Car front end damaged after dragged in ‘park’

A local family learned the hard way to make sure the gear shift of their car is not in the “parked” position while being towed behind their luxury RV, but that’s what happened on Monday as emergency crews responded to the area of Basin Avenue and Highway 160 for a report of a vehicle fire just after 2 p.m.

Pahrump Valley Fire and Rescue Chief Scott Lewis said local emergency dispatchers summoned the fire department to the scene when the driver of the RV noticed smoke coming from the rear of the vehicle.

“It was initially reported as a vehicle fire but it was actually in the area of the front drivetrain of the vehicle being towed,” he said. “As you can see, the wheels are totally worn down in a fixed position. All of the tire components are gone.”

It’s unclear exactly how far the silver late model Honda sedan was being towed before the driver noticed something just wasn’t right as all of the rubber from the tires were shorn down to the vehicle’s rims, causing substantial damage to the aluminum rims.

“The wheels not only should be rolling, but the tires should be on the wheels,” he said. “We have the absence of the tire itself and the wheel completely worn down. I don’t know how far they traveled to get to this point, but it was enough to wear down the wheels almost halfway.”

Though no injuries were reported the emergency response was immediate as the scene was less than a mile from both the Pahrump Valley Fire and Rescue’s Station One and the Nye County Sheriff’s Office.

One of the family members who did not identify himself said the family was towing the vehicle to a local car dealership for routine maintenance prior to hitting the road to spend some time in California.

The situation will no doubt set them back as the Honda sedan will require some repair work.