Mercedes-Benz takes a look at blind auto mechanic Bart Hickey

The world is full of enigmas. How else would you explain a composer like Ludwig van Beethoven, who continued to compose and perform even after he went deaf? Chances are you've heard of Beethoven, but you probably haven't heard of Bart Hickey.

Bart, tragically, is blind. Which sadly enough means he can't do a wide variety of things we all take for granted. Like driving, for example. But he probably knows his way around a car better than most. That's because Bart is a mechanic, and runs his own garage in Alsip, Illinois. Not the service department of a Mercedes-Benz dealership, but that didn't deter the German automaker from sending a film crew down to the Chicago suburb for a brief video profile, which you can watch after the jump. Then wonder out loud why, if Bart can do all he does, most of the rest of the population doesn't know to change their own spark plugs.