US

Modern-Day Flintstone: Man Tries to Use Feet to Stop Truck After Brakes Fail

ROSEVILLE, Mich. (AP) — A police video camera captured images of a 24-year-old Detroit-area man who tried using his feet to stop a runaway pickup truck with faulty brakes and caused multiple collisions, exhibiting “moronic decision making,” a Roseville police official said Thursday.

An in-car police video posted online by The Macomb Daily of Mount Clemens (http://j.mp/qhulr1 ) shows a patrol car following the truck until it stopped.

After the vehicle’s brakes failed on a busy street in Roseville, about two miles north of Detroit, the man continued driving and stuck his feet outside the car to stop it, Roseville Deputy Police Chief James Berlin said.

Witnesses said the man reached speeds of about 40 mph and was able to stop the car on at least two occasions. The car eventually struck four vehicles.

“This guy’s no rocket scientist,” Berlin said. “Citizens were calling in saying this guy is all over the road, using his feet.”

He struck two vehicles after being unable to stop at a red light, and continued on. An officer who pulled next to the man’s car told him to shift into “park,” but that didn’t work and he rolled into two other vehicles before the car stopped.

“He said he was going to fix the brakes when he got home,” Berlin said.

He was arrested for driving on a suspended license and reckless driving. The man is scheduled ““to explain his moronic decision making” during a court hearing next month, Berlin said.

Comments (53)

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  • gunslingr45
    Posted on August 20, 2011 at 9:48am

    Ok he is a dumbass, but why didn’t the cop use his car to stop it? He let it roll until it hit other cars? Now who’s the dumbass? Both of them.

    Report Post » gunslingr45  
    • WeekendAtBernankes
      Posted on August 20, 2011 at 10:26pm

      E-Brake, anyone? You’re telling me BOTH brake systems failed at once? What are the odds?

      And I have to agree with you. As I‘m watching him roll toward this intersection I’m thinking I hope I would have the presence of mind, if I’m in the oncoming lane, to stop his car with mine before it rolls into the intersection. Saving lives, reckon.

      Report Post » WeekendAtBernankes  
  • Protoham
    Posted on August 20, 2011 at 1:23am

    OK, what the video does not explain is that he had it stopped and started rolling again.

    That was stupid!

    Report Post »  
  • Wolf
    Posted on August 19, 2011 at 4:24pm

    Ever ear of down shifting- going to a lower gear- and turning the engine off? Especially when he knows the emergency brake doesn’t work, as well… Not the britest bulb in the box, for sure.

    Report Post »  
    • BigJohnT
      Posted on August 19, 2011 at 4:41pm

      People don’t know what the lower gears are for anymore.
      Ever watch all the brake lights on a slight down grade?

      Report Post » BigJohnT  
    • Snidely
      Posted on August 19, 2011 at 6:39pm

      I don’t think the officer is going to be designing rockets either, if he thought putting it in park at that speed was going to help.

      Report Post » Snidely  
    • 4blackhorses
      Posted on August 19, 2011 at 8:20pm

      Downshifting? You are obviously driving a manual tranny. Downshifting doesn’t work on an automatic, or at least not that you’d notice.

      I’ve been in a situation like this, only with my Father’s car that was kept in tip-top shape. I borrowed it and on the way back to his house, going uphill, with cars stopped at a stoplight, my brakes went out. I tried everything from the emergency brake, turning the engine off and downshifting. Nothing did any good.

      All I could do is hope for the stoplight to turn green and the cars to move out of my way or that I would slow down enough to keep from hitting one of them. I “bumped” the car in my lane, that car then richochet and hit another. This was all slow speed and slow motion.

      Found out later from the LIncoln Conitinental dealer that the part that made the brakes fail could have, because of the way it was built, gone out anytime.

      Report Post »  
    • sodacrackers
      Posted on August 19, 2011 at 9:37pm

      If the bulb is in the box, that could be why it is not bright!

      Report Post »  
  • thegreatcarnac
    Posted on August 19, 2011 at 3:31pm

    That’s OK….obama will buy him a new pair of shoes. Maybe some tennis shoes so he can really get some gripping power next time.

    Report Post »  
  • proudnot2bliberal
    Posted on August 19, 2011 at 2:56pm

    from Detroit area … can you say OBAMA supporter.

    why is hs name published

    Report Post »  
  • B_rad
    Posted on August 19, 2011 at 11:35am

    Once upon a time, the breaks in my car utterly failed pulling out from my subdivision, and the emergency brake was frozen solid. I managed to dodge several cars before I was able to slow to a crawl and get turned around headed for home. I coasted most of the way with the hazard lights flashing, and when I had to slow down even more, I put my foot out. It worked. Thank God I was able to avoid the cars when the brakes initially failed. I can’t imagine deliberately accelerating and repeatedly trying to stop with your feet in heavy traffic. It takes a special kind of stupid to do what this guy did.

    Report Post » B_rad  
    • Sea Lark
      Posted on August 19, 2011 at 1:20pm

      This poor fool was already driving illegally on a suspended license.

      Report Post »  
    • OLDBIKEFIXER
      Posted on August 19, 2011 at 2:56pm

      Michigan vehicles are usually rusted out after they are couple years old. The guy probably coulda’ just stuck his feet through the rotted floorboards instead of opening the door. When we were kids, we used to call stopping with your feet (on bicycles, of course) “spragging”.

      Report Post » OLDBIKEFIXER  
  • Ignatius J. Reilly
    Posted on August 19, 2011 at 11:08am

    so many ways to stop your vehicle. when i was a teenager (yes, we had cars back then) my accelerator stuck while i was making a u-turn on st. charles. i wigged out and started fishtailing ang going all up on the neutral ground and over the streetcar tracks and like that. my brother reached over and turned off the engine and we stopped in front of a streetcar.heh

    Report Post » Ignatius J. Reilly  
  • kerrcarto
    Posted on August 19, 2011 at 10:40am

    “Emergency Brake” It is called that for a reason. Dummy.

    Report Post » kerrcarto  
    • flattop
      Posted on August 19, 2011 at 10:57am

      Yeah, but his was labeled “PARK BRAKE”. He wasn’t ready to park yet, so he didn’t use it.

      Report Post »  
  • jkendal
    Posted on August 19, 2011 at 9:51am

    Driving tests just aren’t enough. There has to be a better way to keep stupid people from getting behind the wheel. They really are a danger to society (even without being behind the wheel)…..

    Report Post »  
  • DoctorElwinRansom
    Posted on August 19, 2011 at 9:50am

    I guess the man was trying to “have a gay old time.”

    Report Post » DoctorElwinRansom  
    • Secret Squirrel
      Posted on August 19, 2011 at 10:07am

      .
      Clown shoes!
      Now, that’s the ticket.

      The cop should have pulled in front of him and gently slowed.
      Put on his lights and siren to warn drivers.
      The cop didn’t help, either.

      So you end up with 4 cars hit instead of a dent in the police car rear bumper.
      But, hey, you wouldn’t have this neat dash cam video.

      Report Post » Secret Squirrel  
    • BEYES
      Posted on August 19, 2011 at 1:30pm

      Secret Squirrel: “So you end up with 4 cars hit instead of a dent in the police car rear bumper.
      But, hey, you wouldn’t have this neat dash cam video” Exactly……..lol

      Report Post »  
  • Anonymous T. Irrelevant
    Posted on August 19, 2011 at 9:45am

    Did he have a bird with a candle inside of his brake light lense? “That was his gears grinding when he put it in park?” No, it was his parking fork disintegrating. why didn’t he just gear down, then use his emergency brake? Probably broken, too. The dummy was driving on a suspended license, so I don’t think he cared.

    Report Post » Anonymous T. Irrelevant  
    • Smitty Smithsonite
      Posted on August 19, 2011 at 4:21pm

      Yeah park only works when your stopped. I’d have just thrown it in reverse. Cheaper to buy a transmission than pay for all those cars he hit. Plus you get to do a nice J-hook on TV! :-)

      Report Post »  
  • DoctorElwinRansom
    Posted on August 19, 2011 at 9:24am

    This is what happens in my nightmares (where things don’t always make sense).

    Report Post » DoctorElwinRansom  
    • String Bean
      Posted on August 19, 2011 at 9:39am

      I take it you’re not a podiatrist, then. Soooo many opportunities for research here.

      Report Post »  
    • dfmcse
      Posted on August 19, 2011 at 9:45am

      Right on, I have that dream where my foot is on the brake but the vehicle just keeps rolling and it won’t stop.

      Report Post »  
  • Gary Fishaholic
    Posted on August 19, 2011 at 9:12am

    I didn’t see anything saying this guy was drunk that may have explained it but sober trying this. You just can’t make this stuff up.

    Thanks for the laugh.

    Report Post » Gary Fishaholic  
  • ocean1994
    Posted on August 19, 2011 at 9:08am

    people dont seem to realize the emergency/parking break is a separate system. if your breaks go out, dont worry, u have another. but only for emergency use

    Report Post » ocean1994  
    • oneshiner
      Posted on August 19, 2011 at 9:28am

      Yabba dabba do!

      Report Post »  
    • String Bean
      Posted on August 19, 2011 at 9:41am

      Yeah, putting the tranny i park doesn’t really do much except fill the insides of it with small metal chunks.

      Report Post »  
  • I_will_say_this_one_more_time
    Posted on August 19, 2011 at 8:54am

    ????And they breed to make more????? God help us all.

    Report Post » I_will_say_this_one_more_time  
  • flattop
    Posted on August 19, 2011 at 8:49am

    He didn‘t have Barney Rubble’s big ass feet to help him. No wonder he couldn’t stop.

    Report Post »  
  • BIGJAYINPA
    Posted on August 19, 2011 at 8:44am

    The part that worries me is this…IS THIS KNOTHEAD ALLOWED TO REPRODUCE??? Some genes really need to be taken out of the gene pool, this clown seems to be the poster boy for a program to limit the number of idiots allowed to procreate…….Just sayin’

    Report Post » BIGJAYINPA  
  • olddog
    Posted on August 19, 2011 at 8:37am

    The Agony of De Feet..

    Report Post » olddog  
  • Msgt Ret
    Posted on August 19, 2011 at 8:37am

    I do this all the time, but I wear cheap flip-flops so I don’t ruin my good shoes.

    Report Post » Msgt Ret  
    • flattop
      Posted on August 19, 2011 at 9:22am

      MSGT, are you saying your old combat boots are your good shoes? I still wear mine…lol.

      Report Post »  
  • olddog
    Posted on August 19, 2011 at 8:35am

    The Agony of De Feet.

    Report Post » olddog  
  • 13th Imam
    Posted on August 19, 2011 at 8:34am

    This just happened to me. My right front Hard brakeline had rusted and broke last sat. No one was out as it was 8 am. I used my gears to stop and went slowly home, put all new lines in and my 99 wrangler is 4 wheelin again. Still have the same pair of shoes.

    Report Post » 13th Imam  
  • politicianssuck
    Posted on August 19, 2011 at 8:17am

    Hey Blaze! I got a great story for you! My first car had no reverse. I had to open the door and use my feet to push the car backwards while I steered. Yabba Dabba dooo! Call and you can interview me about this so very important news that the world must know.

    Sheesh!

    Report Post »  
    • marvlus
      Posted on August 19, 2011 at 8:39am

      Lighten up. We need a good laugh every now and then. Even your story brought a chuckle to me!

      Report Post »  
    • TheCalvinistPastor
      Posted on August 19, 2011 at 11:11am

      no kidding, I like seeing a break in serious stories once and awhile. Sometimes politics just get boring

      Report Post » TheCalvinistPastor  
  • AJAYW
    Posted on August 19, 2011 at 7:56am

    My My the feet then the brain Aee

    Report Post »  
  • SanRemo1959
    Posted on August 19, 2011 at 7:38am

    Is there any doubt that this clown is a flaming liberal? Rhetorical question. This is classic ******* behavior.

    Report Post »  
  • The_Postal
    Posted on August 19, 2011 at 7:38am

    Willllmaaaaaaa!!!!

    Report Post » The_Postal  
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