Dealership's Reckless Joyride Leads to Costly Crash of Rare Camaro

In a shocking incident, a Connecticut car dealership found itself in hot water after its employees decided to take a customer's nearly 0,000 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1E Hendrick Edition for an unauthorized joyride, only to end up crashing the high-performance vehicle on the highway. The incident has sparked outrage and raised serious questions about the accountability and professionalism of dealerships when it comes to handling customers' prized possessions.

Dealership's Negligence Leads to Devastating Crash of Rare Camaro

Unauthorized Joyride Ends in Disaster

The incident occurred when a customer, Kenny Habul, brought his rare and valuable Camaro to H&L Chevrolet in Darien, Connecticut, for a routine service. Habul had explicitly instructed the dealership that the car was not to leave the lot under any circumstances. However, a service advisor, Matthew Sebastian, disregarded these instructions and decided to take the car for a spin on the highway, accompanied by another employee.As the Camaro reached nearly 90 mph on Interstate 95, Sebastian lost control of the vehicle, causing it to veer off the center lane and crash into a guardrail. The impact was so severe that the car, which had just 989 miles on the odometer and was recently appraised at ,000, was completely totaled.

Negligence and Recklessness Alleged

Habul has since filed a negligence and recklessness lawsuit against the dealership and Sebastian in the Stamford District Superior Court. The lawsuit alleges that Sebastian's behavior was "deliberate and reckless" and that he should have known that only a "highly experienced driver who is capable and knowledgeable about the car's capabilities and dangers" should operate the high-performance Camaro.The lawsuit also claims that the dealership failed to take reasonable care of the vehicle, including failing to instruct employees not to drive it on the road and failing to properly supervise the simple task of diagnosing and repairing a broken clutch switch. The dealership is being held liable in its capacity as Sebastian's employer.

Damning Evidence from the Car's Data Recorder

The lawsuit is further bolstered by evidence from the Camaro's factory track data recorder, which showed that in the seconds before the crash, Sebastian "gunned the engine and lost control of the high-performance vehicle he should not have been driving." The data recorder also revealed that Sebastian was not wearing a seatbelt at the time of the incident.This damning evidence paints a clear picture of the reckless and irresponsible actions taken by the dealership's employees, which ultimately led to the destruction of a rare and valuable vehicle entrusted to their care.

Seeking Compensation and Accountability

The lawsuit is seeking compensatory and punitive damages, though the specific dollar figures have not been disclosed. The case serves as a stark reminder of the importance of dealerships upholding the highest standards of professionalism and accountability when it comes to handling customers' vehicles.This incident is just the latest in a series of high-profile cases where dealerships have been accused of mishandling or misusing customers' vehicles, further eroding the public's trust in the automotive industry. As the case unfolds, it will be closely watched by both the industry and consumers alike, as they seek to understand the consequences of such egregious breaches of trust.