Brand-new Jeeps Meet Premature Demise in Tragic Nevada Train Crash
A moment of silence for the Wranglers and Gladiators left in the desert that are now destined for crushing.
It’s a popular saying: “It’s like a train wreck, you can’t look away.” Well, except for this one. This train wreck is hard to look at due to the spoiled splendors that are Jeep Wranglers and Gladiators strewn across the Nevada desert after an accidental derailing. A story by David Tracy for Jalopnik depicts a grueling scene with equally heartbreaking pictures of the highly sought after rock crawlers salvaged before they met their first owners.
Though, Jeep wasn’t the only make that lost some of their best sellers. Chevy and GMC lost some cars, too. Train cars full of Silverados and Sierras were seen crunched like empty soda cans as well. The photos are hard to take in. It makes any car enthusiast want to take their hat off and say a few words. Some sad piano solos in the background are definitely in order after looking at the images posted by the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department. Though, thankfully, there were no serious injuries reported to any human since it happened in the middle of the desert.
The cause of the derailing still isn’t certain, but Sheriff’s department remain vigilant. Until the vehicular graveyard is clean of debris and metal carcasses by the Union Pacific Rail Road, the area is closed off to the public. To make the story even more cringey, the crash was so intense there were parts of the train mixed in with the dead cars. As seen in the picture below, an axle from the train is seen sitting casually among the wreckage.
Mixed in with all the bad news, there is some good news. Not all of the Jeeps and Chevys will be going on a blind date with a crusher. Some only sustained minimal damage as they were ejected from their captive train cars, and may be fixable with some TLC. Though, a disappointingly large percentage are doomed to spend the rest of their lives in a salvage yard.
Usually, the news stories that pops up on various feeds are the kinds that leave a bad taste in the mouth. Political nonsense, mishandling of immigration, or even global warming and earthquakes tend to sting a little with every word. But this? A train full of Jeeps and Chevys that never got to be a part of a family road trip or be the host/conduit to fond memories hurts along the same caliper. Sure, Jeep and Chevy are looking at this as a loss in sale and production cost – but a gear head looks at this as a tear-jerking tragedy.
Photos: Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department
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