February 5, 2010
Elmo was driving out to the convenience store to pick up some smokes. Suddenly the car jumped and took off. It was like it was demon possessed or something. Elmo noticed that the pedal was all the way on the floor, like someone had their foot on the gas. He tried the brakes, but the car kept speeding forward. He tried honking his horn and weaving in and out of traffic to avoid a collision. Suddenly a large semi hauling a trailer appeared in front of him. He opened the door and dove out of the car and the car buried itself into the trailer. Elmo was hurt there was no doubt about it. He probably broke a wrist and perhaps a few ribs. Elmo then saw another truck bearing down on him and despite the pain, he managed to lung out of the way. The police and EMS personnel arrived within minutes and Elmo was rushed to the local hospital. The police impounded the vehicle and gathered the pieces of the car off the road to see if Elmo was hot rodding or if as he said the car just took off on him.
Jack, Jr. got a call that Elmo had been in accident. Since he saw his father talking to a customer at the dealership, he knew that his latest attempt had been unsuccessful and he just shook his head. He informed Jack, Sr. and the two of them headed off to the hospital to see Elmo and let the workman’s compensation carrier know that Elmo had been injured on the job.
When they arrived at the hospital, Elmo was livid. “They wanted to give me a ticket for reckless driving, the damn car just took off, it wasn’t my fault.” Jack, Sr., thought for a moment, and looked at Jack, Jr., “sounds like bad motor mounts”, Senior said. Junior just nodded. “Son, don’t worry, sounds like the car had a problem and I’ve seen you drive, you drive like an old woman, if I had been driving, it would be a different story. In the future, if that ever happens to you again, just slide the car into neutral and let it just roll to a stop. Other than that, how are you feeling, I heard you jumped out of the car?” Jack, Sr. asked. “Pretty bruised up and sore, but I’m alive”, Elmo smiled. “Well rest up and get better and we’ll see you in a week or so. You’re being paid for this week”, and Jack, Sr. patted the young man on the head and headed out of the room. Jack, Jr. saw that his dad was the consummate people person. As they left the hospital, Jack, Sr. looked at Jack, Jr. Motor mounts don’t go bad very often and that car is at the crime lab, if they was messed with, we’ll know it.”
February 1, 2010
Later that night, Jack, Jr. followed Elmo’s path and saw the motor mounts and bolts laying on the side of the road. He picked them up and put them in a dumpster behind a restaurant a few miles away.
February 6, 2010.
“Where are the motor mounts and the bolts?”, the technician asked the officer. “We picked up everything at the scene”, the officer said. “The motor mounts would have been several miles back, could you go back and look for them?”, the tech replied. “Sure” said the officer. After calling Elmo and retracing the route, he found no motor mounts, no bolts, no nothing. Somebody probably saw them as used parts to sell on ebay, he thought. He called the technician, they’re gone. “Thanks”, the tech replied. He looked at the bottom and it was clear that a rusty motor mount had been installed on the bottom of this car, must older than the rest of the body and it left an impression.