A reckless driver has narrowly escaped with his life after doing donuts on a frozen lake in New Jersey and then plummeting through the ice. The 44-year-old man's brazen stunt was captured on video and posted online, sparking widespread outrage.
The incident occurred at the Stafford Forge Wildlife Management Area in Eagleswood Township, Ocean County, where the driver took his pickup truck onto the frozen lake. Witnesses described the scene as "stupidity at its finest," with the driver doing donuts on the ice just before the rear tires cracked through the surface.
Miraculously, the driver managed to escape from the vehicle and get off the frozen lake, but he had to leave his car behind. By the next morning, it was almost completely submerged in the icy water and stuck fast.
"I could see where it wasn't thick enough to walk on," said Tucker Upper, a YouTuber who posted video of the incident online. "I would never advise anybody to ever go on the ice." Upper's channel has gained thousands of views for his videos about the Pine Barrens, but he admitted that taking risks is not something he recommends.
The driver faces several charges, including reckless driving and leaving the scene of an accident, after first responders were forced to determine whether anyone was inside the abandoned truck. "When you commit an act like this, when you do something like this, there's a lot of other lives on the line," said Frank Runza Jr., captain of the Parkertown Volunteer Fire Company.
The incident has raised concerns about safety and responsibility in the face of freezing temperatures and icy waterways across the region. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says that cars shouldn't be driven on ice less than 9 inches thick, while people need at least 2 inches of ice to support their weight for walking or skating.
In a tragic reminder of the dangers faced by first responders, Camden firefighter Howard Bennett died earlier this week after falling into the icy Delaware River. His death has sparked renewed calls for caution and respect when dealing with icy waterways during freezing temperatures.
The incident occurred at the Stafford Forge Wildlife Management Area in Eagleswood Township, Ocean County, where the driver took his pickup truck onto the frozen lake. Witnesses described the scene as "stupidity at its finest," with the driver doing donuts on the ice just before the rear tires cracked through the surface.
Miraculously, the driver managed to escape from the vehicle and get off the frozen lake, but he had to leave his car behind. By the next morning, it was almost completely submerged in the icy water and stuck fast.
"I could see where it wasn't thick enough to walk on," said Tucker Upper, a YouTuber who posted video of the incident online. "I would never advise anybody to ever go on the ice." Upper's channel has gained thousands of views for his videos about the Pine Barrens, but he admitted that taking risks is not something he recommends.
The driver faces several charges, including reckless driving and leaving the scene of an accident, after first responders were forced to determine whether anyone was inside the abandoned truck. "When you commit an act like this, when you do something like this, there's a lot of other lives on the line," said Frank Runza Jr., captain of the Parkertown Volunteer Fire Company.
The incident has raised concerns about safety and responsibility in the face of freezing temperatures and icy waterways across the region. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says that cars shouldn't be driven on ice less than 9 inches thick, while people need at least 2 inches of ice to support their weight for walking or skating.
In a tragic reminder of the dangers faced by first responders, Camden firefighter Howard Bennett died earlier this week after falling into the icy Delaware River. His death has sparked renewed calls for caution and respect when dealing with icy waterways during freezing temperatures.
doing donuts on a frozen lake is literally crazy talk, especially in those conditions! I mean, come on, 9 inches of ice is the max, not a playground for trucks!! 
and poor guy gets his car stuck and has to leave it behind... what if he got hurt or even worse? 
its just so irresponsible and reckless. I'm glad no one was hurt but still, common sense would tell you dont do that! 
I'm still trying to wrap my head around the sheer stupidity of that driver. Doing donuts on a frozen lake? It's like he was begging for a fatal accident 
. And for walking or skating, that's 2 inches of solid ice 
. It's not rocket science, folks! But I guess some people just don't get the message 
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. This driver's stunt may have gotten thousands of views online, but it also put lives at risk. Let's all take a moment to reflect on our actions and consider the consequences 
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that guy is literally lucky to be alive! I mean, who drives a truck on a frozen lake? 
!! can't believe he did that on a frozen lake 
and also, r.i.p. Howard Bennett, that's so sad 
safety first, folks! shouldn't be a thing but apparently it is when you're reckless 
gotta respect the first responders who risked their lives to check if anyone was inside that abandoned truck 
icy waterways are no joke, don't underestimate them 
! I mean, who drives on a frozen lake and expects to get away with it? And poor Tucker Upper, he's always good for some cool content, but sometimes people just don't know what they're doing 
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The fact that first responders had to search for anyone inside the abandoned truck just adds another layer of complexity to the whole situation.
and now he almost dies? poor guy got lucky to escape. ice is not something to joke around with, especially when you got a family to provide for. should've listened to the experts who said 9 inches thick is safe for cars... and even that's iffy 
So yeah, let's all just take a deep breath and be careful out there when it gets cold, 'kay? 
. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says that cars shouldn't be driven on ice less than 9 inches thick, but did anyone listen? Nope, this dude just went ahead and got himself stuck 