Jeep Saves a Life
Jeep Saves a Life
Tornado gives man wild ride
Jim Norris survives his Jeep being lifted into the air and tossed end over end.
Wes Johnson
News-Leader
Jim Norris knew he was in big trouble Sunday night.
With his foot mashed down on the brakes of his Jeep, roaring straight-line winds shoved his vehicle — wheels locked — down U.S. 60 east of Marionville.
And then, the inconceivable happened.
"I was kind of twisting back and forth down the highway when it just lifted my car 8 to 10 feet into the air," Norris said. "The wind was so great it busted all the windows out, from left to right. I remember thinking, 'This is it. I'm going to get sucked up inside a tornado and that's it. I'm dead.'"
After whirling in the air for three or four seconds, Norris said the tornado set the Jeep down on its right front wheel.
The noise sounded nothing like the proverbial freight train.
"It was like somebody pouring gravel inside a big drum. It sounded like somebody was hitting the outside of my jeep with mallets."
Back on the ground, Norris said his only thought was to flee as fast as he could. He gunned the Jeep and raced toward Republic, unaware he was still traveling within the storm's shrieking winds.
Norris glanced in his rearview mirror and saw the car behind him suddenly lift up and whirl around in front of him, landing in the ditch.
A large tree skidded across the highway, directly in Norris' path.
"I hit it at 60 mph ...," he said. "I end-over-ended 60 yards on the other side of that tree."
But not before making a desperate phone call.
After being lifted into the air, Norris said he managed to grab his cell phone and dial his brother Lee.
At home in Aurora, Lee Norris said he heard the Jeep's windows explode as his brother screamed for help.
"He was yelling, 'This is Jim. I screwed up. I went the wrong direction. Lee! Lee! Lee! Lee!'"
"Then there was a huge BOOM and the phone went dead," Lee Norris said.
He rushed to where he thought his brother was, and came upon the flashing lights of emergency vehicles and two damaged cars.
One was his brother's demolished Jeep.
"I seen that Jeep and expected him to be dead," Lee Norris said. Instead, his brother came walking up, cut and bruised, but very much alive.
"I whopped him upside the head, and he whopped me back," Lee Norris said. "Then we went over to the Jeep and hugged each other for about 10 minutes."
Jim Norris was taken to St. John's Hospital-Aurora, where he was treated for cuts and bruises.
He attributes his survival to the Jeep's roll cage, its air bag and the fact he was wearing his seat belt.
"That Jeep saved my life," he said. "Maybe I should call the Jeep company and tell them Jeeps are tornado-proof."
Jim Norris survives his Jeep being lifted into the air and tossed end over end.
Wes Johnson
News-Leader
Jim Norris knew he was in big trouble Sunday night.
With his foot mashed down on the brakes of his Jeep, roaring straight-line winds shoved his vehicle — wheels locked — down U.S. 60 east of Marionville.
And then, the inconceivable happened.
"I was kind of twisting back and forth down the highway when it just lifted my car 8 to 10 feet into the air," Norris said. "The wind was so great it busted all the windows out, from left to right. I remember thinking, 'This is it. I'm going to get sucked up inside a tornado and that's it. I'm dead.'"
After whirling in the air for three or four seconds, Norris said the tornado set the Jeep down on its right front wheel.
The noise sounded nothing like the proverbial freight train.
"It was like somebody pouring gravel inside a big drum. It sounded like somebody was hitting the outside of my jeep with mallets."
Back on the ground, Norris said his only thought was to flee as fast as he could. He gunned the Jeep and raced toward Republic, unaware he was still traveling within the storm's shrieking winds.
Norris glanced in his rearview mirror and saw the car behind him suddenly lift up and whirl around in front of him, landing in the ditch.
A large tree skidded across the highway, directly in Norris' path.
"I hit it at 60 mph ...," he said. "I end-over-ended 60 yards on the other side of that tree."
But not before making a desperate phone call.
After being lifted into the air, Norris said he managed to grab his cell phone and dial his brother Lee.
At home in Aurora, Lee Norris said he heard the Jeep's windows explode as his brother screamed for help.
"He was yelling, 'This is Jim. I screwed up. I went the wrong direction. Lee! Lee! Lee! Lee!'"
"Then there was a huge BOOM and the phone went dead," Lee Norris said.
He rushed to where he thought his brother was, and came upon the flashing lights of emergency vehicles and two damaged cars.
One was his brother's demolished Jeep.
"I seen that Jeep and expected him to be dead," Lee Norris said. Instead, his brother came walking up, cut and bruised, but very much alive.
"I whopped him upside the head, and he whopped me back," Lee Norris said. "Then we went over to the Jeep and hugged each other for about 10 minutes."
Jim Norris was taken to St. John's Hospital-Aurora, where he was treated for cuts and bruises.
He attributes his survival to the Jeep's roll cage, its air bag and the fact he was wearing his seat belt.
"That Jeep saved my life," he said. "Maybe I should call the Jeep company and tell them Jeeps are tornado-proof."
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