Think You've Burned Enough Rubber There, Butch?
Picture this: a beat-up blue 2010 Dodge Dakota, sans front windshield and piled high with scrap wood like a mobile junkyard, rumbling out of the P&H Truck Stop around 1:30 p.m. on a sunny Friday.
Sounds like the setup for a quirky Vermont backroads adventure, right? Well, hold onto your maple syrup, folks—things took a turn from "yee-haw" to "oh no" faster than you can say "smokin' tires."
According to Vermont State Police from the St. Johnsbury Barracks, this mystery driver decided Swamp Road was the perfect spot for a little rubber-burning bravado on July 18.
You know the drill: rev the engine, spin those wheels, and leave a cloud of smoke and skid marks that scream "look at me!" But in this case, the show-off stunt backfired—literally.
One tire ignited during the burnout, and before you could blink, the whole truck was engulfed in flames like a bonfire gone rogue. Troopers, along with firefighters from Wells River and Ryegate, rushed to the scene around 1:53 p.m., only to find the Dakota reduced to a charred skeleton.
The operator? Vanished into thin air, fleeing before the sirens even wailed. No injuries were reported, which is a small mercy in what could have been a catastrophe. Imagine if that scrap wood had fueled an even bigger blaze, or if passersby—like a family out for a hike or a farmer tending fields—had been caught in the crossfire.
Now, let's chuckle for a second at the absurdity: a windshield-less truck hauling junk decides to play drag racer on a quiet country lane named Swamp Road.
It's got all the makings of a tall tale you'd spin at the local diner over coffee and pie. But here's the cautionary kicker, Vermonters: these "harmless" hijinks aren't just illegal—they're downright dangerous. Burnouts can shred tires, wreck drivetrains, and, as this fiery flop proves, spark infernos that endanger lives, property, and our pristine Green Mountain landscapes.
What starts as a laugh could end in tragedy, hefty fines, or worse—a trip to the ER or the morgue.
State police are still hunting for the elusive driver, so if you spotted a blue Dakota looking like it escaped a demolition derby, give the St. Johnsbury Barracks a ring.