A truck driver tragically died unloading the famous 1979 Andy Warhol BMW M1 Art Car at the Washington, D.C., National Mall on Wednesday for the Hagerty Foundation’s “Cars at the Capitol” pop-up car show. Related events planned for the rest of the week have been cancelled.
From TV news coverage, we can see that the M1 was being delivered down a ramp from an enclosed Reliable Carriers auto transport truck. That’s considered one of the best car-moving companies working, making an incident of this severity particularly surprising. Some reports are circulating that suggest equipment failure as the cause, but no definitive information has been shared on that front. The Washington Post reported that medics responded to a call for “a man trapped under a vehicle,” ultimately finding the individual “… suffering critical injuries. Despite lifesaving efforts from medics, he was pronounced dead.”
The M1 was re-packed and removed last night following a police investigation. It’s being treated as a workplace accident at this time.
Hagerty issued the following statement:
“On Wednesday afternoon there was a tragic accident in Washington D.C. during which a truck driver died while unloading a car. Our sincere and heartfelt condolences go out to the individual’s family. Out of respect for the deceased, we will not comment further at this time, and have cancelled the events planned for September 18-23.”
Man dies while unloading historic Andy Warhol-painted car for annual National Mall showcase
The Warhol M1 is well-known for its striking looks and racing heritage, having been painted by the famous artist in less than half an hour and racing at LeMans. Its dollar value is astronomical, and, as a piece of history, it’s quite significant as well. Though we may not see it on public display for some time following this terrible accident.
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