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Man crashes car through store window, says he needs a beer

Police body cameras captured a chaotic scene at a Cleveland-area convenience store after a man drove his car through the front of the store and barricaded himself in a walk-in cooler. According to WJW, the Convenience Mart in Rocky River, Ohio, had just closed in the early hours of May 7 when a black Dodge Challenger barreled through the security bollards at around 40 miles per hour and crashed through the front window. Police arrived to find the car parked in the store with its hazards on, the store clerk trapped beneath debris, and no driver. The clerk told officers the driver got out, told the clerk that he needed a beer, then wandered into the walk-in cooler. Officers found the driver barricaded inside the cooler. A tense standoff ensued with the agitated, confused man, who dared the cops to shoot him. Police learned he was suffering PTSD-related issues from his military service and job with the Federal Protective Service. "The conversation he was having with the police was deranged, consistent with somebody who was going through a mental crisis," RRPD Chief Kelly Stillman told WJW. Eventually, an officer was able to use a taser on the man, who put up a fight but was eventually subdued. He faces charges that include DUI and reckless driving. Thankfully, the store clerk escaped relatively unscathed. His life was saved by a deli case that absorbed the impact of the car and sheltered him from falling debris. "Had the car been over a couple more feet, he was hurt, it could have been serious bodily injury, even possibly death. I mean that's a four, five thousand pound automobile coming at 30, 40 miles an hour. He was lucky, very lucky," said Chief Stillman. Related Video News Source: WJW Auto News Dodge cleveland challenger

Dodge Durango to stay classy with Ron Burgundy as spokesperson [w/video]

The upcoming 2014 Dodge Durango has a lot of things going for it, including its 290-horsepower V6 and 360-hp Hemi V8 engine options, an eight-speed automatic and aggressive looks. And now it will have Ron Burgundy, the fictional television news anchor played by comedian Will Ferrell, as a spokesperson, Adweek reports. He follows in the footsteps of other non-fictional Chrysler brand spokespeople such as Eminem, Clint Eastwood and the late Paul Harvey.
Though the star of 2004's Anchorman and the upcoming Anchorman 2 is wildly popular, we're not sure we see a Dodge spokesperson in Burgundy. (Please, no womanizing or scotchy, scotch, scotch before test test drives). But at this point there's no turning back: Chrysler's chief marketing officer Olivier Francois previewed three ad spots at the Association of National Advertisers (ANA) Masters of Marketing conference in Phoenix on Friday, and says Chrysler has already filmed 68(!) Durango ads with the fictional newsman.
According to Adweek, one of the ads previewed had Burgundy highlighting the SUV's glovebox size, and in another he compared its horsepower to a white horse standing next to him. Will this help Dodge Durango sales improve? We can only wait and see. In the meantime, feel free to share your thoughts in Comments, and check out the trailer for Anchorman 2 below.

Australian consumer activists destroy a Dodge Journey with a tank

An Australian couple held an event where they crushed their unreliable and frustrating Dodge Journey with a retired army tank. According to Drive, Kate and Joe Masters owned an infuriating 2010 Dodge Journey that they claim was plagued by mechanical and electrical issues. After numerous failed attempts on their part to get the issues fixed by Fiat Chrysler and Dodge Australia, the couple decided that they'd had enough. Working with Queensland consumer advocate Ashton Wood, the Masters held an event where they smashed the Dodge with a sledgehammer and fired arrows at it. Finally, they rolled out a retired Centurion Mk.V tank and proceeded to crush the doomed Dodge monster truck-style. Fiat Chrysler issued a statement refuting many of the Masters' claims about both its vehicle and the steps taken to remedy the situation. The company claims that the vehicle was serviced outside of its dealer network and that the Masters did not work through established consumer complaint channels established by the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal and the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission. "We had attempted to work proactively with this customer, offering free service work and free genuine parts after their warranty had expired," FCA said in a statement. "While Dodge Australia was keen to resolve this issue, we weren't in the position to issue the demanded refund of $43,000 for a vehicle purchased in 2011, that was driven for more than 100,000 kilometers (62,137 miles) and that has no known manufacturing defects, nor had any evidence provided by the owners to substantiate these claims. Queensland senator Glenn Lazarus, who was involved with the tank event, stated that Australian motorists need better consumer protections against automotive dealerships and manufacturers. "Countries around the world have successfully implemented lemon laws to provide consumers with protection and I believe it's about time we did the same in Australia," he said. Destroying cars in a public act of frustration is nothing new. In China, a Lamborghini Gallardo owner smashed his luxury ride with a sledgehammer after he felt he wasn't given a premium experience at the dealership. Related Video: News Source: Drive.com Auto News Government/Legal Weird Car News Dodge SUV Military Videos viral video dodge journey tank queensland crushed publicity stunt