Stay with us on this, because the scene above is one
big misunderstanding. It's a little hard to make out in the YouTube video
below, but Norman Nowling is backing his Ford Econoline monster van over the top of a
Toyota
Corolla
Camry When he finished his brutal work, the
Corolla
Camry wouldn't be going anywhere that didn't involve the words "flatbed" and "chains." So imagine the shock when the Toyota's 16-year-old owner returned to it in the wee hours, noticeably flatter than we she left it.
The incident happened at the Redneck Yacht Club, a mudding and swamp trails park in Punta Gorda, Florida. The teen attended a concert at the park during "Swamp Cabbage Weekend" and apparently left her car parked near "the mud hole," a park location that obviously attracts monster trucks. She went mudding elsewhere in the park, didn't return to her car right after the concert, and at some point the assembled group of monster truckers decided they were going to run over it.
Nowling's taken the heat because it's him on the video, but he's not the bad guy everyone's made him out to be. See, Nowling was the last guy to the mud hole party, and before he got there at least two other trucks had tried to run over the Corolla and failed. Folks cheered Norman on to do the honors, but before he did he repeatedly asked security if it was all right, and according to his police statement, security told him it was fine, that the Toyota was abandoned. Also, according to Nowling, the fire department and the police were there as he was doing it. And as you can see in the video, Norman didn't act alone: Another truck holds the
Corolla
Camry in place while Nowling prepares to back over it.
Nowling was eventually arrested for felony Criminal Mischief and released on bond. Then he held a press conference to tell his side of what happened, and during the conference handed the teen's stepfather a check for $6,500 to replace her car. Why? "I have a daughter, and it is the right thing to do," he said. "I need to go to sleep every night with a clear conscience." He's apparently been banned from the RYC, but he's hoping the other truck owners involved will also come forward.
Follow the jump for video of the incident, as well as a press conference held by the crusher and an interview with the teenage crushee.
The incident happened at the Redneck Yacht Club, a mudding and swamp trails park in Punta Gorda, Florida. The teen attended a concert at the park during "Swamp Cabbage Weekend" and apparently left her car parked near "the mud hole," a park location that obviously attracts monster trucks. She went mudding elsewhere in the park, didn't return to her car right after the concert, and at some point the assembled group of monster truckers decided they were going to run over it.
Nowling's taken the heat because it's him on the video, but he's not the bad guy everyone's made him out to be. See, Nowling was the last guy to the mud hole party, and before he got there at least two other trucks had tried to run over the Corolla and failed. Folks cheered Norman on to do the honors, but before he did he repeatedly asked security if it was all right, and according to his police statement, security told him it was fine, that the Toyota was abandoned. Also, according to Nowling, the fire department and the police were there as he was doing it. And as you can see in the video, Norman didn't act alone: Another truck holds the
Nowling was eventually arrested for felony Criminal Mischief and released on bond. Then he held a press conference to tell his side of what happened, and during the conference handed the teen's stepfather a check for $6,500 to replace her car. Why? "I have a daughter, and it is the right thing to do," he said. "I need to go to sleep every night with a clear conscience." He's apparently been banned from the RYC, but he's hoping the other truck owners involved will also come forward.
Follow the jump for video of the incident, as well as a press conference held by the crusher and an interview with the teenage crushee.
The video meant to be presented here is no longer available. Sorry for the inconvenience.
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