Toyota MR2 Spyder Driver Miraculously Walks Away From Violent Crash With Semi Truck
“Kudos to Toyota engineers,” said the MR2 Spyder driver. “I shouldn’t be here right now.”
A Georgia man is grateful to be sharing photos of his crushed Toyota MR2 Spyder after it was involved in a violent accident with a semi-truck on Monday. Despite the nasty-looking collision, the driver of the small two-seater walked away with minor injuries.
Scott Shepherd of Rincon, Georgia was driving his 2001 MR2 Spyder on Monday morning, reports WTOC, likely on his way to work. As explained in a social media post shared by Shepherd, he took evasive action to dodge a bucket that fell from the bed of a pickup truck that cut him off, but he quickly lost control of the notoriously hard-to-handle sports car and found himself on course to be hit by a semi-truck.
After impacting the semi, the Toyota's front end was crushed, causing catastrophic structural damage to the car. Shepherd says that the dashboard collapsed and that the steering wheel pinned him in his seat, while the convertible top collapsed around him. By getting his shoes off, cutting through the roof, and then bending its frame out of the way, he says he was able to get out.
Shepherd says his injuries were minor, and proclaims that he left the emergency room without so much as a bandage. Grateful to be alive, Shepherd publicly thanked the Toyota engineers that designed his car for keeping him safe.
"Kudos to Toyota engineers," said Shepherd. "I shouldn't be here right now."
Toyota sold the MR2 Spyder in the United States between 2000 and 2004, ending sales of the model after the 2005 model year with 24,532 cars sold in that period. The Drive recently rated it as the 10th-best modifiable car for sale today under $10,000.
Toyota officials have expressed an interest in reviving the MR2, though they have advised that if it were to return, it would likely be more expensive than its signature 86 sports car.