Hartford, WI – The owner of Mr. D’s Car Wash, 525 E Sumner Street, in Hartford, WI, has an explanation regarding what happened last week as an empty vehicle exited the car wash, crossed four lanes of Highway 60, climbed a curb, dropped down an embankment and ended up in the Rubicon River at Willowbrook Park.
“Every day our manager comes in and washes his vehicle because he wants to test the equipment and make sure it’s working properly,” said business owner Davinder Toor. “We often will just put the car through without anyone in it because then we can stand outside and make sure everything’s working properly. He was doing that and something else…
“Something else caught his attention and he forgot he put his car on the track, and it was headed down the other end and by the time he realized it was too late.”
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Toor said it was “very fortunate nobody was hurt and there wasn’t more collateral damage.”
“Luckily it was only his vehicle and nobody else’s,” he said.
Questioned whether he was a forgiving business owner, Toor said his manager has been with him over 15 years. “Definitely we forgive him,” he said.
The employee’s car did sustain damage after going in the river, but Toor said they will work to help him out.
Toor also understood the incident was receiving some attention. “It definitely is a curiosity,” he said. “People who are not in the car wash business really wouldn’t understand a car goes through without a driver. It’s normal on our end but it is not every day this situation arises.
“This is the first time this has happened to me as an owner of the car wash,” he said. “I would be surprised if this happened again.”
Below is the story that initially was published the day of the incident.
July 31, 2024 – Hartford, WI – An unbelievable series of events occurred Tuesday morning, around 10:30 a.m. in Hartford, WI, as a vehicle reportedly crossed a busy Hwy 60 and ended up in the river at Willowbrook Park.
The interesting part of the story is the car came from Mr. D’s car wash on the opposite side of Sumner Street, crossed four lanes of Highway 60, did not hit anything, jumped the curb, went down the embankment and into the river.
Photo courtesy City of Hartford
“Very unusual circumstance to be sure,” said Police Chief Scott MacFarlan. “I was glad nobody was seriously hurt.”
No dive team was needed. According to Fire Chief Tony Burgard the police worked with a wrecker to pull the vehicle out.
Dirt tiretracks on the embankment are all that was left of the scene Tuesday afternoon.
“There was nobody in the car,” said Burgard. “My understanding is it came out of the car wash across the street. It crossed Highway 60 without touching anything.”
Questions are still being asked whether anyone was in the vehicle at Mr. D’s car wash at the time it crossed the road.
Burgard said there was “nobody in the vehicle” when the wrecker pulled it out of the river.
An image on social media shows a red compact car with the nose of the vehicle in the water and the back wheels appearing to still be on land.
Chief MacFarlan, who has been with the police department 28 years said, “I’ve never heard about that happening before.”
However, a local historian said it did happen, about 30 years ago. That recollection is below.
“The previous owner of the car wash, his Corvette was in the car wash and he sent it through and his workers… they had it in neutral. It went all the way across the street, just like this one, but his went all the way across the river – I think it was winter – and it went across, up the embankment and then rolled back and broke through. It’s a straight shot from the car wash.”
Questioned whether the car was empty 30 years ago the historian said, “Yes… and then they sent it through. But it must have been like when you have something in the oven, and you go on the Internet, and you forget.”
This is a working story, and more information will be posted when details are available.
