Man and dog die after being trapped in Corvette

[madoka]

What a horrible way to go.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/.../texas-man-dog-die-trapped-corvette/71053474/

A 72-year-old man and his dog died of heat exhaustion on Monday after they were unable to get out of his locked Corvette, according to police.

Police believe that when James Rogers got into the vehicle, a cable became loose and cut off the power to the operate the horn and locks. Rogers did not know how to manually unlock the vehicle and became trapped inside, according to the Port Arthur Police Department.

Police believe heat exhaustion eventually killed the two, as they sat in the parking lot of a Waffle House in Port Arthur.

 

[deadlyapp]

Jesus. Literally sounds the worst. I can't believe he didn't have something that would allow him to break the window.

 

[local]

Pretty sure there is an air conditioner in the car...

 

[HN]

Jesus. Literally sounds the worst. I can't believe he didn't have something that would allow him to break the window.

that's not unreasonable, but this --

Rogers did not know how to manually unlock the vehicle

 

[thedarkwolf]

Don't all cars made in the last 20 years or so unlock the drivers door if you simply pull on the inside door handle?

 

[SKORPI0]

Rogers did not know how to manually unlock the vehicle

^_^

How to...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLDqmGQU6L0

2007 owners manual... http://www.c6registry.com/technical/manuals/2007corvette.pdf (see page 80)

 

[SlickSnake]

They need to take that POS vette and execute it by crushing it in a scrap yard, then burn it until it turns to slag in a blast furnace, then ship it to GM headquarters along with a giant lawsuit.

Anyone who buys a buggy GM product deserves the broken down crap they get, but this is going too far with poor design like hiding the damn door handle and not placing it in an obvious place in an emergency so a first responder can't even find it.

 

[Rudee]

Why he didn't try to break the side windows with his fists or kicking them with his feet baffles me. Ban Corvettes!

 

[andylawcc]

Why he didn't try to break the side windows with his fists or kicking them with his feet baffles me. Ban Corvettes!

72 years old.

and

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRHgJN2wjiY

 

[IronWing]

He was in the Waffle House parking lot in Port Arthor, Texas. Hell is supposed to be hot.

 

[SlickSnake]

He was old for heaven's sake, and probably didn't want to screw up the car any more than it was, and a broken window he would have had to pay to fix, too. Heat exhaustion can hit pretty fast, and probably caused him to suddenly pass out, then he had a stroke, and that was it. It probably didn't take more than 15 minutes to happen, which isn't that long at all.

 

[BlitzPuppet]

That's really sad :\

Texas heat is VERY deadly this time of year.

 

[KeithTalent]

Poor dog.

KT

 

[Gunslinger08]

- It's not terribly intuitive how you manually unlock the door of a newer Corvette.
- The guy was 72, so probably couldn't break the window.
- The "cable that slipped off" may have completely disabled the starter.
- He must not have had a cell phone.

The only thing I really can't wrap my head around is how nobody noticed him. I'm sure he was beating on the windows asking for help. It's not like he was in the middle of nowhere.

Pretty crappy situation and not something you can really blame on anyone. The guy should have known where his car's manual was and/or where the manual door releases were, but honestly most people would never consider this scenario.

Something similar probably affects people with garages. It's pretty common to leave the door from your garage to your house unlocked and not carry a house key for quick trips. If you have a garage door opener without a battery backup and the power goes out, you can't get back into your house.

 

[Possessed Freak]

Poor dog.

KT

At the sake of getting burned at the internet stake for this... the dog is inconsequential.

 

[BlitzPuppet]

- It's not terribly intuitive how you manually unlock the door of a newer Corvette.
- The guy was 72, so probably couldn't break the window.
- The "cable that slipped off" may have completely disabled the starter.
- He must not have had a cell phone.

The cable that slipped off was apparently a battery cable according to the article. He had apparently left his phone in the waffle house so couldn't call anyone for help.

Makes no sense why a door latch/handle would be on the floor of a car, it would make more sense to be where they normally are on cars; on the door.

He probably panicked, tried to read the manual and passed out. It doesn't take much time at all for cars to heat up from just sitting in the sun here in the "Asscrack of Texas"

 

[KeithTalent]

At the sake of getting burned at the internet stake for this... the dog is inconsequential.

I disagree.

KT

 

[darkewaffle]

I mean the floor wouldn't be my first guess but if I'm locked in a hot car any lever or button is worth a try.

Feel bad for the guy and the dog, but that said... not the brightest crayon either.

 

[Safeway]

I wonder if the hatch on that model year Corvette has a manual release on the inside like trunks do?

 

[LTC8K6]

As strange as the accident seems, 12News has learned it's not isolated. We spoke to a Groves man named Isabel Moreno. Moreno told us he owned a 2006 Corvette, and one day he got trapped inside of it in his garage, when the battery went out.

Hmmm...

I would have thought 2006/7 Corvettes weren't that complex.

If you have a modern high tech vehicle, maybe you had better research what might happen in certain scenarios? If the car battery is dead, for example, can you get out of the car?

I'd keep one of those center punch window breaker things in any of these cars that are too complicated to figure out when something doesn't work.

You will be in serious trouble quickly on a hot day if you can't get out or roll the windows down or start the car.

http://www.khou.com/story/news/loca...die-after-being-trapped-in-corvette/70999112/

 

[Tommy2000GT]

GM should be sued for designing an unintuitive manual door handle like that.

 

[z1ggy]

Car doesn't still have a manual switch inside that unlocks and locks the door? My 2011 car still has a switch I could release if this were to happen...

Poor dog

 

[LTC8K6]

Car doesn't still have a manual switch inside that unlocks and locks the door? My 2011 car still has a switch I could release if this were to happen...

Poor dog

If the "manual switch" operates a powered solenoid...

I wonder how many things are truly manually operated on cars these days?

Maybe the hood latch?

 

[Captante]

Poor dog.

KT

My first thought as well.

Sad story whatever the cause though.

 

[Mark R]

Car doesn't still have a manual switch inside that unlocks and locks the door?

It does, but it's on the floor at the side of the seat!