Last June, James had breakfast at a local Waffle House in Port Arthur, Texas, before getting into his beloved Corvette with his dog. When he shut the car door, authorities say the vehicle was suddenly without power, apparently because a battery cable became loose. Corvettes made after 2004 are one of the few cars in existence that do not have door handles. Without power the electric door release button would not work.
The 72-year old U.S. Army veteran tried desperately to escape and couldn't call for help because he had forgotten his cell phone. The heat index that day reached over 98 degrees. His body was discovered four hours later, behind the wheel. His dog was found at his side, also dead. His son, Troy says his father's last hours must have been agonizing.
He had the owner's manual laying in his lap trying to find a way to get out, Troy said. Even more tragic is that there was a simple way out. When you're stuck in a Corvette made after 2004 and you lose battery power, there's a manual release and you just pull up on it. James Rogers could have instantly opened the door with the pull of a lever if he only knew it was there.
Apparently the instruction on how to manually open the doors is on page 80, according to the manufacturer.
My advice is to put it on page 1 with big red lettering.
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#4192284 - 11/08/1505:46 PMRe: Car woner dies locked inside his own car because he couldn't get out.
[Re: Desert Eagle]
Joined: Jun 2009 Posts: 4,969Allaire
Donkeystrength Proponent
I agree with both of you, but by the same token "How to open the doors without power?" would have been one of the first questions I asked when I bought the car.
By reading this You acknowledge that Your body and soul, including all your worldly possessions, are now property of this poster. Any unauthorized use of them will be punished.
#4192297 - 11/08/1506:29 PMRe: Car woner dies locked inside his own car because he couldn't get out.
[Re: Desert Eagle]
By reading this You acknowledge that Your body and soul, including all your worldly possessions, are now property of this poster. Any unauthorized use of them will be punished.
#4192309 - 11/08/1506:55 PMRe: Car woner dies locked inside his own car because he couldn't get out.
[Re: Desert Eagle]
There was only 16 squadrons of RAF fighters that used 100 octane during the BoB. The Fw190A could not fly with the outer cannon removed. There was no Fw190A-8s flying with the JGs in 1945.
#4192324 - 11/08/1507:23 PMRe: Car woner dies locked inside his own car because he couldn't get out.
[Re: Tarnsman]
Joined: Dec 2002 Posts: 4,168Flogger23m
Senior Member
Everything does not have to be electronic/digital/"smart".
Agreed. Is going electrical somehow cheaper? I can't imagine it being any less complex mechanically aside from the physical door handle part, which really isn't that complex seeing we've been doing it for a century. Same with electronic parking brakes. I don't like those, although push buttons do free up some space. But every manufacture has been doing them differently which makes it very confusing.
#4192332 - 11/08/1507:39 PMRe: Car woner dies locked inside his own car because he couldn't get out.
[Re: Desert Eagle]
<Nothing to do with the 'Vette or exotics (just the opposite)>...
Back in the late-'80s/early-'90s, Honda was taking flack for not offering the CRX with power amenities like door locks and windows, cruise, etc., all standard equipment on the Civic EX of the day.
With the exception of a mandatory electric sunroof, the extras were sparse, even for the top model Si (like mine)...
Loved it!
Then they started doing weird stuff like this...
...and I lost interest. IMO, sometimes simpler is better (and certainly cheaper).
#4192333 - 11/08/1507:40 PMRe: Car woner dies locked inside his own car because he couldn't get out.
[Re: Desert Eagle]
The rusty wire that holds the cork that keeps the anger in Gives way and suddenly it’s day again The sun is in the east Even though the day is done Two suns in the sunset, hmph Could be the human race is run
#4192335 - 11/08/1507:46 PMRe: Car woner dies locked inside his own car because he couldn't get out.
[Re: Desert Eagle]
Children and elderly people (and animals) can only really survive about 15-20 min in a hot car (105+) after that it's lights out and the beginnings of organ failure. So lets say it took him 5 minutes to figure out he was in trouble and another 5 minutes to find his manual and then 5 minutes to figure out he wasnt going to find what he needed in time. He is already dead. After about 10 min he probably wouldnt even be able to break the window to get out (assuming he could to begin with)
The car manufacturer should be sued for not having a obvious manual override within plain view of the driver and passenger while in the standard sitting position. You could argue that he should have known it was where most cars have the trunk/gas release but depending on his health he might not even been able to bend over there to see it was down there.
As someone who has been in a car fire I can tell you that you are not really thinking straight and logical when the #%&*$# hits the fan. You rely mostly on instinct and muscle memory to get you out of it. What a horrible way to go. (fire or heat). That is why I almost never close my door before starting the car and I sure as hell dont seatbelt myself it. Had to explain to my wife's niece once that the only time you should close the door and seatbelt yourself in is when you are taking the driving test. After that its just stupid to put yourself in that position if you dont have to.
So lets say it took him 5 minutes to figure out he was in trouble and another 5 minutes to find his manual...
I get your point but if it took me ten minutes to figure out that I could not unlock the door and find the owners manual, in my own car, I deserve to be in trouble.
Lie on his back across the front seat and kick one of the windows with both feet until it breaks.
We have power door locks and power windows on all our vehicle nowadays: unfortunately you can't no longer buy one without it.
So we keep a hammer under each front seat and to keep them from shifting around, we tied them to the metal rod that's located under the seat using trash bags twists.
#4192375 - 11/08/1509:38 PMRe: Car woner dies locked inside his own car because he couldn't get out.
[Re: Desert Eagle]
Joined: Nov 2001 Posts: 24,066oldgrognard Administrator
As a last measure, why didn't he shoot the window. That would have broken the structural integrity of the window and it would have been easy to break it out from there.
Good people sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf.
Someday your life will flash in front of your eyes. Make sure it is worth watching.
#4192376 - 11/08/1509:43 PMRe: Car woner dies locked inside his own car because he couldn't get out.
[Re: CG2015]
Joined: Dec 1999 Posts: 2,704Billzilla
Senior Member
Lie on his back across the front seat and kick one of the windows with both feet until it breaks.
We have power door locks and power windows on all our vehicle nowadays: unfortunately you can't no longer buy one without it.
So we keep a hammer under each front seat and to keep them from shifting around, we tied them to the metal rod that's located under the seat using trash bags twists.
When I was trapped in a burning vehicle I couldn't do it, mind you I was in the back seat with flames coming through the dashboard and center console.
With the small and high side windows on a Corvette it would have been tough to kick them out for a 77 year old that was probably in a weakened state by the time he got desperate, plus he had a dog that might have well got in the way.
#4192402 - 11/08/1511:02 PMRe: Car woner dies locked inside his own car because he couldn't get out.
[Re: CG2015]
Lie on his back across the front seat and kick one of the windows with both feet until it breaks.
We have power door locks and power windows on all our vehicle nowadays: unfortunately you can't no longer buy one without it.
So we keep a hammer under each front seat and to keep them from shifting around, we tied them to the metal rod that's located under the seat using trash bags twists.