From toy cars to Mario impersonations: Viral car stories from Chicago & beyond
Unless you’re on a scenic road trip, there’s not much that goes on while driving around your local town or city. While there’s the occasional rainbow you can spot or an adorable dog sticking its head out the window, you may witness a strange encounter while driving. From driving into wet concrete to seeing a beaten-up truck driving around, here are nine viral car stories around the country.
Stuck in motion
“Road closed” signs are there for a reason, but this Milwaukee resident decided the rules didn’t apply to them.
In May 2026, the Wisconsin Department of Transportation released a video of a pickup truck that got stuck in wet concrete when its driver physically removed the “Road closed” barrier. Not knowing there was wet concrete ahead of them, the truck and its driver had to be rescued and pulled from it.
If there’s a “road closed” sign ahead, it’s better to drive around than take the shortcut.
@nbcchicago Wild video shows a man driving a kids ride-on truck into traffic in Merrillville, Indiana. Separate footage posted on social media showed police talking to the driver. (Courtesy: Sarah Ward) #Indiana ♬ original sound – NBC Chicago
Inner child personality gone wild
Being an adult can be exhausting and sometimes, all we want to do is to release our inner child. But this guy from Merrillville, Indiana took that a little too seriously.
At a busy intersection, footage released by NBC Chicago shows a man driving a kids’ toy truck in the middle of a road. With the driver crouched and taking up the entire toy truck, he drove slowly and made a left turn onto the road.
Sometimes, our inner-child personality should be left at home rather than risk others’ safety.
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Real-life Mario Kart?
Instead of taking go-karting in a supervised race track or virtually on Rainbow Road in Super Mario Kart, this driver was go-karting in the streets of Chicago.
Like the Merrillville driver and his toy truck, this Chicago driver was releasing his inner child when he decided to drive a go-kart through a Chicago street while dressed as Mario from Super Mario Bros and blasting music from the video game. Driving at a slow speed, restaurant customers couldn’t help but stare before the driver was stopped by Chicago police. It’s not a sight you normally see while having a romantic dinner!
Encrusted graduation gift
Signs to look out for when you encounter a road closure: traffic barricades, flags, traffic cones and most evidently, the part of the road that is being worked on. And yet, this driver from DeKalb County, Georgia claimed she didn’t see any indication that the street she parked her car on was under construction.
After Elysia Morris dropped her son off at her father’s house, she was on her way to an appointment when a truck started driving towards her and started honking. As Morris turned left to give the truck driver way, her 2010 red BMW was stuck in wet concrete.
Morris claimed there was no signage that made her think the road had wet concrete. Though Morris was safely pulled out of her car, her beloved BMW, a graduation gift, was stuck in the concrete until a jackhammer was used to remove the concrete.
Bittersweet revenge
What are the lengths you would go to get back at your ex? For Brandon Preveau, that meant going the extra mile.
To get back at his ex, Preveau bought a $600 used car and registered it under his ex’s name, where he then drove the car to an inaccessible parking lot at Chicago O’Hare International Airport. Preveau abandoned the car for three years, during which his ex accumulated $105,000 in parking fines, the most in city history.
The city agreed to drop $100,000 in fines, with Preveau paying the initial $1,600 down payment while his ex paid the remaining balance in installments.
Truck makeover
Marcellus Riles’ truck looks completely fine from the front. But at the back, his dingy truck is concave downwards. Surprisingly, Riles was able to drive his truck well around South Bend, Indiana. While Riles’ truck was still functional, it became the center of a viral phenomenon as people teased it. With insufficient money to fix his truck, Riles was forced to keep using it, as it was his only mode of transportation. But Colin Crowel, owner of a car detailing company, saw the attention Riles’ truck was getting and decided to start a GoFundMe to raise money for Riles’ new truck.
Crowel raised enough money to get Riles a new truck — a 2019 Chevy Silverado.
@danimarielettering Thirsty after you catch on fire? @Stanley 1913 is like no problem i gotchu #fyp #carfire #accident #stanleycup ♬ original sound – Danielle
Stanley Cup survives
When a fire destroyed a woman’s car, all that was left was burnt metal, ash and a Stanley Cup. Yes, you read that right.
Danielle Lettering posted a TikTok where she showed her slightly charred Stanley Cup that was completely intact in the car’s cup holder with ice still inside the mug. The viral TikTok saw nine million likes, almost 100 million views and Stanley CEO Terence Reilly offering to replace her car.
If you’re in need of a long-lasting, durable tumbler, Lettering’s testimonial is more than enough to get your next Stanley.
@caredge If #cardealers won’t answer these questions leave! #caredge #cardealership #buyacar #carbuyingtips #carbuyingadvice #carprices #carbuyingsecrets #carbuyinghelp #carbuyingmadeeasy #carbuying101 #carbuyinghacks #cardealer #cardealerships #cardealershiptiktok ♬ original sound – caredge
Dynamic father-son car duo
Hailing from Bethesda, Maryland, Zach Shefska was worried when his father, Ray Shefska, retired from his job managing automobile dealerships. Zach was worried his dad would suffer from “cognitive decline” if he didn’t have something to do every day. This paved the way for Car Edge, a social media account started by the father and son duo to give car consultations to viewers online.
From advice on purchasing your first car to sifting out what type of car deals are worth it, Car Edge’s online following has grown over the years, reaching over 350,000 followers on TikTok and launching their own website.
There is a lot to sift through when looking to buy a car, but the Shefskas have got you covered.
Shopping cart taking over San Antonio
From people driving into wet concrete to a real-life edition of Mario Kart, you thought you’d seen it all. That is, until J Rueles from San Antonio showed up.
Driving around the highways of San Antonio is a large, red shopping cart like the ones you’d see in a supermarket. The giant “shopping cart” took several people to assemble, from building an engine that fits a big “car” to building the actual cart.
If you thought driving a massive truck, try driving a giant shopping cart instead.
Wrap Up
You may never know how some people end up in situations like this, but it happens, and that’s why these cases have gone viral. Whether you’re getting advice from Car Edge or looking to see if Stanley Cups will survive a burning fire, there’s one thing you shouldn’t do — drive into wet concrete.
Related:
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- ’80s movie cars that stole the spotlight from their co-stars
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