Cobra Replica Crash in Waukesha

[spooln30]

I seen on the news tonight that a guy driving a Cobra Replica crashed and died in Waukesha I believe today. Anybody see the wreck? I don't know for sure it was a replica but there's not many originals plus their a lot money .

[buttersgt350]

I did not see it but it happened on Coral Dr and 164


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[BoosTT]

I was wondering if it was someone on here?

[USMARINE1108]

I took the kids to Sonic yesterday at about 11am. While heading north on 164 there were about 6 cop cars at that intersection, lit up and directing traffic to one lane. I was wondering what was going on. I went a couple of blocks around to avoid the traffic jam and headed to Sonic. On the way back, I just took 164 S because I noticed earlier the lane wasn't blocked at all but. A bunch of cops with surveying equipment which generally means they're doing an investigation after an accident with a fatality.

I didn't see any damage to the road/light poles/ditch or anything. I was wondering about that.

[crazyhorse]

I read he crashed into a tree. Wonder if he was going to the griffin ford car show.


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[Firefighter Z]

Heard the call when I was working at the FD. They had Flight en-route but cancelled them, usually never a good sign.

[JOHN 86GT]

Dale A. Kolter, 61, of Muskego http://fox6now.com/2014/05/04/fatal-crash-driver-slams-car-into-tree-in-waukesha-was-speed-a-factor/

I drove by shorty after it happened . I thought maybe it was a cobra, could kind of see the roll bar but it was way down in the ditch.

[Slow5oh]

I can't tell if it's the same car, if it is, that guy stopped in at work one day last summer, he seemed pretty cool, unfortunate this happened.

http://i.imgur.com/GTkZl3D.jpg

[Gregor]

Looks like he took in the windshield and speed was a factor.

[awsomeears]

Everyone is guilty of horsing around in there car, sad to see this, 61 is way to young. Probably around retirement age to :(

[95 TA - The Beast]

Certain cars and how those cars get setup, along with the experience of the driver are all factors to consider...

Cobras have a history of having massive power to weight ratios, much larger than most other cars given their size. Most drivers have no clue how to handle a car with that kind of P/W ratio alone, then couple in the handling characteristics and sticky tires and you have a recipe for disaster. People thinking they are 'being cool' by burning out at speed, or while making a turn, only to find out real quick it gets away from them, and certain setups, once wound up, are not very easy to get back "in control".

And age means nothing, since there are plenty of older guys that "think" they can drive, but in reality don't do it often enough to be able to see when things could start to be troublesome. You live life on a razers edge, or you get dull. And the older you get, the longer it takes for the cobwebs to get brushed away.

But, considering the area it happened in, there is no excuse since that is far from the "open" area of 164 that is south of there where speed wouldn't be such a big deal. That area is pretty residential already. If anything it was probably a blip of the throttle that got him into trouble.

Just be thankful it was only him involved. It would have been a real tragedy if others would have gotten hurt.

[Nickerz]

Certain cars and how those cars get setup, along with the experience of the driver are all factors to consider...

Cobras have a history of having massive power to weight ratios, much larger than most other cars given their size. Most drivers have no clue how to handle a car with that kind of P/W ratio alone, then couple in the handling characteristics and sticky tires and you have a recipe for disaster. People thinking they are 'being cool' by burning out at speed, or while making a turn, only to find out real quick it gets away from them, and certain setups, once wound up, are not very easy to get back "in control".

And age means nothing, since there are plenty of older guys that "think" they can drive, but in reality don't do it often enough to be able to see when things could start to be troublesome. You live life on a razers edge, or you get dull. And the older you get, the longer it takes for the cobwebs to get brushed away.

But, considering the area it happened in, there is no excuse since that is far from the "open" area of 164 that is south of there where speed wouldn't be such a big deal. That area is pretty residential already. If anything it was probably a blip of the throttle that got him into trouble.

Just be thankful it was only him involved. It would have been a real tragedy if others would have gotten hurt.

Enough with the judgmental posts here. Nearly EVERYONE on this forum is guilty of fooling around in an area where such a thing is frowned upon. Just because the times YOU did it no one died doesn't make you some morally superior being. Getting REAALLL sick of people making posts like this. Even if you you've NEVER fooled around on the street, don't bring your attitude into a hobby that is literally founded on being illicit. We don't need to divide a community that is already under attack from government agencies, the media etc

This is an unfortunate tragedy that is the result of a hobby many of us love dearly. The combination of a mistake and a vehicle that was designed nearly half a century ago leads to this post. Getting on your high horse isn't going to prevent something like this in the future. Don't act like we're putting forced induction on vehicles, nitrous, gears and sticky tires because we want to take a leisurely stroll through the lake front.

Come. The. Fuck. On.

This could have been anyone in the forum. It comes with the hobby. Take it or leave. No one needs this holier than though "I would never do that" attitude. Yes you would. Anyone here would given the right weather, day and circumstances. I can guarantee everyone on this forum has laid stripes. Just because it ended differently for him doesn't give you the right to sully his name as some sort of jackass.

[Irish]

Certain cars and how those cars get setup, along with the experience of the driver are all factors to consider...

Cobras have a history of having massive power to weight ratios, much larger than most other cars given their size. Most drivers have no clue how to handle a car with that kind of P/W ratio alone, then couple in the handling characteristics and sticky tires and you have a recipe for disaster. People thinking they are 'being cool' by burning out at speed, or while making a turn, only to find out real quick it gets away from them, and certain setups, once wound up, are not very easy to get back "in control".

And age means nothing, since there are plenty of older guys that "think" they can drive, but in reality don't do it often enough to be able to see when things could start to be troublesome. You live life on a razers edge, or you get dull. And the older you get, the longer it takes for the cobwebs to get brushed away.

But, considering the area it happened in, there is no excuse since that is far from the "open" area of 164 that is south of there where speed wouldn't be such a big deal. That area is pretty residential already. If anything it was probably a blip of the throttle that got him into trouble.

Just be thankful it was only him involved. It would have been a real tragedy if others would have gotten hurt.



Dennis, you're a fucking hypocrite and an asshole.

[DNT H8]

Nearly EVERYONE on this forum is guilty of fooling around in an area where such a thing is frowned upon. Even if you you've NEVER fooled around on the street, don't bring your attitude into a hobby that is literally founded on being illicit. We don't need to divide a community that is already under attack from government agencies, the media etc

This is an unfortunate tragedy that is the result of a hobby many of us love dearly. The combination of a mistake and a vehicle that was designed nearly half a century ago leads to this post. Don't act like we're putting forced induction on vehicles, nitrous, gears and sticky tires because we want to take a leisurely stroll through the lake front.
This could have been anyone in the forum. It comes with the hobby. Take it or leave.

Whole lotta truth here....

[BoosTT]

I heard the crash was related to a medical issue. It was either is wife or daughter following behind him in another car, I can't remember. They saw him fall forward prior to the crash. It was probably a heart attack or stroke.

[USMARINE1108]

Certain cars and how those cars get setup, along with the experience of the driver are all factors to consider...

Cobras have a history of having massive power to weight ratios, much larger than most other cars given their size. Most drivers have no clue how to handle a car with that kind of P/W ratio alone, then couple in the handling characteristics and sticky tires and you have a recipe for disaster. People thinking they are 'being cool' by burning out at speed, or while making a turn, only to find out real quick it gets away from them, and certain setups, once wound up, are not very easy to get back "in control".

And age means nothing, since there are plenty of older guys that "think" they can drive, but in reality don't do it often enough to be able to see when things could start to be troublesome. You live life on a razers edge, or you get dull. And the older you get, the longer it takes for the cobwebs to get brushed away.

But, considering the area it happened in, there is no excuse since that is far from the "open" area of 164 that is south of there where speed wouldn't be such a big deal. That area is pretty residential already. If anything it was probably a blip of the throttle that got him into trouble.

Just be thankful it was only him involved. It would have been a real tragedy if others would have gotten hurt.

Huh. I'm a pretty easy going guy and I don't know you, but I just really want to slap you in the face right now.

"You live life on a razers edge, or you get dull". All right, hardcore. Are you really Ice Man from Top Gun?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7LGrDfudQE

[USMARINE1108]

I heard the crash was related to a medical issue. It was either is wife or daughter following behind him in another car, I can't remember. They saw him fall forward prior to the crash. It was probably a heart attack or stroke.

That's no good. If that's the case, that could have gone real bad, real fast.

[95 TA - The Beast]

No one is being a hypocrite. I know a few guys that have built Cobra replicas just to have them "bite them in the ass" so to speak because of the particulars of that car. Too bad, the truth hurts.

The media said speed was considered a factor, in that car that means a very twitchy experience due to a very high power to weight ratio and the way those cars are set up. To think otherwise is foolish and ignorant.

Hopefully it was just a medical issue and if so it is quite unfortunate. But, again, thankfully no-one else was hurt if it was. Far too many get hurt/killed when someone has a medical issue behind the wheel.

For the record, re-read my post, I never blamed anyone. I just pointed out some very salient facts for anyone that doesn't know those cars. They are FAR from your run-of-the-mill pony car, Corvette, etc... They have a set of unique characteristics that make them VERY dangerous if setup wrong, have too much power, etc, etc... Need validation of that look up the history on the first Cobras including the one Bill Cosby bought, got scared the shit out of and promptly sold. Those cars are no joke if you have a decent powerplant in them. And sure, it could be argued that ALL cars are no joke with decent power, but some have characteristics that make them even more so, with the Cobras on that list.

And most would hope that if someone, ANYONE, including those on here are out there doing shit they shouldn't and lose control of their vehicle that only THEY would be the ones to get hurt instead of innocent others that just happen to be on the road at the same time. To think otherwise is foolish.

I never called the guy names, said he was irresponsible or in any way disparaged him. I said just because he was 61 doesn't mean jack in regards to driving ability. Hell, there are 20 year olds that can outdrive ANYONE on this board. Just like there are guys in their 70s that can do the same. Age doesn't mean anything, so just because someone is 61 doesn't mean they are in control of their car.

And yes, the area an accident happens in DOES matter in regards to someone having a heavy foot. Sure, some will lay rubber at the drop of the hat when people are in a dangerous area and other could get hurt if things go wrong. Then there are those of us that won't. Knowing where and when and to what extent is what separates the dumbasses from those that know when/where it is least likely to cause an issue. So my statement of location is just as valid.

Sorry, the truth hurts. But as I said before this was unfortunate, but luckily no-one else got hurt. Any sane rational person would feel the same way. And everyone else is putting in the "holier than thou" BS because they don't like the fact I brought up a valid point that luckily no-one else was hurt. I have kids that will be driving soon as well as a wife and a mother on the road, and I don't expect any of them to be able to handle a situation with someone else on the road losing control of their car and being able to possibly maximize their own safety by trying to stay away or veer away from them the way I would, thus my concern for "everyone else". Not everyone is a "defensive" driver the way they should be, call it the luxury of living a care-free life for many, but there are those of us that worry about everyone elses stupidity and try to keep everyone we love safe from those pulling stupid shit.

[Rocket Power]

Huh. I'm a pretty easy going guy and I don't know you, but I just really want to slap you in the face right now.

"You live life on a razers edge, or you get dull". All right, hardcore. Are you really Ice Man from Top Gun?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7LGrDfudQE

Lmao

[Nickerz]

No one is being a hypocrite. I know a few guys that have built Cobra replicas just to have them "bite them in the ass" so to speak because of the particulars of that car. Too bad, the truth hurts.

That's all fine and dandy but you definitely tried to make it sound like he was "in the wrong" and then paint others as reckless drivers. Newsflash, we're ALL reckless drivers here. INCLUDING YOU.

I don't care what went down. He could have been doing 180 past grandma. In this hobby, we're all guilty of varying degrees of idiocy. I hate seeing people get judgmental when we're all guilty.

[95 TA - The Beast]

No one was being judgmental... Hell, if I die doing something stupid I can only hope no-one else gets caught up in it. That was the only point I made. Everyone is reading everything else into it.

USMARINE1108, no I was talking facts. Those that do high-speed and hi-precision antics all the time have a MUCH better chance of making proper decisions/actions "at the limit" vs someone who only drives their car like that maybe once every 6 months, or once every couple of years. Sorry if the "summation" seemed a little too pointed, but that is all it was. Yeah, sounds weird, but it is 100% accurate. Those that do stuff all the time are much better at it than those that only do it every so often. ESPECIALLY when you are talking about reigning in a car as such. To think otherwise is foolish. And, yet, there are a LOT of older guys (say above 45) that almost never get a chance anymore that think they can "hang" with everyone else and are the ones that end up making mistakes when they push it. To be good at ANYTHING you need to not only practice till you have the skills, but stay practicing to keep those skills well honed.

C'mon, a lot of this stuff is common sense... Everyone is acting pretty foolish over all of this at this point.

[JOHN 86GT]

RIP to a fellow gear head !

Things we don't know and things that don't matter due to the outcome.

What he was doing before he crashed .

Was this caused by a mechanical issue ?

Was this caused by a medical issue ?

Did the car have a 500 plus hp Ford engine or a 200 hp ls1 .....

[USMARINE1108]

No one was being judgmental... Hell, if I die doing something stupid I can only hope no-one else gets caught up in it. That was the only point I made. Everyone is reading everything else into it.

USMARINE1108, no I was talking facts. Those that do high-speed and hi-precision antics all the time have a MUCH better chance of making proper decisions/actions "at the limit" vs someone who only drives their car like that maybe once every 6 months, or once every couple of years. Sorry if the "summation" seemed a little too pointed, but that is all it was. Yeah, sounds weird, but it is 100% accurate. Those that do stuff all the time are much better at it than those that only do it every so often. ESPECIALLY when you are talking about reigning in a car as such. To think otherwise is foolish. And, yet, there are a LOT of older guys (say above 45) that almost never get a chance anymore that think they can "hang" with everyone else and are the ones that end up making mistakes when they push it. To be good at ANYTHING you need to not only practice till you have the skills, but stay practicing to keep those skills well honed.

C'mon, a lot of this stuff is common sense... Everyone is acting pretty foolish over all of this at this point.

Yes. I get what you're saying. You come off a little bit................ um......... "holier than thou". Take into account the fact that someone could have run him off of the road, someone else at the stoplight tried to race him and lost control (hit and run) or the published story that says he slumped in his seat before saying he was in the wrong. No need to piss on the guy at this point (either way). Should everyone be careful? Of course. You're jumping to conclusions.

No offence meant but............. you may want to bring it down a notch. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fWr6CBARMw

[wrath]

Isn't it 25mph there? If you died riding in a car with a 5 point harness at that location you were screwing off.

[Lash]

.....unless you had a stroke or heart attack which cold make you unintentionally accelerate.

There are way too many dipshits around here.

[Nix]

.....unless you had a stroke or heart attack which cold make you unintentionally accelerate.

There are way too many dipshits around here.

X2 I don't think it could be said much better.

Sent from my PrimeCo Phone

[michelle]

Very unfortunate to hear, especially if a family member was following him as it is.

[DNT H8]

Horrible it takes this to get a thread on BCM past 1 page lol...

[spooln30]

That's because some people always have to turn it into a pissing match. GTFU!

[USMARINE1108]

Isn't it 25mph there? If you died riding in a car with a 5 point harness at that location you were screwing off.

40 or 45 I think.

From the picture of the car being loaded onto the flat bed, it loos like it flipped over (because the windshield is gone and the body panels aren't aligned, it doesn't look like a collision from that angle). Without a roll bar, the 5 point isn't going to do anything for you. There isn't anything between the top of the head and elbows to save you if the car rolls over. If he went into the ditch (for whatever reason) and flipped, it doesn't matter how fast you're going. Head, neck and spine are all exposed.

[USMARINE1108]

.....unless you had a stroke or heart attack which cold make you unintentionally accelerate.

There are way too many dipshits around here.


Lol, preaching to the choir! If that's the case, I'm glad that no one else was hurt.

[animal]

Hopefully he LOVED driving his car like I (and most of the rest of us) do. I could only be so lucky to go that way some day: doing something I love. heh.

[wrath]

.....unless you had a stroke or heart attack which cold make you unintentionally accelerate.

There are way too many dipshits around here.

Yes, you're going to hold the stupid pedal to the floor. It's 45mph there, I looked.

Never seen a kit Cobra that didn't have a rollbar and a 5 point harness. It has one in the picture on fox6's website and it's not laying flat. And it doesn't look that beat up.

I'd rather be a dipshit than a douchebag.

[USMARINE1108]

Yes, you're going to hold the stupid pedal to the floor. It's 45mph there, I looked.

Never seen a kit Cobra that didn't have a rollbar and a 5 point harness. It has one in the picture on fox6's website and it's not laying flat. And it doesn't look that beat up.

I'd rather be a dipshit than a douchebag.

You're right, looking at it again the car does have a roll bar.

[Gregor]

Who knows if we was alive at the time of impact. Its a tragic event that only a few scraps of information is out so everyone is jumping off the handle about this guy. Were you driving behind him? Were you in the car when it happened?

"Let him who is without sin cast the first stone."

[spooln30]

I don't think the car flipped. Just hit some brush and trees.

[wrath]

Who knows if we was alive at the time of impact. Its a tragic event that only a few scraps of information is out so everyone is jumping off the handle about this guy. Were you driving behind him? Were you in the car when it happened?

From the picture, it looks like the guy died and the car went off the road. The reconstruction was probably "where did the guy fall off the road at". Nothing as described here about a destroyed car. I've seen several crippled AC Cobras at road courses and this one looks like it went through the weeds at 30mph.


"Let him who is without sin cast the first stone."

Stones? How about boulders at the self-proclaimed righteous?

[jakedrew]

I knew that guys name sounded familiar. I grew up down the road from this guy. I knew his daughter and checked her Facebook page and sure enough. I dont talk to her any more so dont know any details.

Remember that car 15 years ago going through the neighborhood where we lived in New Berlin. Always stopped to stare when it rumbled by.

[GHOSST]

I know we like to talk crap, that's BCM, the one I know and love.. but damn this thread shot pretty low... We assume the worse, right away, and I know for a fact if he was a frequent poster here, member of BCM, friend to a few people in person, that tune would be changed big time.

If this happened to anyone of you guys, I'd be pissed if some people where bad mouthing you. Someone died, and luckily no one else did. But as someone stated already, a fellow gear head died, lets give him the respect we'd want to give anyone of us if something like this happened, our fault or not.