“Man bites dog.” This phrase is commonly used in journalism to describe an unusual occurrence that attracts more attention compared to regular events. For instance, when a intoxicated driver collides with a tree, it may not make headlines. However, when the same inebriated driver continues driving with the tree firmly stuck in the front of her Lincoln Town Car…
Maryann Christy from Schaumburg, Illinois, got pulled over in the nearby Roselle, around 11:10pm on January 23, following a driver’s report of a vehicle moving with a large, tree-like object on its front. The Roselle police soon located the automobile, a recent model Town Car, speeding around with its safety airbags deployed and a tree approximately 15-feet tall lodged—nearly vertically, mind you—in the car’s front section. Christy, aged 54, claimed she couldn’t quite recall where she had picked up the wooden passenger. Subsequently, she underwent a roadside sobriety evaluation and was arrested for driving while under the influence.
While we find the story entertaining (and relieved that only plants were harmed), the entire incident further highlights our admiration for Ford’s Panther platform. Be it a luxurious Lincoln Town Car, a traffic-regulating Crown Vic, or an under-recognized Mercury Grand Marquis, the Panther platform has consistently shown its resilience, enduring impacts time and time again. It’s not surprising to witness it disregarding a modest, leafy tree similar to how most vehicles handle encounters with insects.