By Rebecca Harris
GM Social Media Team
The latest weather squalls have me checking the forecast online regularly, as well as thanking my lucky stars I’m driving a Chevy 4×4 extended cab pickup to try to combat Michigan’s snowy and icy winter! But as we all know, sometimes even being prepared and cautious is not enough to ensure your safety!
Take Marc Keinath from Millington, Michigan. Marc was driving his 2004 Chevrolet Malibu along I-75 in Genesee County, Michigan, earlier this week when he encountered a patch of black ice and spun out. When he regained control of the car, a tractor trailer hauling 20 tons of sugar smashed into the rear of his Malibu before falling on top of it!
Luckily, Marc kept his cool – and even as parts of the roof of the Malibu began to yield under the tremendous weight of the trailer, he opted to recline his seat to give him more room inside, reach for his cell phone and dial 911. Wow – that’s calm, I’d say!
Firefighters and first responders quickly arrived and helped extract him from the dangerous situation. And, fortunately although bruised and shaken, Marc walked away with no serious injuries. Marc credits God for giving him a second chance at life, the firefighters and first responders who helped him – and Chevy for making a car that held a semi!
When we at Chevy heard Marc’s story, we were grateful to hear that he was okay. But we also wanted to help out – so today we are replacing his 2004 Malibu with a new 2011 Malibu. He’s receiving the car at the Flint Engine Operations plant this afternoon – and as an added bonus, Marc will even get to meet some of the Detroit Tigers, who just happened to be scheduled to visit the plant today!
Not every crash ends this miraculously, and we suggest that you not try putting a semi on your Malibu at home! But we do take a great deal of pride in the fact that Marc’s Malibu held up that semi, and we’re really glad he’s okay. (His new Malibu is a “Top Safety Pick” by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety in 2010 and 2011, and comes with two years OnStar technology standard, so we think it will meet his safety expectations!) While stories like this are scary, they make us feel good about the products we build and the people we build them for. Thanks, Marc – and enjoy your new car!
