial state of the economy down in Texas is having these guys have to get emony from somewhere -- or am I just beein cynical ?

[quote=Matra et Alpine;914880]
Guess the financial state of the economy down in Texas is having these guys have to get emony from somewhere -- or am I just beein cynical ?[/quote]

Texas actually almost completely avoided the recession. At least in Houston and the surrounding areas. You see how "bad" it is on TV then go to any store, mall, etc and the lines at check out are insane, new cars everywhere. It was (shockingly :rolleyes: ) sensationalized beyond belief.

"EVERY CITY IN THE COUNTRY IS ON THE VERGE OF ECONOMIC COLLAPSE OMFG!!!" :p I had to laugh at "pretty sure that's a Lambo duude."

And talk about "hood rich"...wow.

[quote]Another sports car could be seen under a cover Friday in the garage of House's home in the Bald Hill community. The home appraised for $147,000 in 2009, according to Angelina County Appraisal District records.[/quote]

sorry to bump this, but just thought I throw up this update:

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Wow, have fun restoring this Buggati!

*referencing the previous Buggati found at the bottom of a lake*

By the way, I think the guy bought another Veyron to replace this one.

strip and make it a race car. 24 hours of LeMons would be pwned.

[quote=cmcpokey;925323]strip and make it a race car. 24 hours of LeMons would be pwned.[/quote]

With a $500 budget?

You'd probably be barely able to buy one wheel. :D

wheel nuts are allegedly $50 each, so..

IIRC this dude runs a company that restores exotic cars? and that this was essentially an insurance job.

Or is that internet heresay?

I'm thinking it would be hard to write off a Veyron. Unless you torch the thing with Napalm.

Its made by volkswagen... only fire will kill it.

[quote=NSXType-R;925336]With a $500 budget?

You'd probably be barely able to buy one wheel. :D[/quote]

Well, the rules say you can sell things off to reach the $500, so I'm guessing you'll be able to enter what can best be described as the Superleggera version. :cool:

[quote=baddabang;925354]I'm thinking it would be hard to write off a Veyron. Unless you torch the thing with Napalm.[/quote]

He let the engine run for 10 or so minutes IIRC in the salt brine that he crashed into.

[quote=kingofthering;925360]Well, the rules say you can sell things off to reach the $500, so I'm guessing you'll be able to enter what can best be described as the Superleggera version. :cool:[/quote]

Maybe buy the engine and mount it in the bed of a pickup truck...?:D

This dude was out for the money, insurance scam for sure; his insurer is suing him!! My Dad sent me this article, he's in insurance so he reads these trade magazines and websites:

[url="http://www.claimsjournal.com/news/southcentral/2011/12/02/196098.htm"]Insurer Accuses Texas Owner of Drowned Bugatti of Fraud[/url]