# Fact IS stranger than fiction **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [August 30, 2004, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fact-is-stranger-than-fiction/262282 "2004-08-30T18:43:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2004, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fact-is-stranger-than-fiction/262282/1 "2004-08-30T18:43:17Z")
So, a man and his 1 year old child are taking a nice walk through the neighborhood when they happen to see a pickup truck parked in a driveway. Not so unusual in and of itself, but this truck was different. You see, it had a decapitated body hanging out the passenger window. The man called 911. When the police arrived they entered the house and found the owner of the vehicle asleep in his bed, still wearing bloody clothes. It turns out that the headless body belonged to the driver’s best friend. They had been coming home from a night of heavy drinking. One drunk driving the truck, the other hanging out the passenger window for whatever reason. The driver left theroad and clipped a telephone guywire, severing his outside mirror and his best friend’s head. Apparently the driver never realized what happened. He drove 12 more miles to his house, parked the truck and went to bed. The police found the severed head in some bushes beside the road. Don’t believe me? Think it’s an urban legend? Nope, it’s all over the local news. Check out [http://www.ajc.com/](http://www.ajc.com/) for the story. You have to complete the free registration to see more than just the head line. Every time I think I’ve seen it all… ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2004, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fact-is-stranger-than-fiction/262282/2 "2004-08-30T18:52:47Z")
> [@Doctor Jackson](#): > > You have to complete the free registration to see more than just the **head line**. Ha! ---
**Author:** ![Lsura](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Lsura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lsura)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2004, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fact-is-stranger-than-fiction/262282/3 "2004-08-30T19:02:33Z")
I always thought my father was joking when he told us not to hang arms and stuff out the car windows because they might get knocked off. Yeah…um, I’ll never do that again. And if I ever have kids, they won’t be allowed to put a finger outside the car window. Ever. ---
**Author:** ![Eats\_Crayons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/278dde/32.png) [@Eats\_Crayons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eats_Crayons)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2004, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fact-is-stranger-than-fiction/262282/4 "2004-08-30T19:56:39Z")
> [@Lsura](#): > > I always thought my father was joking when he told us not to hang arms and stuff out the car windows because they might get knocked off. You didn’t believe him? Geez, a kick at my school got his arm cut quite seriously from sticking has arm out the school bus window. A low hanging tree branch clipped him. Luckily it was the skinny, tapered, leafy end so it had an effect more like a whip – cut his arm rather than lop it off. BTW, check the pit for another thread on this subject. Come to think of it, I’m not entirely sure why that other thread started out in the Pit. Must go re-read the OP… ---
**Author:** ![picunurse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7bcc69/32.png) [@picunurse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picunurse)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2004, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fact-is-stranger-than-fiction/262282/5 "2004-08-30T20:44:27Z")
I think it may be true. [Here](http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=573&ncid=757&e=1&u=/nm/20040830/od_nm/decapitation_dc) is anonther link this one is usually reputable. ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2004, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fact-is-stranger-than-fiction/262282/6 "2004-08-30T20:55:48Z")
> [@Eats\_Crayons](#): > > Come to think of it, I’m not entirely sure why that other thread started out in the Pit. Must go re-read the OP… 'Cause I really planned on ripping the guy a new one. Suddenly work got busy, so I wound it up and posted. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2004, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fact-is-stranger-than-fiction/262282/7 "2004-08-30T21:19:14Z")
**picunurse** It is without a doubt true. The link I posted is the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The story has been all over the local radio and TV news. It happened in Cobb county, a suburb of Atlanta. I’m still speechless. ---
**Author:** ![Lissa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lissa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissa)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2004, 6:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fact-is-stranger-than-fiction/262282/8 "2004-08-31T06:38:12Z")
You know, I’ve been pretty drunk before, but never to the point where if I’d leave a heavily intoxicated friend in the car and go to bed, not to mention failing to notice that said friend was lacking a head, especially if I was covered in blood. I seriously can’t imagine how he can claim he didn’t know. Being splattered with something warm and sticky would tip me off that all might not be well, especially if I’d just had an accident, and my friend wasn’t answering me. ---
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2004, 10:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fact-is-stranger-than-fiction/262282/9 "2004-08-31T10:37:12Z")
You know, I can actually imagine something like this being said by the driver: “What is this sh-- Man, you _puked_ on me, gross. Don’t wanna wake up, huh? Alright, you can just sleep in the d— truck all night, see if I care!” Because when you’re really trashed, you’re just not that strongly connected to reality. So maybe he thought the warm sticky was used booze? 'Specially if the driver had heaved once or twice himself, too. Sad, tragic, and a waste. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Great\_Zamboni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4bbf92/32.png) [@The\_Great\_Zamboni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Great_Zamboni)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2004, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fact-is-stranger-than-fiction/262282/10 "2004-08-31T14:08:02Z")
My friends are always telling me to get drunk and have the time of life. This is why I prefer to avoid alcohol. These guys probably thought they were having fun too. “I have an idea. Let’s get so drunk we won’t remember the entire night! You know we’ll have fun then!” Alcoholics are losers. ---
**Author:** ![velvetjones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/5f9b8f/32.png) [@velvetjones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/velvetjones)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2004, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fact-is-stranger-than-fiction/262282/11 "2004-08-31T14:18:28Z")
It is entirely possible that this guy was in a blackout and won’t remember any of it. I had a friend once who lost his right arm in a similar matter. Driving while intoxicated is just a bad idea. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2004, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fact-is-stranger-than-fiction/262282/12 "2004-08-31T14:20:53Z")
> [@The Great Zamboni](#): > > This is why I prefer to avoid alcohol. You do realise the vast majority of humanity manages to enjoy a few drinks without decapitating their friends? ---
**Author:** ![cowgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8c91f0/32.png) [@cowgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cowgirl)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2004, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fact-is-stranger-than-fiction/262282/13 "2004-08-31T14:34:57Z")
The best reason, EVER, to never drink and drive. As if we needed another one. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2004, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fact-is-stranger-than-fiction/262282/14 "2004-08-31T15:15:29Z")
How could he be sufficiently drunk not to notice what had happened, but still able to drive and find his way home? I mean, I know there’s this thing about drunks having homing instincts, but it seems rather odd that he’d actually manage to (more or less successfully) operate a motor vehicle if he was so wasted that he failed to notice his friend’s decapitated body spraying blood all over him. ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2004, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fact-is-stranger-than-fiction/262282/15 "2004-08-31T15:28:37Z")
> [@Doctor Jackson](#): > > I’m still speechless. So is the driver’s best friend. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2004, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fact-is-stranger-than-fiction/262282/16 "2004-08-31T16:29:55Z")
> [@Doctor Jackson](#): > > **picunurse** It is without a doubt true. The link I posted is the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The story has been all over the local radio and TV news. There’s also [a Pit thread on the subject](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=273757). ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Ashtar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ea924/32.png) [@Lord\_Ashtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Ashtar)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2004, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fact-is-stranger-than-fiction/262282/17 "2004-08-31T16:30:22Z")
> [@Lissa](#): > > I seriously can’t imagine how he can claim he didn’t know. Being splattered with something warm and sticky would tip me off that all might not be well, especially if I’d just had an accident, and my friend wasn’t answering me. Maybe he thought he had pissed himself. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2004, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fact-is-stranger-than-fiction/262282/18 "2004-08-31T16:38:27Z")
> [@jjimm](#): > > You do realise the vast majority of humanity manages to enjoy a few drinks without decapitating their friends? Signature line material if I ever saw it! 🙂 (And one of the very few redeeming qualities about this horrific story!) ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2004, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fact-is-stranger-than-fiction/262282/19 "2004-08-31T16:53:02Z")
> [@](#): > > more or less successfully In this case I would have to go with less. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2004, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fact-is-stranger-than-fiction/262282/20 "2004-08-31T18:25:16Z")
> [@jjimm](#): > > You do realise the vast majority of humanity manages to enjoy a few drinks without decapitating their friends? And some day, I hope to be a part of that majority… [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fact-is-stranger-than-fiction/262282.md?page=2)