Last Sunday, a 91-year-old man named Walter Thomas backed an SUV straight through a closed garage door — effectively smashing it into pieces.
This wasn’t an accident. In fact, his family and friends not only cheered him on, they’d helped plan the entire thing.
Walter lives in Woodstock, Illinois. Throughout his life, his passion has been cars. He’d collected and repaired antique cars. He’d long been as a fan of racing. He’d also owned four separate gas stations in the area.
But there was something he’d always wanted to do in a car, yet never had.
“[My grandfather] told me a long time ago that he always wanted to back a car through the garage door,” his granddaughter, Becky Goers, told the Woodstock Independent. “He always wondered if the garage door would pop off, or if the frame would come down with it.”
Admit it, at some point, you’ve probably wondered this as well. We certainly have.
A series of events then began to unfold.
His granddaughter Becky told her brother, Andrew Thomas, about their grandfather’s wish. Andrew is a deputy for the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office. He’s also – and we’re not kidding – an accident reconstruction officer.
“It’s been on his bucket list and it’s been on the back of my mind,” he said.
He found a maroon 1998 Isuzu Rodeo headed for the junk yard. Then, his brother, Brian Thomas, found a garage suitable for smashing. Thomas family friends Nick and Jamielynn Wedoff had an existing one-car garage they were planning to demolish.
“Grandpa and Grandma Thomas have always treated us like family and this is something we thought would be fun,” said Jamielynn Wedoff.
So, with a car and a garage now found, all that remained was the smashing.
This past Sunday, friends and family gathered, including Walter’s wife of 70 years and their children, grandchildren and even great-grandchildren.
Walter wore a racecar helmet for safety. His son Andrew sat in the passenger seat.
The garage door was closed. The car was turned on. Walter stomped on the gas pedal. The tires squealed.
The car burst through the wooden doors. Everyone cheered – with the exception of one of his young great-granddaughters, who was startled by the noise and began to cry.
Still, the mission was considered an overwhelming success.
“I appreciate the kids getting together,” he said. “It’s kind of nice of them to think of old grandpa.”
Not every act of heroism needs to be some gigantic, life-saving act. Something small – even something which might seem a bit silly – can help someone else enjoy the fun life has to offer. Here’s to 91-year-old Walter Thomas, who finally got to live out a dream he’d had for a long, long time.
As for the garage? The door itself came apart quite easily, while the frame remained unharmed. Check out the action below:
