Man hospitalized after using shotgun to loosen lug nut

[xpun8]

News Story

SOUTHWORTH, Wash. - A man trying to loosen a stubborn lug nut blasted the wheel with a 12-gauge shotgun, injuring himself badly in both legs, Kitsap County sheriff's deputies said.

The 66-year-old man had been repairing a Lincoln Continental for two weeks at his home northwest of Southworth and east of Port Orchard and had gotten all but one of the lug nuts off the right rear wheel before getting frustrated Saturday afternoon, Deputy Scott Wilson said.

"He's bound and determined to get that lug nut off," Wilson said.

From about arm's length the man fired the shotgun at the wheel and was "peppered" in both legs with 00 buckshot and other debris, with some injuries as high on his body as his chin, according to a sheriff's office report.

"Nobody else was there and he wasn't intoxicated," Wilson said.

South Kitsap Fire and Rescue personnel treated the man at the scene before he was taken to Tacoma General Hospital with injuries Wilson described as "severe but not life-threatening."

He said deputies were unable to get a full statement from the man, relying only on what they could learn while medics treated him at the scene.

"I don't think he was in any condition to say anything," Wilson said. "The pain was so severe, and the shock."

Whatever happened to the right tool for the job?

 

[El Tejon]

I'm reminded of the story in David Hackworth's About Face where the officer shot a tire of a broken jeep. The bullet ric'd and hit the shooter between the eyes.

Some men you just can't reach. They would be allowed to hurt themselves, or take themselves out of the breeding stock.

 

[arthurcw]

A man trying to loosen a stubborn lug nut blasted the wheel with a 12-gauge shotgun, injuring himself badly in both legs...

Well. I think that finally puts to bed the myth that the shotgun is a "can do everything" gun.

He should have used a "grease gun" to get is loosened up first.

 

[romma]

Well, did it work at least?? I mean, I have gouged up my knuckles using tire irons before so maybe the trade off is worth it...

 

[blackhawk2000]

Stupid should hurt.

 

[xpun8]

romma, I was wondering the same.

The non AP version

A 66-year-old man shot himself in both his legs Saturday afternoon while trying to loosen a stubborn lug nut with a 12-gauge shotgun.

Kitsap County sheriff's deputies were called to the residence on the 10800 block of SE Olympiad Drive at 2:57 p.m. after the shooting was reported to 911 emergency dispatchers, said Deputy Scott Wilson, a sheriff's office spokesman.

"Nobody else was there and he wasn't intoxicated," Wilson said.

South Kitsap Fire and Rescue medics treated the man at the scene. He was taken to Tacoma General Hospital. Wilson said his injuries were "severe but not life-threatening."

Deputies at the scene reported the man blasted "double-ought" buckshot at the wheel from "arm's length," Wilson said.

The deputies described the man's legs as "peppered" from his feet to his mid-abdomen with pellets, pieces of the wheel and other debris. Some injuries went as far up as his chin.

The man had been repairing the Lincoln Continental for two weeks, and had removed all the lug nuts on the right rear wheel except for one.

"He's bound and determined to get that lug nut off," Wilson said, who did not know how long the man had been trying to free the lug nut.

The deputies did not take a statement from the man beyond what they were able to gather while he was being treated by medics.

"I don't think he was in any condition to say anything," Wilson said. "The pain was so severe, and the shock."

 

[langenc]

Tried to cleanse the gene pool but only washed it a little.

Did he get the wheel off??

 

[Dope]

I can't say I haven't contemplated doing this a few times...

Dope

 

[xpun8]

Some of the comments to the 2nd story are killing me-

Posted by gunwally on November 11, 2007 at 9:21 p.m. (Suggest removal)

I have had bolts or nuts that stripped , usually it is just that one nut or bolt that may take hours to no avail.Maybe a Barrett 50cal.BMG could have been a better bet.I would at least suggest a blank round & stand a ways back behind cover for the muzzle blast to to either turn or blow off the nut itself.If this didn't work, then I may take it to a shop---!--HA--Ya right!Hope you recover -I KNOW that "Feeling"--!It's ME or that darn bolt--screw--etc!

 

[strat81]

How much does a cheap impact wrench cost to rent? $25/day? $50/day? Maybe a friend has one to lend.

Silly human.

 

[FieroCDSP]

I've used a lawn tractor to do a brake job and actually dropped the back end of a car onto the front of another to move it from the driveway to the garage. Honestly, you can get away with some stuff, but there's no good way to use a gun to remove a wheel. I've had the lugnut problem before, and I fixed it by using a coal chisel to break the wheel around the lug nut. A cutting torch is the best thing. You can melt the lugnut before the stud.

 

[Beatnik]

How much does a cheap impact wrench cost to rent?

Not sure, but I'm wagering it's MUCH less than his hospital bill.

 

[romma]

From Gun Nut to Lug Nut!!

 

[bogie]

http://ww2.pstripes.osd.mil/02/nov02/mauldin/pages/_maul35.html

 

[Flame Red]

Next Darwin award winner - got to thin out the gene pool somehow...

 

[woodybrighton]

sorry you can't have your gun back
what about my 2 a rights
unfortunatly the constitution only covers humans we've checked you dna apparently yours has more in common with an ape and not one of the bright tool using ones either

 

[seeker_two]

New Math: ! nut + 1 nut almost equalled 0 nuts.......


Forgive me, Ms. Art's Grammaw, ma'am.......

 

[Cliff47]

This fellow doesn't even qualify for an Honorable Mention in the Darwins. It must have been one whompin' big fit of frustration for him to reach for the 12-gauge.

All he needed to do was add a piece of pipe to the handle of the lug wrench, then add his weight to the end to increase the torque on the nut. Remember the 'SMILE' principle (Simplicity Makes It Less Effort).

 

[jefnvk]

I've used an ATV, a tow rope and a pipe wrench to loosen a nut before....

 

[Scanr]

So, I guess he has never heard of WD-40 or a nut splitter.:banghead:

 

[W.E.G.]

He shoulda used a dremel.

What usually happens here is the lug gets stripped in the middle. This happens when some monkey puts the nut on with excess torque, and stretches/strips the threads on the lug at the point on lug the where the lug nut tightens against the wheel.

You never know its stripped until you try to remove the lug nut. Then the lug nut just spins in place. I've WANTED to shoot a few. Mostly wanted to shoot the SOB who overtightened the thing in the first place.

Ya gotta cut it off, and replace the lug and the nut.

 

[STW]

You can't fix stupid.

I once had a lugnut so stuck I broke the lug getting it off. The fact that it was 110 degrees where we were in the California desert may have lent some urgency to my efforts. Even then I would have resorted to a sledge hammer before I used a shotgun.

 

[George Hill]

Obviously the guy doesn't know what he's doing. 00 Buck for a Lugnut? What a Noob. Everyone knows you use #2 steel shot.

 

[macFarlaine]

Silly arse.

 

[Average Joe]

how dumb , everybody knows you need a least a .44 magnum on a lug nut...