I’m a big fan of working on my own cars and trucks. And I’ll be honest—I’ve cobbled project cars together with my fair share of duct tape, zip ties, and yes… Vise-Grips. But an Oklahoma City driver crossed the line when they cobbled together a homemade tiller by snapping a pair of Vise-Grips onto their steering column in place of a missing steering wheel. The quick fix didn’t work out as planned when they steered right into a multi-car pileup.
The Oklahoma City Fire Department couldn’t help but poke some fun at the DIYer. “No matter how unique, every vehicle needs the same basic parts: a body, wheels, mirrors, a motor… and a steering wheel.” So imagine the firefighters’ surprise when they were investigating a multi-vehicle crash, looked in a Chevrolet Silverado’s cab, and saw no steering wheel. No, the steering wheel didn’t come flying off in the pileup—it was long gone. In its place? A pair of Vise-Grips clamped on the steering column.
How do you steer your Chevrolet Silverado with Vise-Grip pliers?
I imagine the driver just steered the truck like a boat, moving this homemade tiller left to turn right and right to turn left. Parallel parking would’ve been a serious workout. Even more dangerous, driving this way could significantly reduce your reaction time. Things went sideways—literally—when the Chevy driver encountered a car crash.
The Fire Department specified, “The driver was involved in a multi-vehicle crash, but it wasn’t their fault.” It added, “Thankfully, no injuries were reported.”…