An old GMT400-era GM pickup ended up high-centered on a highway divider after it escaped its driver’s control in Oklahoma City this week. When first responders came to clean up, they noticed that the truck had Vise Grip-style pliers locked onto the steering column instead of a wheel. Apparently, it doesn’t work as well in real life as it did in Mad Max: Fury Road.
I have definitely seen locking pliers (Vise Grip is just the most ubiquitous brand selling these) used for steering like this on social media for comedic effect. And, yeah, I may be guilty of doing similarly sketchy stuff to move a damaged or partially restored vehicle a very short distance. But this little oopsie documented by the Oklahoma City Fire Department’s Facebook page makes a pretty strong case for, you know, putting your car all the way back together before taking it out on the road.
Luckily, there were no reported injuries, so we can chuckle with minimal guilt here. And frankly, this is kind of inspiring me to make sure I’ve got a pair of locking pliers in all my cars in case the helm or shift knob falls off on its own. But yeah, let’s stay safe out there, this could have easily gone much more disasterously.
Seen or done any shenanigans like this to get somewhere in a busted car? Tell me about it at andrew.collins@thedrive.com.
Automotive journalist since 2013, Andrew primarily coordinates features, sponsored content, and multi-departmental initiatives at The Drive.
