Design by EJP/GMH

Our photographer travels many thousands of miles annually, shooting pictures for our customers' brochures and for our books of truck photography. Coming through Nashville in the middle lane of I-65, cruising with the traffic, Earl ran out of luck. A pickup hit him in the rear, coming out of nowhere. From the damage to the VW, this old boy must have been going in excess of 100 mph.

Earl, a former Army medic, had to first get over onto the shoulder, and then prevent the driver of the pickup who was disoriented and staggering, from wandering out into I-65, at the same time looking everywhere for his cellphone to call for help. The phone had been thrown into the rear view window by the force of the hit from behind, but he finally got to call 911. Earl's brother lives in Nashville and was on his way home to meet Earl, so was at the hospital within minutes.

Our photographer is sore from severe whiplash, but we are thankful that's all that happened. It's not the first time Earl's medic training has come in handy, but it's too late to save his dear Jetta, a brand new diesel TDI which he really enjoyed driving. RIP VW Jetta!