Weekend News Roundup November 18, 2023
Here we present our weekly Jalopnik series that recaps the latest in news. We’ve showcased our most read offerings as well as some you may have missed.
Valtteri Bottas Gets Excited About The Las Vegas Grand Prix | Jalopnik Chats
Truck Driver Spends 33 Hours In Rig To Avoid Tow Ransom
For the past few months, truckers have been beset by a scourge: Predatory towing companies that boot and tow big rigs at truck stops, then charge thousands of dollars for the safe return of their livelihoods. Read More
Story Of Mississippi Man Hit By A Cop And Buried Without His Family’s Knowledge Somehow Just Got Much Worse
Screenshot: ABC News
Bettersten Wade Robinson spent more than five months searching for her son Dexter Wade after he went missing only to find out that not only was he dead, but he had been hit by an off-duty Jackson, Mississippi police officer and buried in a pauper’s grave without her knowledge. Why the Jackson Police Department never told her they knew her son was dead despite her many calls, it’s still not clear. And yet, as bad as the situation was, Hinds County somehow managed to make things even worse. Read More
State Farm’s Attempt To Deny A Grieving Family’s Payout After Fatal Car Crash Will Cost It $36 Million
Screenshot: JHVEPhoto
State Farm will pay out millions to a family after it tried to lowball an insurance settlement after a woman’s death.
The Santa Fe New Mexican reports everything started with the tragic death of Andrea Lovato. Lovato died in a 2017 car accident after she swerved to avoid a minivan that was going 70 in 35 zone. The head on collision killed her while her four-year-old nephew who was in the car with her survived. A week before her death, lawyers for the family say that Lovato had taken steps to upgrade her State Farm Insurance policy after her car had been stolen. Read More
‘They Want To Be The Gatekeepers’: Car Dealers Are Stopping Customers From Buying EVs
Photo: Scott Olson (Getty Images)
As it turns out, car dealers seem to know even less than buyers do when it comes to electric vehicles, and they don’t really seem too keen on learning about them. The Washington Post spoke with a number of customers who said dealers tried to redirect them to gas cars or gave them unclear or downright incorrect answers about EVs. Read More
2025 Lucid Gravity Is Queen Of The Electric SUVs With A 440-Mile Range
Image: Lucid
Californian startup Lucid took a bold approach for its introduction to the world, launching in 2021 with the phenomenal Air, a large electric luxury sedan that entered a small, competitive segment of the auto market. Despite garnering tons of acclaim—including from me—the Air has been a slow seller and the brand has been losing a ton of money. Enter the new Lucid Gravity, a three-row SUV with super promising specs that will hopefully turn the company’s fortunes around. Read More
Senator Who Challenged Teamster President To Fight Says He Was Representing ‘Oklahoma Values’
Oklahoma, time to come get your boy, Senator Markwayne Mullin. After challenging the president of America’s largest union to a fight during a senate hearing Tuesday, Mullin went on Fox News to say he had no choice but to act like an 8th grader on recess, because, Oklahoma. Read More
California Lowriders Rejoice In Historic Cruising Ban Lift
Councilman Kevin de León drives a 1960s red Chevrolet Impala convertible across the bridge as part of a low-rider event during the opening of the new 6th Street Bridge on July 10, 2022 in Los Angeles, California.Photo: Gary Leonard (Getty Images)
Lowriders are a huge part of SoCal car culture and have been for almost a century. Starting January 1, the act of driving around in a pack with other lowriders will no longer be considered a crime. Read More
Parents Of Baby In Carjacked Vehicle Are Suing VW For Refusing To Assist Police
2021 VW Atlas SEL Premium 4MotionImage: Volkswagen
A family is suing VW after the company refused to help them locate their carjacked vehicle with their toddler son inside unless the parents or police paid a $150 subscription fee. Read More
Driving Around With A Shark Sticking Out Of Your Truck Is Totally Normal For Florida
Florida is home to incredible wildlife. The elusive sovereign citizen and the state trooper-styled copmeleon; animals that can fly or swim or even tell the future. Perhaps the rarest of them all, though, is a creature only just recently captured on tape: The roadgoing bull shark. Read More
Lucid Lost $433,000 For Every Car It Sold In Q3, Reports $2.17 Billion In Losses So Far This Year
Image: Lucid
California-based automaker Lucid reported third quarter results on Tuesday, and the numbers aren’t great. The company announced that it built 1,550 Air sedans in Q3, and delivered 1,456 to customers. Each of those cars delivered accounted for $433,000 worth of red ink on the company’s balance sheets, which is particularly rough as the car has a starting price of just $77,400. Read More
