Justin Yelen was unfairly punished by Mother Nature for doing the right thing. He took another ride home from Hoak’s Lakeshore after drinking with friends, only to find his car completely encased in ice from Lake Erie’s spray in the morning. Fortunately, his car was just freed by crews from a local dealership.
Folks planning a pilgrimage out to Ice Lancer will only find a leftover chunk that encased the front of the car’s driver’s side.
According to ABC, Yelen left his 2010 Mitsubishi Lancer around midnight, when he noticed that there was already a thin layer of ice around the car, and the tires had been frozen in a puddle. Between that and the few drinks he had, he figured that it would be easier to deal with in the morning.
Au contraire!
Photos of Yelen’s car that looked more like a popsicle than a car went viral, and he knew he had a problem. His father Joe tried to help free the frozen vehicle, but waves continued to add layers of more ice that made it impossible for the pair to handle on their own. Justin told ABC that he thought it would be there for a month.
“I miss it a little bit,” Yelen told ABC before the car was freed. “I had a system in there, and other stuff.”
The local dealership’s crew used 350 pounds of flake calcium to loosen the ice before taking it to their collision center, where the car can continue thawing and be checked for any damage caused by the ice chunk.
I, too, have a 2010 Lancer. It’s a great car! Normally, I’d recommend something along the lines of “go play in the snow,” but in this case, maybe Justin should drive it to Laguna Seca until winter is over.
Contact the author at stef.schrader@jalopnik.com.