Random destructive rampage!

[GSXR RACER MIKE]

Friday evening around 6:30 pm (6-25-2010) I was at the local Outback Steakhouse having some food when someone went crazy out in the parking lot.

This psychopath (who was supposedly on some type of drugs, according to a female passenger in the back seat of the vehicle with him) went on a rampage in his Jeep Grand Cherokee after he got mad at a slow driver on the main street next to the restaurant. He turned off that road (using the entrance into the shopping center) and instead of heading down the entrance way to the main parking lot he went over the curb and thru the grass heading toward the Outback parking lot. There's ruts thru the grass where he was spinning his tires the whole time, those ruts led right to my truck which was parked in the furthest possible parking spot from Outback.

He ended up smashing into the passenger side rear corner of my truck caving in the whole front of his truck up against the front wheels and causing his Jeep to spin around 90 degrees to his original direction of impact. What's even more amazing is that the impact moved my 8500 lb Longbed Dually Crewcab Diesel F350 Pickup truck 5 feet from it's original location - with a Jeep Grand Cherokee that weighs about 1/2 what my truck does!

But this maniac was just getting started, he then backed away from my truck and smashed into the tree that was now immediately right behind his Jeep. It was such a tight fit that he repeatedly went back and forth smashing into my truck and the tree trying to free his vehicle - at this point the woman in the back seat bailed out of the Jeep and nearly got crushed by this guys actions. Luckily a big guy who was in the parking lot had run over and grabbed the woman from getting hit and actually threw her up into the back of my truck's bed. The idiot driver then broke free and plowed into the big guys Ford Expedition parked about 40 feet away, he backed up, then hit it again, and again, and a 4th time in the side of that SUV. After that he shot across the lot about 50 feet and plowed into a Toyota Camry, then looped around and smashed into the back of an Audi across the isle. Finally the impact with the 4th vehicle apparently broke something in the drive line of the Jeep and it would no longer move - though he was shifting back and forth like a mad man trying to get going again. My truck was probably the oldest being a 2003, I believe all the other vehicles that he hit were newer than mine.

At this point the big guy in the parking lot got to the Jeep and made sure the driver wouldn't be going anywhere by firmly grasping onto this morons neck with both hands!

Eventually an employee of the restaurant (who knew it was my truck that got hit) came and told me about the chaos outside. By the time I got outside there were 5 squad cars and about 30 people out in the parking lot. As I got to my truck I saw the trail of antifreeze on the ground from the Jeep, it started where he smashed into my truck and led to all the other vehicles he hit. At this point there was pretty much a mob that wanted some time alone with this guy, in fact I overheard several people telling the cops they could let this guy out of their car and the cops could just leave and the group would deal with this guy!

To make things worse this all happened on private property and the driver was from Wisconsin which didn't have a mandatory vehicle insurance law up until just a few weeks ago, that law just went into effect on June 1, 2010 - at this point no one knows if this guy had insurance on this vehicle or not. I was also told by my insurance company today that since his actions were intentional that no insurance carrier (they know of) would cover any of the damage to his vehicle or the other four.

According to the article in the newspaper the guy was charged with Reckless Driving and 4 counts of FELONY criminal damage. Even his girlfriend in the front passenger seat went to jail due to outstanding warrants for....driving offenses....go figure!

The estimate right now sits at $5300 damage.

You just can't fix stupid!

[spyderchick]

Doesn't comprehensive insurance cover intentional damage by another driver? What would they have covered if the guy would have lit it on fire instead?

And yeah, Wisconsin finally got wise and requires peeps to have insurance. I'll bet this ass**** didn't though.

[GSXR RACER MIKE]

I should rephrase that, HIS insurance (if he has it) will not be covering anything (on his or other vehicles) due to all of it being intentional damage by this idiot.

My insurance is immediately covering the $5300 worth of damage minus my $500 deductible. They (State Farm) will then be going after him to cover those costs and will repay my deductible 1st with any money recovered. About 3 months ago I was in my 1st accident ever, another idiot plowed into the back of my Corvette while I was sitting at a red stop light (I had been sitting there stopped for about 20-30 seconds), that resulted in a gash on the top of my head and $2300 in damage to the car. State Farm immediately covered the repairs on the car minus the $500 deductible and reimbursed me for that a couple weeks later when they got paid by that guys insurance.

Needless to say this is a whole different situation with all the damage being intentional, I can also imagine that with 2 claims in such a short time that my rates are going to be going up even though neither situation was my fault. 

[Gixxerblade]

That'll buff right out! Glad nobody got hurt.

[Russell2566]

Heck I can't believe there wasn't more damage that's crazy.

[GSXR RACER MIKE]

Heck I can't believe there wasn't more damage that's crazy.

When I found out that my truck took the hardest initial hit I was suprised there wasn't alot more damage, especially after moving my truck 5 feet. I think it had alot to do with the hitch reciever assembly behind the bumper being tied directly to the frame and creating a rigid box structure. Jeep Grand Cherokee's are not a full frame vehicle, they're a combination partial frame and unibody construction, I believe that's why the front of his vehicle crushed like it did while mine transfered alot of the force into the full frame of the truck. I think some of the force may have also been absorbed by a tree that the side of his Jeep bounced off of as his vehicle was spun sideways from the impact with my truck.

[KBOlsen]

Note to self:  If you see Mike's truck in a parking lot, eat down the street :)

Holy biscuits!  Jaw-dropping HOLY BISCUITS!

Hoping it all works out...

[GSXR RACER MIKE]

The Police finally released the info about the driver, it was in a very brief article in the newspaper today (Tuesday 6-29-2010). Turns out the guy is 22 years old, from Beloit Wisconsin, and has been sitting in the county jail here in Illinois since this happened on Friday with a $75,000 bond keeping him there.

He's scheduled for a Thursday 9am court appearance, since I own my own business and have the availability to attend I'm thinking I might go and see what in the world this guy has to say to the Judge - and also what the Judge says to him.

[Woofentino Pugrossi]

Too bad the big guy sisnt snap the idiots neck. BTW is there a link to the story in the newspaper? I dont have much luck with searching the RRS site.


BTW it shouldnt affect your rates since you were the 'victim' in both.

[funsizeracing]

Sounds like this guy could use some chickens.  They are very therapeutic  ::)

[GSXR RACER MIKE]

BTW is there a link to the story in the newspaper? I dont have much luck with searching the RRS site.

1st article
http://www.rrstar.com/news/yourtown/x370834834/Outrage-at-Outback-4-cars-struck

2nd article
http://www.rrstar.com/news/x1609339758/Driver-who-hit-cars-at-Rockford-Outback-ID-d

[GSXR RACER MIKE]

Sounds like this guy could use some chickens.  They are very therapeutic  ::)

I bet a psychologist, alot of medication, and some time in a padded room with some chickens could do wonders for this guy! 

[pugo]

Here's a picture of the guy that did all the damage. He's still in jail, bond was $75,000 now it's $50,000.

[GSXR RACER MIKE]

That's the guy, and the Jeep he was driving - also 1 of the Police Officers I dealt with.

I ended up not going to the guys court date after all, but have found out some more info since then. Yesterday I spoke with the local States Attorney and they told me what Pugo said: The guy was still in Jail and the bail is now $50,000. His charges at this moment are 4 Felony counts of intentional criminal damage, nothing was said to me yesterday about a Reckless driving charge at this point. He's also scheduled for Psychological evaluation before his next Court appearance on July 22, that Court appearance is supposed to be nothing more than a status update from what I was told. I was also told by someone last night that the Jeep the guy was driving supposedly wasn't even his - but at this point that's purely hear say and I don't know if it's accurate or not.

My truck has been at the body shop since last Tuesday morning (7-6-10), they already removed the bed and all the repair work has already been done to it. I'm also having a few other touch-ups done to the truck at the same time that I'm paying for as well, priming is scheduled for Monday and I will hopefully be able to pick it up Thursday or Friday (7-15/16-10).

[chaplain220]

Kinda scary when you realize just how many times a day callous rampages like this happen in our country.  We usually only hear about the big ones that kill folks, and it looks like that could have easily happened here, but because no one got nailed by this guy, it just gets a bit line in the press, you bear the brunt of his crimes through your own insurance, the courts will soon release him just like they keep lowering his bond, and everyone forgets that we have some serious moral issues on our streets and in our courts.  Glad you and no others were walking between the cars or in striking range when this happened. 

[GSXR RACER MIKE]

Glad you and no others were walking between the cars or in striking range when this happened.

I was talking with some friends a couple days ago and they brought up the subject of my Corvette getting hit several months prior to this (as I mentioned earlier). They were saying I was lucky I hadn't driven my car the day all this happened because the Jeep would have probably totaled my car (it's a 1987 I've owned for almost 20 years - not really worth all that much anymore). I commented that if I had been parked with the front of my car to the curb the Jeep most likely would have gone right over it (Dukes of Hazard style!) due to the height difference between the parking lot and the grass he was driving thru and the wedge shape of the front of my car.

Now that might have been an entirely different situation since there were a number of people in the parking lot when this happened (6:30pm on a Friday night) and his path would have possibly sent him barreling toward the front of the restaurant (if the Jeep was still able to move) where there were people standing outside waiting for seating.

[Carnag3]

is that him?

from his myspace:
i hate my life4:29 AM Apr 17

[GSXR RACER MIKE]

I never went looking beyond newspaper articles for anything about him personally till you showed me this. I just did a search on Myspace and sure enough by his name, location, and age that's him. His last login was 2 days before all this happened, which makes sense since his internet access is probably limited right now. Ironic how before he did all of this damage he actually had "I hate my life" on his Myspace page!

I also just found out the body shop went to install the new rear bumper today and realized the replacement mounting brackets they ordered with the bumper are missing, they contacted the company they purchased the bumper from and their priority shipping the parts out today. So now it looks like it's going to be late Monday (7-19-2010) before I get my truck back. Looks like the original 2 week repair time was accurate when all is going to be said and done.

[KillerCam]

 First off I am glad everyone is OK. Don't take this the wrong way but when I read this I threw my newly rented redbox movie in the trash.  LOL   F  did you at least get a steak with the movie  Holy Cow that is some crazy shit.  Sorry again glad everything is good for everyone involved except that clown.

[GSXR RACER MIKE]

This is the story I've gotten from the local States Attorney's Office.

It's been 6 weeks since all this happened, I got my truck back after 2 weeks in the shop (final bill was $6246 / I paid a $500 deductible), and now the States Legal process is apparently done. After a month in Jail the guy pleaded Guilty to the 4 counts of Felony Intentional Criminal Damage and was released from Jail to start 30 months Probation without anymore jail time. As a condition of his Parole he's required to make regular payments toward the fines that the State penalized him with and pay off the entire balance by the end of the 30 months, he's also required to remain drug and alcohol free (and will be subjected to random testing for both), if he violates those or any of the other conditions of his parole it sounds like he goes straight to Prison because of the 4 Felony convictions.

According to the States Attorney's Office one of the damaged vehicles was not insured, part of the State's fines against the guy who did all the damage include the total amount of damage to that vehicle and the deductibles the rest of us had to pay. The way it's supposed to work is as this guy pays his fines to the State over the next 30 months the State in turn will begin reimbursing each of us with that money - we will see if that happens or not!

[Woofentino Pugrossi]

just probation? Geesh what a crock. He only has to pay for the total damage to one vehicle and the deduct for the rest ? Again what a crock. He should be paying for ALL damage period. I do hope you insurance company goes after his ass.

[GSXR RACER MIKE]

Unfortunately the 3 of us that had insurance all had insurance thru different companies. The bad part about that is the individual insurance companies most likely won't go after someone too aggressively who apparently doesn't have any money (because of the legal costs to the insurance company in doing so vs. the payback). Had all 3 of our vehicles been insured with the same carrier they would have had a much larger vested interest and probably would have pursued monetary reimbursement more aggressively.

In my opinion I think had I been in his situation I would have taken more jail time over pleading guilty to 4 Felonies, those Felonies have the possibility of haunting him his entire life when trying to get future jobs.

I think what it comes down to is the legal system is SOOOOO screwed up! 

[KillerCam]

Good luck with it all

[Burt Munro]

The only thing that surprises be about the end result is that the un-insured driver gets full reimbursement. 

I would think that there should be some penalty for not carrying at least liability insurance. 

Maybe its the fact that the incident was on private property (not on a public street) and that no one was actually driving the car at the time of the incident. 

Or maybe its a situation where the owner only had liability coverage which wouldn't pay for his repairs in this instance.

I had a situation years ago where my parked car (parked in the driveway) was hit twice in the span of about 3 hours.
First was a drunk driver that caved in the right rear corner and spun the car around 180 degrees.  Next was a Semi that jack-knifed and caved in the front end.  I had to pay my deductible twice (2 separate incidents) in order to replace the car as it was totalled or else wait for the 2 insurance companies to fight it out.  Bottom line was I got my full deductible back from the drunk's Insurance after about 6 months and the Insurance for the Semi would only reimburse me for 2/3rds of my deductible claiming that their driver was only responsible for 2/3rds of the total damage.  I cried to my Insurance company but they told me it wasn't worth their time to try and fight for the $83.33 I was out.

[Woofentino Pugrossi]

The only thing that surprises be about the end result is that the un-insured driver gets full reimbursement. 

I would think that there should be some penalty for not carrying at least liability insurance. 

If the uninsured car was from WI, then at the time of the crash, he wasnt required by WI law to carry insurance. WI's insurance requirement didnt start until July 1.