Modified Grand Cherokee was enjoying some winter play when it found itself answering the call of duty.
2019 has gotten off to an icy start for many people across the United States, with winter weather pounding areas like Union, Missouri. Fortunately, when the roads became too tough for many motorists in Union to handle, Vincent Vitale and his Jeep WK Grand Cherokee were there to lend a helping hand. Area news station KSDK-5saw the story online and sought out Vitale for more on his actions during the wicked snow storm.
Jeep to the Rescue
This past summer, the internet was chock full of images and videos of Jeep owners helping folks in areas affected by flooding and as winter has fallen, owners of the most capable vehicles in the world are still quick to lead a hand to someone in need. When the Union, Missouri area was pounding by ice and snow last week Vitale and his “favorite toy” hit the road with the plans of seeing if he could help any stranded motorists while also jumping on the chance to play on the slippery streets in a vehicle built to handle that sort of abuse.
Unfortunately, many vehicles are not equipped to deal with ice and snow, leaving them stuck on the road, or in slightly-safer situations, on the side of the road. Knowing that this would be the case, Vitale headed out to Highway 50 in Union, where there are steep hills known to cause problems in icy conditions. Sure enough, there were many cars, trucks, SUVs and even some tractor trailers stranded on the road. Many were waiting for tow trucks, but with so many accidents being caused by the storm, motorists spent hours waiting for help.
Hero Without a Cape
They say that not all heroes wear capes, and that is particularly true in this case, as the heroes in Union were wearing a Nike sweatshirt and a set of 37-inch off-road tires. For hours, Vitale and his Jeep slowly pulled vehicles up the hill, eventually dragging at least 10 cars and trucks along with five tractor trailers to safety.
He explains that some of the tractor trailers weighed around 50,000 pounds, but the lifted Grand Cherokee was able to pull them out of their slippery situation.
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
