Filed under: Trucks/Pickups, Etc.
Rhys Millen injured while practicing truck flip
There's probably a good reason why nobody has launched a truck off a ramp to execute a backflip. Despite that, Rhys Millen wants to be the first to pull it off. However, the dangers are very real and sometimes one's health is more important than the glory. While recently practicing for his Red Bull Experiment, Rhys Millen suffered an unfortunate accident leaving him with five fractured vertebrae. The incident took place after Millen successfully completed the flip three times into a cushion of cardboard boxes. It was the fourth and final jump test that landed him in the hospital. The truck apparently overshot the landing area and hit the ground -- hard. Thankfully, Rhys's injuries are non-threatening and although he won't be performing the trick in Las Vegas for New Year's Eve, he'll be back in action in due time. We wish him well and hope for a full and speedy recovery.
[Source: Red Bull]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Rocketboy 8:53AM (12/26/2007)
Darn it... I was looking forward to it to. Now all that's left is the lame ball drop... *sigh*.
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cowboy bob 8:55AM (12/26/2007)
Since this guy apparently isn't the brightest bulb in the show, the obvious solution is to put HIM in the ball!
Carlos 3:02PM (12/26/2007)
I really dont care for these sort of tricks - not worth putting someones life on the line for my 5mins of enjoyment.
Rocketboy 4:13PM (12/26/2007)
Yes, because he was being forced against his will to do the trick. Now that he cannot, his family will be slaughtered.
EJ25RUN 9:08AM (12/26/2007)
i dont get how this is cool.
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Whiplash 9:28AM (12/26/2007)
The jump is always the easy part. Landing is tricky. :-)
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Benfolio 9:29AM (12/26/2007)
See? That's why practice is for sissies. BREAK YOUR BACK ON NATIONAL TV FOOL!
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Chuck 9:46AM (12/26/2007)
"Rhys Millen suffered an unfortunate accident leaving him with five fractured vertebrae."
When you are practicing a truck backflip, I don't think you can call the injury an "accident". If you are driving down the street, and someone pulls out in front of you and you collide, that is an accident.
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Benfolio 9:57AM (12/26/2007)
That's still not an 'accident'. The driver that pulled out in front of you made a dumb decision as well.
gitagrip 9:47AM (12/26/2007)
Another idiot (and I use that turn loosely as this guy's not bright enough to earn this low praise) whose willing to trade his life for "fame(?)" or worse, "some money".
Darwin award wannabee, you go guy!
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garrett 7:49AM (12/27/2007)
rhys millen is an awsome driver and person. wikipedia him to find out more. it only gives his experience as a drifter but his career goes beyond that.
T 10:21AM (12/26/2007)
The stunt itself seems so uninteresting - what's the point?
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Shaun 12:39PM (12/26/2007)
I think its because flipping a vehicle is tough. With a bike, or a snowmobile, you can throw your weight around to cause it to flip. With a car all they can do is angle the ramp to cause it to flip in the air, they must calculate the landing and speed, so as he does not over flip / under flip.
I agree its kinda dumb, but the physics of the matter is interesting.
S.
Tagg 11:52PM (12/26/2007)
Exactly!!
At least with a dirt bike or snowmobile the driver/rider (the person putting their health at risk) is the one actually performing the trick. With this they could put a crash dummy it, launch the truck like a rocket and achieve a similar result all without a roll cage.
FThorn 10:39AM (12/26/2007)
I don't think it's worth it to try.
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mark_welby 10:45AM (12/26/2007)
A potential lifetime of residual pain, just to unsuccessfully be the first person to flip a truck. A stunt that'd garner about 30 seconds of "Yeah, EXTREME, brah!!! ", then silence and the sound of crickets as the people have moved on to the next guy and his ridiculous attempt at motorized glory.
Good for you, man.... Good for you.
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pc4554 11:13AM (12/26/2007)
thats awesome! doing backflips up until now has been restricted to snowmobiles, jet skies, dirt bikes, and mountain bikes. This could start a whole new generation of sports though if it could be done with 4 wheeled vehicle. You people that are saying its stupid just don't know what extreme sports really are.
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Nicko 1:45PM (12/26/2007)
Some guy sitting in a roll cage with a 5-point harness and pressing the accelerator pedal off of a specially built ramp is NOT extreme, just foolish.
CEMan 11:16AM (12/26/2007)
As the old Irish song goes:
"It's not the fall but landing, that alters social standing"
Darwin was almost right again..
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rygar 11:33AM (12/26/2007)
Peter Dumbreck flipped his Benz over three times, what 8 years ago? Sure it wasn't on purpose. And he didn't land back on the road. But whatever, beat that Rhys!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rQbgSe9S54I&feature=related
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