‘Ghost car’ makes splash at Breakneck Tavern
MARS — An empty Volkswagen Jetta rolled into Breakneck Creek Sunday evening — backward.
“The ‘ghost car’ — that’s what we’ve been calling it,” Denise Kinnaman, manager and server at Breakneck Tavern, said.
Security footage from the restaurant shows the empty car rolling backward from a 7-11, over Mars Valencia Road and through the tavern’s parking lot at around 7 p.m., according to management.
“And if you look, it’s not a straight shot — it had to turn,” Mark Lacava, manager and bartender for the restaurant, said.
No other cars, customers or property were damaged.
“It came so close in between that Jersey barrier, I’m amazed it didn’t hit it,” Kinnaman said, laughing. “It didn’t even knock down our smoking tower.”
Kinnaman, who was working at the time, said the owner was not far behind. He made his way from the 7-11, where he had left the car, to the tavern’s parking lot.
“He came outside, and it was gone, and he had the keys in his hand, so he’s like, ‘I know that it didn’t get stolen,’” Kinnaman explained. “He came over and just started walking around looking for it.”
After finding his car in the creek, the owner entered the restaurant and spoke to Kinnaman.
“I couldn’t believe it until I actually saw it,” Kinnaman said, “and I’m standing there looking like, ‘How did you get your car in here?’”
The owner explained to Kinnaman that the car has a manual transmission, and he had parked it at the gas station while he went inside.
“That was the first thing he said to me — that it was a standard,” Kinnaman said. “So it either slipped out of gear, or he didn’t put it in gear properly.”
Kinnaman got the owner’s contact information, and he promised to tow the vehicle in the morning. The owner declined to be identified in the newspaper, Kinnaman said.
“The tow truck was leaving when I was pulling in,” Lacava said. “The tow truck driver said it didn’t even have a scratch on it — maybe some water damage in the trunk.”
Staff said Adams Township police also were on the scene. At the time of publication, they could not be reached for comment.
“They did look into it, but I’m not sure if a report was actually filed,” Kinnaman said.
This was not even the first time that Breakneck Tavern has been haunted by runaway vehicles.
“Two or three years ago, somebody’s car drifted across traffic, into our lot and backed into our other bartender’s ... car,” Lacava said.
The staff hopes it is the last time, though.
“We’re just thankful nobody got hurt,” Kinnaman said. “That’s the second time it happened, but this time we were unscathed.”
Hostess Pam Simmons laughed at their luck.
“Miracles happen every day,” she said, smiling.
