Harvey Arnold run over by his own Lotus: The rise of the machines

Nederland resident Harvey Arnold, 61, didn't think he was doing anything wrong -- just running his 1997 Lotus through a Conoco car wash. But as he was reportedly drying his windows, the car began to roll -- and when he dashed in front of it to try to prevent its...

By Michael Roberts

March 5, 2010

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Nederland resident Harvey Arnold, 61, didn't think he was doing anything wrong -- just running his 1997 Lotus through a Conoco car wash. But as he was reportedly drying his windows, the car began to roll -- and when he dashed in front of it to try to prevent its escape, it ran him down.

Like a dog!

Sure, there may be a perfectly reasonable explanation for what happened -- like Arnold, who's been treated and released from a hospital, leaving the car in neutral without fully engaging the emergency brake. But maybe that's what the car wants us to think. Betcha accidents like this will start happening more frequently -- and before you know it, we'll be dodging laser blasts and praying for John Connor to save us. Harvey was the first, but he surely won't be the last...

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Michael Roberts began his career with Westword in 1990 as music editor. In 1999, he took on a new role, full-time media reporter, as author of a column called The Message. In 2008, he became the lead writer for Westword's news blog, The Latest Word, a position he held until January 2023. Michael continues to freelance for Westword, covering everything from business to sports and the media; he also contributes to Jazziz, a national music magazine. He holds a bachelor's degree from what is now Colorado Mesa University and master's degrees from the University of California, Los Angeles, and Northwestern University.

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