Minnesota Teen Recovering From Severe Burns After Pinto Fire
May 2009 - Jeffery Hinkemeyer was burned over 90 percent of his body after his 1979 Pinto was rear-ended and burst into flames in May 2009. Jeffery has made a recovery that defies the odds...
watch this video...
http://wcco.com/video?id=73414@wcco.dayport.com (http://wcco.com/video?id=73414@wcco.dayport.com)
here are a couple pictures of his car
before the crash
(http://i438.photobucket.com/albums/qq103/cookieboystoys/misc%20pinto%20pics/CTPintoBobcat/BeforeCrash.jpg)
and after
(http://i438.photobucket.com/albums/qq103/cookieboystoys/misc%20pinto%20pics/CTPintoBobcat/ISurvived.jpg)
Jeffery has come a long way to recovery and doing great, an amazing young man hanging tough after all that he has been thru. Early this year he got to go home and today was his last day of physical therapy.
A few things to keep in mind and additional info - Jeff was rear ended and the car that hit him was going at a very high rate of speed. Sent him into the ditch, hit a driveway, started flipping and took out several mail boxes on the other side. Gas was everywhere from the impact and flips and ignighted. This was no simple "love tap" and he was lucky to survive, no matter what car he might have been driving. This Post Is Not About Pinto's, Rear End Collisions, Gas Tanks and Pinto Fires. It's about Jeff, an amazing young man, and the ordeal he survived. He still misses his "Sexy Little Pinto" and would love to own another so lets keep the comments about "Pinto Fires" out of this. My post is about showing our support for Jeff.
Anyhow, I'm off the soap box... It's time to start planning for the 2nd Annual Jeff Hinkemeyer Car Show
When : Saturday July 31st, 2010
Where: JP's Bar and Grill
1313 2nd Street North
Sauk Rapids, MN 56379
I still need more details on times for the show but plan for morning to mid-afternoon, will post more info as I have it.
My plans at this point....
I will leave Hibbing, MN 55746 Friday evening and hope to be staying at...
St Cloud Campground & RV Park - www.stcloudcampground.com (http://www.stcloudcampground.com)
2491 2nd Street Southeast, St Cloud - (320) 251-4463
I will be bringing my '77 Pinto and one of the Apache Campers for the trip and weekend, I plan to leave for home on Sunday.
anyone looking for a hotel for the night, here's one for consideration.
Super 8 Motel - Sauk Rapids/St. Cloud Area - maps.google.com
1420 2nd Street North, Sauk Rapids - (320) 251-9333
Anyway, it's time to "start" planning for the show, shine and get together...
I would like to hear from everyone who thinks they can attend, Thanks :)
my email is cookieboystoys "at" yahoo "dot" com
Brian - The Cookieboy
I plan on going and bringing the Bobcat too.... :fastcar:
God bless him, and probably he already did. Now no pinto joke but I do hear the wagons are safer as the tank is supposedly further towards the front.Mine got hit hard from behind at a stop and knockled into the car in front of me in 1991. It drove one shock up enough in back to dimple the floor back there,and pushed the core support back. But I drove it home with the help of some wire to hold the radiator hose away from the fan.
But I suppose any car hit that hard theres a chance of something like fire.Thank god hes ok. And I hope he finds a nice red 77 or 78 pinto :)
Hey Doug, see ya there ;D
Tonij1960, Jeff is an amazing kid, great attitude and has worked hard during recovery. He would love to get another Pinto from what he has said to me. Wants a '79 only from what I understand, that's the cutoff for the local car shows so an '80 wouldn't work. Doesn't seem interested in the '78 and older ones. He has also mentioned a turbo or V8 project someday down the line perhaps. I keep looking for a local '79 but that's a hard year to find, lot's of '80s have shown up, I even have an extra '80 ready for the turbo or V8 (has C4 and 8" already) that I don't have any plans for.
I'm looking forward to finally meeting him face to face vs. email and messages, this will be my "fun trip" of the summer.
count me in brian i will be there dave
Quote from: dmsteen on July 01, 2010, 08:45:36 PM
count me in brian i will be there dave
Excellent!!!!
All I can say is...WOW. Bless him for not only escaping what would've surely been a fiery death but having a strong will to survive and carry on. What a remarkable young man he is! And... he doesn't hold it against his car like some might. That Pinto got HAMMERED! Frankly, if you even hit the wagon hard enough something like that could happen. I wish I could be at this show and offer my support. He deserves it.
I saw this video and story on the Turbo Pinto site. It is sad, but it is great to hear how he has a positive attitude. Based on the twisted wreckage in the picture, that car was slammed damn hard. It makes you think, not just about Jeff or Pintos, but life, family, and all the blessings we have. God bless him and his family.
It is amazing that anyone could have survived that crash! He is one VERY blessed young man. I can't be there but give him my best wishes!
Dwayne :smile:
Wishing I could go and support his speedy recovery, I really do. Great young man right there, glad to see he's okay and survived it all, he's got a good long life ahead of him, and I have a feeling he's going to love every moment he has of it!
Becky, Norm, Dwayne and Dave, I wish you could all be there too :(
But I will be sure to pass on the well wishes and support ;D
Any kind of a fund we could donate to for expenses or anything to help him out? I can't get there to help in person.
Quote from: FlyerPinto on July 02, 2010, 02:00:09 PM
Any kind of a fund we could donate to for expenses or anything to help him out? I can't get there to help in person.
I know the 1st Annual was a fund raiser for him, not sure on the 2nd, I did hear it mentioned money raised would go to burn victims... but I really don't know details. Hope to soon, waiting to find out who is and talk to the organizer. Jeff doen't know any details, someone else is doing the organizing.
He is out of the hospital (early 2010) and yesterday was his last day for physical therapy but I'm sure he and the family would be appreciative of anything offered. I keep looking for that elusive '79 to replace his but no luck so far and all I'm looking forward to in this is just to gather the Pony's and show our support.
I setup my reservation for Friday and Saturday Nights
Friday July 30th (arriving late evening) and Leaving Sunday Morning August 1st
at
St Cloud Campground & RV Park - www.stcloudcampground.com (http://www.stcloudcampground.com)
2491 2nd Street Southeast, St Cloud, MN - (320) 251-4463
now to get the rig ready
(http://i438.photobucket.com/albums/qq103/cookieboystoys/1965%20Apache%20Eagle/77andcamper.jpg)
So Far... it looks like Chris and Dave from the Twin Cities with be joining the Fun! and Doug from Wisconsin will also be making the trip.
Is there anyone else close by (Minnesota, Dakota's, Iowa or Wisconsin) that might consider the trip and fun ?
My thoughts and prayers go to Jeff and his family.
With as hard as he was hit, any kind of newer car small to mid size could have ignited in that particular situation. I have seen it happen, too.
I hope Jeff makes a speedy recovery and gets a new Pinto to replace his. His Pinto took its life to save his. If MN wasn't so darn far, I would be there too!
Quote from: 78txpony on July 19, 2010, 01:04:00 PM
My thoughts and prayers go to Jeff and his family.
and...
If MN wasn't so darn far, I would be there too!
I'll be sure to pass on the good wishes and thoughts.... and I wish it was closer for a lot of folks
Update from Jeff Hinkemeyer July 19 at 4:05pm = I have some more information on the car and bike show. The entry fee is $15 per person and includes a t shirt. the car show is from 10am-2pm and there will be a car cruise not sure on the route. then when the cruise returns there will be a bean bag tournament. The cruise regiatration is at 11am and the cruise leaves at 1pm sharp. I would appreciate it if you would come and bring as many people as you want
and again the location
When : Saturday July 31st, 2010
Where: JP's Bar and Grill
1313 2nd Street North
Sauk Rapids, MN 56379
Brian,
My hats off to anyone that can go through such an ordeal & if I could be out there to support him I would. If there is any way that we can donate anything to help out him & his family for expenses I would be glad to send something their way. Like you said, it's about the person not the incident.
Quote from: r4pinto on July 19, 2010, 07:37:32 PM
If there is any way that we can donate anything to help out him & his family for expenses I would be glad to send something their way. Like you said, it's about the person not the incident.
I think showing support and best wishes at this point is all that can be hoped for. It has been quite a while since the accident and he's been home since early this year, driving his new car an '87 cutlass supreme, chasin' girls I'm sure and doing all things young men do...
I do believe the car show is to raise money for other burn victims but unsure how that is worked or if that is still the plan, I will likely find out more when I'm there and can talk to planners and such. This year is billed as the 2nd annual so we'll see if it becomes a yearly event...
For now I am keeping my eyes open and looking for a '79 hatchback similar to his, If I find a good one..... who knows what I'll do...
Quote from: Cookieboystoys on July 19, 2010, 10:14:33 PM
It has been quite a while since the accident and he's been home since early this year, driving his new car an '87 cutlass supreme, chasin' girls I'm sure and doing all things young men do...
Hmmm - a Pinto and An Olds - this guy's got some class! Send him over to ClassicOldsmobile.com - I think he would enjoy it there.
BTW, subtract 1 year form both his cars and it equals to what I had back when i was his age - look at my sig...
I still have both but added 3 more... ::)
well, things didn't go exactly as planned or hoped but was a fun time. I cancelled the camping part of my trip and ended up going by myself to meet up with Dangerusdug and dmsteen, they brought their rides... unfortunatly I couldn't bring one of mine :-[
(http://i438.photobucket.com/albums/qq103/cookieboystoys/Jeff%20Hinkemeyer%20Car%20Show/000.jpg)
dmsteen and his wife with the '79 cruiser
(http://i438.photobucket.com/albums/qq103/cookieboystoys/Jeff%20Hinkemeyer%20Car%20Show/075.jpg)
and Dangerusdugs '79 Bobcat
(http://i438.photobucket.com/albums/qq103/cookieboystoys/Jeff%20Hinkemeyer%20Car%20Show/082.jpg)
the rest of the Pictures I took are on my photobucket
here ~~> http://s438.photobucket.com/albums/qq103/cookieboystoys/Jeff%20Hinkemeyer%20Car%20Show/?start=0 (http://s438.photobucket.com/albums/qq103/cookieboystoys/Jeff%20Hinkemeyer%20Car%20Show/?start=0)