To clear up the mess – it’s a “four wheel drive articulating loader”, not an excavator. However, just about everyone that doesn’t drive one for a living calls it an excavator because ones this size are predominantly used in mining operators. These behemoths have wheels over twelve feet in diameter – making it relatively easy to run over a commercial sedan without a second thought.
However, it appears there is more at play during this interview as the excavator – sorry, Four Wheel Drive Articulating Loader – appears to stop, back up and then start back again even with a bunch of yelling in the background. Heck, the car alarm even went off. Not to say that, in and of itself, means much because those excavators run a diesel engine so loud it’s amazing they were able to capture any sound at all.
It’s clear that there’s a man being interviewed by a reporter when the excavator decides to roll through the background. Scouring the internet, it became rather clear there’s no good link in news sources to the origin of this clip. Whether it was a mining labor dispute or simply a well orchestrated stunt – the internet has absolutely nothing definitive when it comes to this. Which is sort of annoying, isn’t it?
A thorough research of every single occurrence across YouTube and various other streaming platforms reveals a lot of hubbub surrounding the authenticity of the destruction and very little about the circumstances surrounding it.
Wait, what? Car Destruction Isn’t What it Seems?
That is likely impossible to know as the originators have not been located. It’s likely it was a partial or derived work when it hit the internet – meaning the reporter who took this hasn’t cited him or herself. That makes it all the more difficult to determine things like authenticity or even precise date and time.
Commentators on the major distribution of this on YouTube assert that this vehicle had no engine. While the comment section on YouTube is closer to an open sewer than it is a source of critical thought or analysis, a few of the viewers noted that the excavator doesn’t seem to hit a bump when it passes over the engine block of the car.
Regardless of how heavy and powerful that Caterpillar Four Wheel Drive Articulating Loader happens to be – engines aren’t the sort of things that get crushed easily. So much so that they have special accessories to bite out the engine of a demolished car before it gets compacted.
While true, it’s not impossible as can be seen in this clip where a bulldozer runs over a truck. By the end, the truck is quite flattened – engine or no engine still inside. It’s ideal to remove the engine ahead of time before compacting vehicles but in instances such as this – there’s no conclusive evidence proving the engine isn’t inside the vehicle.
Whether this whole charade was just an orchestrated stunt to prove the destructive capabilities of a Caterpillar or a strong message intended for a particular audience (*ahem* management) – we’ll never know. Sadly, the details surrounding it have managed to blink out of existence. If you happen to find something linking to a real reported story on the background for this story – leave in the comments section and we’ll follow up on it.
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