Have you, while flipping through your morning news source of choice, found yourself muttering "2016 is a car crash?" And afterwards, have you chastised yourself for your lack of creativity—your inability to distill just how bad things are? You're in luck: the perfect metaphor has finally come along.
This past Sunday, a train carrying 120 shiny new BMWs went off the tracks in South Carolina, damaging itself and also crushing every single car. No humans were hurt, and the cause of the crash remains unclear, reports News West 9.
The derailment occurred near Kenkinsville, South Carolina, just after 3PM. As Autoevolution reports, the "horror train" was heading from a plant in Greer to the Port of Charleston, and the 120 cars riding it had been destined for lives abroad. No model aboard was spared, from the X3 all the way up through the X6 Sports Activity Coupe.
Midlands train derailment damages 97 BMWs https://t.co/1c8Lgb0jxMpic.twitter.com/B8SfN4GGg0
— WIS News 10 (@wis10) December 4, 2016
Footage from KWES shows cranes lifting dozens of banged-up Bimmers off the tracks, like a cleanup crew after a demolition derby. (To add insult to injury, it seems all the cranes are Volvo-brand.) If you're in the market for a more-than-gently used BMW, you know where to go.
Every day, we track down a fleeting wonder—something amazing that’s only happening right now. Have a tip for us? Tell us about it! Send your temporary miracles to cara@atlasobscura.com.
Update, 12/6: The original version of this article said that the train was carrying BMW models from the X1 through the X6—the South Carolina plant only produces from the X3 on up. Thanks to Brian for the correction, and we regret the error.