LA MARQUE — Police on Friday identified a Lufkin man who accidentally drove a $2 million Bugatti Veyron, a rare automobile that is perhaps the world’s fastest, into a saltwater lagoon.
Andy Lee House, 34, owner of Performance Auto Sales, told The Daily News on Wednesday that a low-flying pelican distracted him, causing him to jerk the steering wheel a bit — and he then dropped his cell phone.
The crash, however, was captured by someone filming the car as it traveled on the northbound frontage road of Interstate 45 about 3 p.m. Wednesday.
The man filming was traveling north on I-45. No pelican was visible in the video, which shows the car veering from the road and splashing in the lagoon.
With the Veyron in more than 2 feet of saltwater, House declined to give his name at the scene near Omega Bay.
Driver Offers Thanks
House posted a comment to The Lufkin Daily News, thanking everyone who was worried about him and the car.
“I have taken my exotic cars to school events, rallies, and allow anyone to take pictures of my cars and even rides in them,” House wrote. “I have allowed many people into my home to see my cars that I don’t even know. ... Say what you want about me, but there is a man in heaven right now looking over me and that’s all that matters!”
The 2006 Veyron is thought to have been one of only 200 made and one of only 15 in the United States. A 2006 model was for sale in Jonesboro, Ark., for $1.25 million. One of the prospective buyers was from Texas, The Associated Press reported in October.
Police Report Released
A police report, made public Friday, lists House as the driver and owner. The pelican caught his eye as it was quite close to colliding with the car, House said. House never said he was using the cell phone at the time. Dropping it added to the distraction just enough, sending the front passenger wheel off the road and into the soft, sloppy, muddy shoulder.
A Daily News reporter arrived at the scene about 15 minutes after the car entered the water just in time to see the gurgling exhaust stop bubbling like an outboard motor as the 1,001 horsepower engine died.
House, who was looking at real estate in Galveston the day of the crash, was not injured. The Veyron is capable of speeds of more than 253 mph, but House hadn’t risked driving it on a private fast track to test the limits, namely because the insurance company wouldn’t cover any resulting mishap, he said.
Insurance Company Takes Car
House called Gilbert Harrison, the tow truck driver who carefully winched the Veyron from the lagoon, telling him it was OK to release the car Friday to the insurance company. No information on the extent of the damage to the car’s electrical system, engine and components was available.
Harrison remembered House saying his phone rang frequently after the crash.
House seemed quite calm, Harrison said.
“What I told him was I’d be as gentle as possible,” Harrison said of the tow that cost less than $1,000. “I did this tow like I do every car — like it was my own.”
Lufkin Daily News reporter Jessica Cooley contributed to this story.
Andy Lee House, 34, owner of Performance Auto Sales, told The Daily News on Wednesday that a low-flying pelican distracted him, causing him to jerk the steering wheel a bit — and he then dropped his cell phone.
The crash, however, was captured by someone filming the car as it traveled on the northbound frontage road of Interstate 45 about 3 p.m. Wednesday.
The man filming was traveling north on I-45. No pelican was visible in the video, which shows the car veering from the road and splashing in the lagoon.
With the Veyron in more than 2 feet of saltwater, House declined to give his name at the scene near Omega Bay.
Driver Offers Thanks
House posted a comment to The Lufkin Daily News, thanking everyone who was worried about him and the car.
“I have taken my exotic cars to school events, rallies, and allow anyone to take pictures of my cars and even rides in them,” House wrote. “I have allowed many people into my home to see my cars that I don’t even know. ... Say what you want about me, but there is a man in heaven right now looking over me and that’s all that matters!”
The 2006 Veyron is thought to have been one of only 200 made and one of only 15 in the United States. A 2006 model was for sale in Jonesboro, Ark., for $1.25 million. One of the prospective buyers was from Texas, The Associated Press reported in October.
Police Report Released
A police report, made public Friday, lists House as the driver and owner. The pelican caught his eye as it was quite close to colliding with the car, House said. House never said he was using the cell phone at the time. Dropping it added to the distraction just enough, sending the front passenger wheel off the road and into the soft, sloppy, muddy shoulder.
A Daily News reporter arrived at the scene about 15 minutes after the car entered the water just in time to see the gurgling exhaust stop bubbling like an outboard motor as the 1,001 horsepower engine died.
House, who was looking at real estate in Galveston the day of the crash, was not injured. The Veyron is capable of speeds of more than 253 mph, but House hadn’t risked driving it on a private fast track to test the limits, namely because the insurance company wouldn’t cover any resulting mishap, he said.
Insurance Company Takes Car
House called Gilbert Harrison, the tow truck driver who carefully winched the Veyron from the lagoon, telling him it was OK to release the car Friday to the insurance company. No information on the extent of the damage to the car’s electrical system, engine and components was available.
Harrison remembered House saying his phone rang frequently after the crash.
House seemed quite calm, Harrison said.
“What I told him was I’d be as gentle as possible,” Harrison said of the tow that cost less than $1,000. “I did this tow like I do every car — like it was my own.”
Lufkin Daily News reporter Jessica Cooley contributed to this story.
This story was brought to you through our partnership with the Galveston Daily News.
Click here to see YouTube video of the car being removed from the lagoon.
cupcake60 said on November 13, 2009 at 3:15 PM
He has a new arrivial to restore now....
guruman99 said on November 13, 2009 at 3:24 PM
This is a perfect commercial for that insurance company that shows different cars in floods and fires and adds their own spin to the ad. He could always say he is a strong P.E.T.A. supporter and was willing to risk a 2 million dollar car for the sake of one bird. It's gotta be better than admitting you were on the phone.
msyellarose1 said on November 13, 2009 at 3:48 PM
Oh well. If you can afford a Bugatti, you evidently can afford the insurance.
raymon said on November 13, 2009 at 4:19 PM
Total insurance scam and you are not only buying the bull, you are paying for it!
xpprof said on November 13, 2009 at 4:53 PM
All the celebrity impersonators called
cantu_120 said on November 13, 2009 at 6:47 PM
khou.com has become an embarrassment! They have changed for the worst!!!They close their comment boards for whatever stupid reason.....it is not worth commenting on this idiotic forum! I am glad we have chron.com!
hewnhounnd57 said on November 13, 2009 at 11:14 PM
Didn't see any brown pelican fying by in the video shown tonight...H A HA
tjbruess4 said on November 13, 2009 at 11:47 PM
Sorry...my last entry was goofy...I meant to just say....at least he is not hurt.
jayhii said on November 14, 2009 at 8:11 AM
I smell insurance fraud.
lifeguard said on November 14, 2009 at 11:53 AM
there is video of the accident and there is no low flying sea-gull to blame, It looks like he was texting and just drove off the road.
diajim57 said on November 14, 2009 at 2:27 PM
Ain't no pelican woth a million dollars; If you can't drive stay home
thoroco said on November 14, 2009 at 3:16 PM
Sounds like an insurance scam gone bad. Next time measure how deep it is if you want it to sink !!!!!
zoe1025 said on November 14, 2009 at 3:30 PM
I wondered if I was the only one that failed to see a pelican.. Must be in over his head and needed to dump that expensive car for the insurance. Hope they look at that video before they cut a check.
bearfoot said on November 14, 2009 at 3:53 PM
IDIOT. Your attention deficit caused your accident. Put your TOYS down and DRIVE, BOY!
brandie said on November 15, 2009 at 6:58 AM
Awwwwwww.... so now we understand that you told a lie......you who cite "a man in heaven looking down"....SHAME ON YOU!.....Tell the truth! There was another reason for your "distraction"....you have already confessed it.....when you dropped the cellphone, you reached down to pick it up.....causing you to jerk the wheel......put the cellphone down Andy.....drive the car....lesson learned (albeit a very expensive and embarassing one).....
missprissy said on November 16, 2009 at 9:52 AM
Yeah, I am with a lot of others, no pelican that I saw and I can betcha he probably had NO idea that someone was filming him either. Insurance company has possession of the car from what I read, but I bet they ain't gonna just sit down and write him a check. If this is insurance fraud he is in deep s#!* trouble.