OPERATOR'S FERRARI GOES UP IN FLAMES ON L.A. FREEWAY:
Chris Hundley of Limousine Connection in Los Angeles experienced a close-call Sunday at 4:30 p.m. PST on the U.S. 101/Ventura Freeway, suffering a painful vehicle loss. [A Ferrari 360 Modena, 6-speed].
But at least he's alive, and it didn't happen to one of his limos carrying a client. . . .
So I am out for a Police Charity drive with a group of Exotic Cars. Great day, great weather, enjoying the car, all is good.
Heading home and get a smell of fuel inside the car. I look at the cars in front of me to see if there is an old clunker running rich and making that smell, but no they all look pretty new. That smell is coming from me! I look in the rear view mirror where I can see half of the engine and compartment and it looks normal but I start trying to change lanes so I can pull off to the side of the freeway and check it out.
Nobody wants to let me over so by the time I am one lane away from the side I look back again and now there are flames in the engine compartment. I crank the car over to the shoulder and know in my head that the car is bad and I probably have three seconds to grab whatever I can from the car and jump out.
I decide to grab my briefcase from the trunk and hit the button to release it on my way out of the car. I get to the trunk and it is still locked. The car is starting really flame up but I go back inside and hit the button once again and I hear it release. I open the trunk and grab my briefcase and start running away from the car.
As you can see in the picture it took about three minutes to fully engulf in flames. Of course it is insured but it is sad to watch your favorite car that you pamper and enjoy just burn to the ground. It is like watching your dog get hit by a car.
So like the old saying. “Other than that, how was the play Mrs. Lincoln.” It was a beautiful day in SoCal but ended on a sad note.
-- Chris Hundley
Print | posted on Monday, February 22, 2010 1:35 PM