Aaron Gower, a Porsche enthusiast in Hickory, North Carolina, is mourning the passing of his beloved 914 [with thanks to Frank Barrett for his skills as an editor]. They say you have a better chance of being struck by lightning than you do of winning the lottery, but they never say anything about your car being struck by lightning. If Aaron can take anything good away from this situation, at least he himself was not struck, and at least the garage was detached from his home, and the damage was isolated there.
The lightning strike, early this morning, actually targeted Mr. Gower’s neighbors house. Apparently then running through a fence line, and into a nearby tree’s root system, before eventually alighting on the garage. The flames engulfed the garage, and quickly a call was made to the Hickory Fire Department. The call was answered at 9:16 AM, and only 10 minutes later, the firemen were already on scene containing the blaze. Inside sat the 914, and unfortunately the fire was out too late to save the car. Luckily, no injuries were reported.
The 914 in question was a 1974 four-cylinder model. Mr. Gower had purchased the car in the early 1980s, and had spent several hundred man-hours meticulously restoring the car himself. “The Porsche,” said Gower “was insured, but it will be hard to replace.” The charred hulk of the yellow Porsche, Mr. Gower’s collection of parts, and a few bits and bobs left over from the restoration process are all that remain of the car after the devastating inferno.
Still a bit in shock, Gower surveyed the damage to the garage, noticing that the fire had also melted his green City of Hickory wheeled garbage bin. “Looks like I’m going to need to call the city and get a new garbage can,” he quipped.
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Photos: Robert C. Reed
