E-Brake Fail: ZR1 Rolls Down Steep Driveway Into Trailer

Imagine the horror of seeing your Corvette roll down a steep driveway and subsequently into a parked trailer. This scenario is not a fictional tale of “what if,” but it is a first hand account of the misfortune that befell a Corvette owner. A CorvetteForum member returned home, backed his ZR1 into the driveway and engaged the parking brake just as most drivers would do in the same situation; according to the poster he did not put the car in reverse as he normally would, but with the e-brake engaged he did not give it a second thought. As the driver exited the C6 to retrieve items from the hatch, the movement  caused the car to roll. As he hurried around the car and tried to jump inside, the ZR1 had picked up too much speed resulting in the car owner being dragged along for some twenty feet.

Photo: CorvetteForum

Eventually the tire rolled over the owner’s leg, leaving him injured in his driveway as the ZR1 collided with a parked enclosed trailer. Based on the slope of the driveway the owner guessed that the car may have reached 40 MPH when it hit the tongue of the trailer; it hit hard enough to push the heavy trailer into the barn door, knocking the door off its track. For twenty minutes the ZR1 owner laid in his driveway waiting for help before someone arrived and called an ambulance, which took another thirty minutes to arrive.

In the end the ZR1 owner was incredibly lucky to have not sustained a broken leg, but did end up with some serious road rash and heavy-duty leg brace. Despite the ugly pictures detailing the damage to barn, trailer and C6, all three of these are repairable. Although this will prove to an expensive lesson for the owner, he wanted others to learn from his situation and remind others to put their cars in gear when parked, and to make sure the e-brake is fully engaged, not just up.

About the author

Lauren Camille

Lauren is a graduate of California State University Fullerton, and has experience working for several enthusiast publications. She enjoys drag racing, classic Fords, and vintage Lincolns. She currently races a 1965 Ford Mustang Fastback, and has a soft spot for 1960’s Lincolns. Currently, her collection includes: ’04 Cobra Convertible, ’65 Mustang Fastback, ’04 F350 6.0 diesel, ’96 Jeep Grand Cherokee, and a ’87 Jeep Wrangler. She provides insightful content as a freelance writer for Power Automedia.
Read My Articles

Late Model LS Power in your inbox.

Build your own custom newsletter with the content you love from LSX Magazine, directly to your inbox, absolutely FREE!

Free WordPress Themes
LSX Magazine NEWSLETTER - SIGN UP FREE!

We will safeguard your e-mail and only send content you request.

LSX Magazine - The Late Model GM Magazine for Camaro

lsxmag

We'll send you the most interesting LSX Magazine articles, news, car features, and videos every week.

LSX Magazine - The Late Model GM Magazine for Camaro

LSX Magazine NEWSLETTER - SIGN UP FREE!

We will safeguard your e-mail and only send content you request.

LSX Magazine - The Late Model GM Magazine for Camaro

lsxmag

Thank you for your subscription.

Subscribe to more FREE Online Magazines!

We think you might like...


chevyhardcore
Classic Chevy Magazine
dragzine
Drag Racing
enginelabs
Engine Tech

LSX Magazine - The Late Model GM Magazine for Camaro

Thank you for your subscription.

Subscribe to more FREE Online Magazines!

We think you might like...

  • chevyhardcore Classic Chevy Magazine
  • dragzine Drag Racing
  • enginelabs Engine Tech

LSX Magazine - The Late Model GM Magazine for Camaro

lsxmag

Thank you for your subscription.

Thank you for your subscription.

LSX Magazine - The Late Model GM Magazine for Camaro

Thank you for your subscription.

Thank you for your subscription.

Loading