For those of you with new, or soon to be new, drivers in the family.... The Short, Deadly Story of a Kid and his M5 Date posted: 01-28-2008 He posted on the BMW M5 forum — www.M5board.com — as "AmericanM5," the proud new owner of a 2008 BMW M5 painted Space Gray. He had a problem. It happened when he had "everything set to max" and changed gear with the shift paddles mounted on the steering wheel. As he said, "and I'm going pedal to the metal pushing 140 and upshifting, there tends to be a thud noise with the gear change." AmericanM5 wanted to know if this was normal. And he added: "Let me say I am a beginner when it comes to high-performance cars as I am only 18, so take it easy on me." Reality Check The forum members told him that yes, the sensation of an abrupt gear engagement is normal with the M5's automated sequential manual transmission, but several also took the opportunity to express their concerns. Wrote one: "It's just disturbing to know...that an 18-year-old who is asking these questions about a 500-horsepower car is driving the same streets I am. I don't have anything against young guys driving nice cars, but an 18-year-old being [behind] the wheel of an M5 is what accidents are made of." AmericanM5 responded: "I completely understand where you are coming from, assuming that I am irresponsible...that is definitely understandable. I do sometimes make bad decisions but I am young and I do drive safe and I will not endanger the lives of others." These posts were dated January 25, 2008. Space Gray At 3:30 a.m. on January 26, a 2008 BMW M5 painted Space Gray flew off the raised end of a runway at a private airport just outside Ocala, Florida, sailed 200 feet through the air and stuck a huge tree. The impact with the tree occurred 15 feet off the ground. Five young men, aged 18 to 20, were killed instantly. Members of the M5Board began to put the pieces together. AmericanM5 said he was 18, had a 2008 M5 in Space Gray, and said he lived in the Ocala area. And he signed one of the posts, "Josh." The driver of the crashed M5 had been Josh Ammirato. Experience Counts Apparently AmericanM5 had not been entirely truthful in his postings. The M5 belonged not to him, but instead to his father. When members of the M5board forum had made this suggestion online, AmericanM5 bristled: "It's mine, buddy. I just traded in my 335i and paid the difference." Another member suggested that AmericanM5's lack of knowledge about the BMW M5's transmission could be easily explained: "Maybe your two years' driving experience in your whole life is the problem." AmericanM5 responded: "That could be a good assumption but the fact I never drive a manual car before may be true, but I've been driving for a lot longer than two years, buddy." Reports indicate that Ammirato had received four traffic citations in the last two years. Is This for Real? The crash occurred at the Greystone Airport, which is bordered on one side by Jumbolair Estates, a fly-in community where actor and pilot John Travolta lives; he filed a suit in 2007 to compel the owners to allow him to land his Boeing 707 on the strip. The fly-in community was built by the late Arthur Jones, inventor of Nautilus exercise equipment. The airstrip is 7,550 feet (1.5 miles) long and is 210 feet wide. Apparently it can be accessed through an unguarded gate. The five occupants of the M5 had attended a basketball game, and then a party where they were celebrating the 19th birthday of Dustin "Smiley" Dawe, one of the men killed. The Florida Highway Patrol reported that there was evidence of skid marks at the end of the runway, indicating the car had turned sideways before crossing a sloped embankment and sailing through the air and into the tree. Alcohol does not appear to have been involved. The accident made headlines in the Ocala Star-Banner. A Final Word The final exchange between AmericanM5 and the rest of the forum members came late on January 25. Some members wondered if the 18-year-old M5 owner was for real, and suggested that he post some photos of his car. Others wondered why a teenager would opt for an expensive sedan instead of more conventional sports car like a Porsche. A forum member from Queensland, Australia, applauded AmericanM5's decision to get a BMW: "I would much prefer an 18-year-old with brains to have an M5 rather than spend his money on some other piece of junk that could kill him and his mates in an accident," wrote M5DAL, a forum member since 2004. He continued: "If you crash in a big way, expect to be on the news." "Thanks, guys, don't get me wrong," AmericanM5 wrote. "I never said I didn't respect your wisdom. Thanks for the welcome, and I am looking forward to getting to know you guys better...and I plan to have all the pics up tomorrow. Josh." That was his last post.
Ahhh, stewardesses. I remember a period in the go-go seventies when they wore hot pants uniforms [and all were good looking females]. Those days are gone, sad to tell. Now you're lucky if it isn't some short fat guy with a big cold sore showing.
That's interesting but stupid teenage drivers is nothing new. When I was just out of high school, one of my classmates crashed head-on into a pickup truck that contained two women and 5 kids who were on their way home from an afternoon at a local lake. The classmate (I knew him but not well) was estimated to have been traveling around 100 mph on a crooked two lane highway on a rainy Sunday afternoon when he lost control. It killed him and all seven occupants of the pickup. I remember stopping by the junk yard to look at his car. It had been a 1970 Mustang coupe, but the only part I could recognize was a part of the driver's side floor pan. I forgot to mention that this was in 1974, and the kids were all in the back of the pickup. That was really common in those days.
I think most of us have lost friends or folks we knew due to the stupidity of youth. I had a friend who was dragging his new Norton Commando on a straight road With a Rail Road crossing. He was so intent on beating the other guy that when he let up he looked to see what was up. By the time he looked back in front of him there was a locomotive 20 foot in front of him. Senseless death.
DF, sounds like you've listened to Roy D. Mercer a few times to be using "yesterday of an evening". How big a boy are ya?? Ain't nothin' for me to whoop a mans a$$! All classics, especially his "Rotten Apples" bit. Sorry, I couldn't stay on topic either!
I'm fixin to snatch ya baldheaded and whoop your ass fer bein bald! (I have a pile of his calls in MP3 if anyone wants them.)
Bout time for my story again LOL. Learned my lesson the Hard way also maybe not that hard but. I was 18 years old, had a great job for a Kid. Went out and bought a brand new 5.0 liter Mustang. Bartending at 18 when the drinking age was 21, you could serve but not drink. So I went out for my 19th birthday in my new car 28 days old. Ran into some friends and they got me totally loaded beyond belief as all the other bartenders knew me and thought I was of age. I got my beer muscles on and decided I was going to race that rust bucket 79 Caprice next to me. I totally destroyed the guy in the junker until he caught up to me and layed his front bumper into my rear at over 100 MPH. I rolled the car 7 times, took out a fire hydrant, tree, park bench and ended up upside down staring at the 5 speed shifter pushed up against the Statue of Stonewall Jackson in the City Center. NO windows left in the car, rims wiped off from jumping over the curb, roof crushed to the seats, spoiler gone and Mud everywhere. I was sliding on the roof for a while and the sod slowed me down that was coming through where the windshield used to be. I ran and the police caught me. I told them what happened and they didnt want to hear it. Luckily I know a lot of police officers here so I got very lucky one ofmy good friends was on duty to get me out of the DWI that was certainly coming. I went to the Doctor because I was pretty busted up. This doctor delivered me as a Baby and I have known him my whole life. He asked if I was Drunk. I said yes Doc I was he then asked if I was wearing a seat belt I replied No Doc. He said with the type of accident you were in you are lucky to be alive. He said the alcohol and not having on my seat belt saved my life as the alcohol relaxed me when rolling and banging around the interior and not having the seat belt on saved me from decapitation. After that day I can honestly say I learned my lesson and never drink and drive. I will drill this intomy sons head and show himthe pictures after I find them againso he will hopefullybe alittle smarter than Dad was.
well , when i was young,drinking allmost got me killed too. i wasn't driving a car. i ran in to some friends .half way through the night, found out i was married to a cheating wife .so we drank a loooooooot more, then waking up in the hospital. i guess there was a accident and none of us remember what happen. scared me to the point ,i haven't touch a drink and i don't miss my former wife.!
That's a common story I guess. After 3 wives, current one good so far, I realize no woman is worth getting wasted over, and certainly not getting "kilt" over!!
I guess I am one of the lucky ones, unlike the 18 year old guy who got killed. I didn't grow out of the stupidity of driving fast and also drinking until I was in my late 20's. I totaled a GMC Sprint into a parked 18 wheeler. I hit so hard that my right shoe was stuck in the floor board, the engine was totally broken from the tranny and sitting transverse, the frame on the left side was wrapped around the front tire. Someone brought me home and I went to bed only to be woken up by the police at the front door, I was 20 that time. I then ran my Miata down a curved road following a bayou at over 100 mph, hit a turn a bit too fast, the back end got away from me and headed straight into a ditch, rolled the car courtwheel style a bit down the ditch, the car then slid on it's side into a culvert. I was banged up a bit but not too bad, car was totalled. I was thankful I didn't involve anyone else in my accidents both times, I could have killed someone else and didn't. I was 27 for the Miata wreck. Both accidents happened around 2 in the morning which I am sure helped in not getting another person killed.
Geez......remind me never to ride with any of y'all ! Am I the only one who used to catch a buzz and just sit around ?
Am I the only one who used to catch a buzz and just sit around ? >rwitt ++++++++++++ Imagine, there are people who'd say your behavioral change was due to brain damage.
I drove one time UTI, most uncomfortable time driving I have ever felt and refused to ever do it again.
It's not uncomfortable when I DUTI! I'm asleep the whole time.* *Yes I'm kidding, and yes I know someone who was killed by a drunk driver, so lay off me with your MADD hysteria.
