Anyone Believe his BS Story ?

teamzr1

Supporting vendor
A Fix Or Repair Daily (Ford) owner in Boca Raton, Florida crashed his recently purchased supercar into a tree Friday evening because he was "unfamiliar with how to drive stick shift," police say.

The driver, 50-year-old Robert J. Guarini, told cops he lost control after downshifting while leaving his housing development at around 6 p.m, a police report says.
This led to a head-on collision with a palm tree.
Guarini then told a nearby security worker that he did not have his phone and needed a ride back to his house, (ran from the scene) where he spoke to authorities via landline after leaving the vehicle unattended, the report says.

Though the police report says Guarini told officers the crash was caused by inexperience with a manual transmission

“I don’t want people to think I was racing at 90 mph," Guarini says. "I was going 35 mph.” (BS! by the amount of damage)

From the police report, it's unclear if speed played a role in the crash.

John Peddle's photos from the crash site show that the damage is limited to the front third of the car.
The hit was substantial enough to trigger multiple airbags, disable the vehicle, and cause the GT to slide far enough after hitting the tree that it blocked a nearby sidewalk.

Though police say the car was not registered or insured when the crash occurred, Guarini claims the car was covered under an umbrella policy and that he just didn't have the documentation available when the crash happened.

The police report's listed VIN indicates the car was purchased at a Barrett-Jackson auction in Palm Beach in early April for $704,000, about the going price for a 2006 Heritage Edition GT.
That would make replacement a very expensive endeavor.

Guarini was issued a citation for driving with a suspended license and a warning for operating an unregistered vehicle.
The 50-year-old claims his license suspension was due to an unrelated department of motor vehicles "clerical error."

Sound like a drug runner to me !
Was he a wetback and how did he fit behind the steering wheel :)

BSford.jpg
 

CaptainK

CCCUK Member
Unfamiliar with manual transmission you say? If that were the case, wouldn't it be best to get experience on a much less powerful car with a manual gearbox first instead of ruining very expensive car. I think they are probably telling porkie pies there.

Still, saying that, the first time I had a go in an automatic (semi-automatic tiptronic), after about 7 years of driving experience (and about 20 years ago now), I almost sent my passenger through the windscreen on changing gear from first to second. My brain, trained on manual gearboxes only until that point, naturally went to firmly press the clutch pedal down when moving the tiptronic gearstick to move from 1st to 2nd...... who put that large brake pedal where the clutch pedal normally is? :ROFLMAO: Still, it was the car salesman letting me have a go in the automatic version of an FTO (semi-automatic with gearstick when manual stick is), and he already knew I was here to pickup my manual FTO I had already bought earlier. So he wasn't that peeved.... well, he didn't show it.
 

Oneball

CCCUK Member
Pretty easy to lock up changing down. Even the pros get caught out. First corner about 40 secs in
 

teamzr1

Supporting vendor
Another news story this week about not knowing how to use a manual tranny

The owner of a Jeep became embroiled in a legal nightmare after he handed the keys of his vehicle to a Michigan dealership where a mechanic died while working on his car.
The family of Jeffrey Hawkins, 42, is suing the Jeep owner, who has not been named, for $15million over the death of the veteran mechanic.
Hawkins, a married father-of-four, was killed on March 13, 2020, while changing the Jeep's oil at Rochester Hills Chrysler Jeep Dodge dealership in Michigan.

A 19-year-old fellow mechanic, (wetback ?) who didn't know how to drive a shift stick and did not have a driver's license,
had started the car and removed his feet from the clutch, causing the Jeep to jump forward.

Hawkins, who was performing an oil change at the time, was run over and died instantly.

It is unclear why the 19-year-old mechanic was hired despite his lack of qualifications to work in a dealer.
A lawyer for the dealership declined to comment.

Under Michigan law, employees cannot sue their employers or fellow staff members for accidents that happen in the workplace.

David Femminineo, an attorney representing Hawkins' family admitted that the lawsuit 'seems unfair' but argued that the man who had taken his Jeep to the dealership is still legally liable for the tragedy.

'If you go to lunch and give your car to someone and an accident happens, you'd be liable for that. Same thing happens here,' Femminineo
However, Femminineo noted that the Jeep owner will be defended and indemnified by the Rochester Hills dealership's insurance, which will ultimately have to foot the monetary damages.

'It does seem unfair, but the owner of the car is being defended and indemnified by the [car dealership],' Femminineo stated
A lawyer hired by the dealership and representing the Jeep owner was reached out by DailyMail.com and refused to comment.

The Rochester Hills Jeep dealership cannot be sued due to a legal standard in Michigan that protects employers from liability in workplace accidents.
The 19-year-old also can't be sued because the same legal parameter prevents employees involved in accidents from suing each other.

Femminineo says that the strategy is merely a legal detour to ensure Hawkins' family is compensated for the unfathomable loss of the family man and that the Jeep owner will be exempted from paying money in the civil case, as he is backed by the dealership's insurance.

The Michigan law states that 'if someone other than either the worker, the employer, or a coworker is responsible for an injury, that "third party" - in this case the Jeep owner - can be sued.
The attorney said that the mechanic's family was unnecessarily put through a heartbreaking and straining loss.
'[The 19-year-old mechanic] starts the car, removes his foot from the clutch, and you know what happens?
The Jeep jumps and kills my client,'.

'When you hand your car over to anybody, including the valet or the person at the service desk at your local dealership, you better be able to trust that person,'.

The dealership's insurance will be defending the owner and paying for any judgment and legal fees.
A court date is scheduled for May 20 and Hawkins' state is suing for $15 million dollars in monetary damages.
 

CaptainK

CCCUK Member
Am I mis-reading that, but did the 19 year old start the Jeep whilst the other chap was changing said Jeep's oil? Why would you start an engine whilst its oil is being changed? (granted AFTER it had been changed you would to check it all out etc.... or is that what they meant?).

Reminds me though of similar happened to me when I was little. I was leaning on the bonnet of my dad's Sierra waiting for the family to hurry up as we were heading off somewhere (they are all in the house). My little sister decides she wants to start daddies car whilst we wait and runs out of the house, gets in the car and starts the engine. The car was in 1st or 2nd gear at the time and promptly punted me forward off the bonnet. Thankfully said car also had the handbrake on, so seconds later it stalled.
 

Nassau65

CCCUK Member
The good ole Ford Sierra. Remember when it came out, it was so different from its predecessor the Cortina MK5 the public called it the “jelly mould “ and said “that won’t sell” within a couple of years everybody’s got one , and the Cortina’s old hat. I thought they were great cars, wizzed all over the country in various models, no problems at all.
 

Nassau65

CCCUK Member
For our American viewers the Ford Sierra is/was what became the Mercury Merkur in the US.
The sierra was the staple of the British car driving public. Reps everywhere loved them. Sierra man was born.
 

Chuffer

CCCUK regional rep
And the cherry on the cake was the Sierra Cosworth that would get nicked as soon as your back was turned ! :LOL:
 

Nassau65

CCCUK Member
And the cherry on the cake was the Sierra Cosworth that would get nicked as soon as your back was turned ! :LOL:
Yes, what a car that was. The last one we had was a RS500, couldn’t give it away, this was about 2004 ish, in the end sold it to a local lad for £11k. Bloody things worth £110K plus now.
 

Chuffer

CCCUK regional rep
Yes, what a car that was. The last one we had was a RS500, couldn’t give it away, this was about 2004 ish, in the end sold it to a local lad for £11k. Bloody things worth £110K plus now.
Ain`t life a bummer ! :( We all wish we had crystal balls . :rolleyes:
 

CaptainK

CCCUK Member
My dad's Sierra was an ex cop car, so was a bit tweaked. Went well. I had a 2.9 V6 EFi Sierra XR4x4 for a number of years, but sold it on for not a lot - would be worth a fair penny now as that crossover year (1989) was rare having the 2.9 V6 engine but NO CAT, so retained its full massive 150bhp but benefit of the 2.9 engine and EFI. 1990 onwards was 145bhp due to the cat. Mine had Cosworth sideskirts on it too. I miss that car, it was lovely to just cruise around in.
 

Spicer89

Well-known user
Sierra man’s transport. Great car .
I loved all of mine.
View attachment 16752Price of these things now I was only looking at a few last week online. Even the lower range ones will keep increasing most likely. It’s brother the escort also is a nice Addition and forever rising at the minute. Very sound investments for anyone who has the dosh and capabilities of looking after it.
 

Nassau65

CCCUK Member
Yes, I personally think sierras are excellent investments. I saw a Granada ghia estate up for sale, wait for it, £30K. Bloody hell. Are these people mad, perhaps not. Always liked the Granada mK1 coupes/fastback. They are also making strong money. There’s a very keen interest in 70’s & 80’s Fords right now.
 

Chuffer

CCCUK regional rep
Back in our younger days my best mate had a Granada Mk1 fastback . chocolate brown with vynil roof . It was the dogs bits back then ,
 

Nassau65

CCCUK Member
Back in our younger days my best mate had a Granada Mk1 fastback . chocolate brown with vynil roof . It was the dogs bits back then ,
I remember that Color, it looked great. Well, brown was a very 70’s Color.
Looks pretty good today. I wouldn’t mind driving it about.
40A735A2-B76E-430D-A98A-3EDCA827D7BF.jpeg
 
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