The Weird World of Wheels

Each week, we bring you the strangest auto-related news from around the world.

This week:

Moscow motorist shoots ‘slow pedestrians’

Pedestrians face a catalogue of dangers every day, from loose paving stones to umbrella-wielding maniacs.

In Moscow, you can add gun-toting motorists to the list.

The driver of a Mitsubishi Galant opened fire on three pedestrians after they ignored his requests to get out of the road.

The pedestrians were taken to hospital and treated for chest, arm and leg wounds.

Commenting on the rising tide of road rage in the capital, Russian newspaper Pravda said: “Stupidly, disgustingly, a real war on the streets of Moscow is continuing.”

Fowl mess

Major road-closing accidents involving lorries are never a pretty sight, but when it’s a lorry carrying 1,800 chickens, it’s even worse.

The lorry, which jack-knifed on the southbound carriageway of the A80, spewed 1,400 birds onto the road.

Around 400 of the chickens, which were on their way from a farm in Perthshire to an abattoir in Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, were killed.

Specialist chicken rustlers took nine hours to clear the birds from the road.

Pensioner power

Meet the latest recruits in the war on speeding on UK roads - 80-year-old Marian Coates and her 84-year-old husband Bob.

Tired of traffic speeding through their native Colwyn Bay in Wales, the elderly volunteers have been sitting by the roadside, accompanied by a police community support officer, aiming a hand-held speed camera at oncoming traffic.

If the pensioners spot a speeding car they take down the registration and pass it on to the police, and send out an advisor letter to the car’s owner. No penalty points or fine can be issued.

Weird Pic of the Week: Crazy Concept

The Tokyo motor show is gearing up for its launch on October 26. Some pretty interesting designs will be making their debut at the show, including this one – Toyota’s i-Real “personal mobility vehicle” concept.

 

Watch out for our coverage of the show later this month.

Video: Why did the Kangaroo cross the road?

Seems anyone can enter the V8 Supercar Championships in Australia these days. Even marsupials.

Racer Colin Sieders said: “I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. The boys told me over the radio there was a ’roo on the track.”

Don’t worry animal lovers - the story has a happy ending. Click the play button below to see for yourself.

 

Auto Trader links

A burning supercar and a hot new M3: catch up on all this week’s motoring news on the Auto Trader blog

Previous Weird World of Wheels:

Celebrity shenanigans:
Britney does it again
Prince Charles goes green
Suggs' Rolls Royce ends up in a swimming pool
Al Gore’s son is arrested for driving at 100mph
Gordon Ramsay crashes a 4x4
See the F1 champion sent back to driving school

Police, camera, action:
Police chase a pensioner on an 8mph mobility scooter
The car thief who stole the same car twice
20mph petrol-powered roller skates
The lorry driver who drove while eating spaghetti out of a saucepan

Lights, camera, action:
Big screen edition

Animal action:
When peacocks attack
When Geese Attack
Dragon's den
Where's the beef?

More weird worlds:
Supercar special
See the car totalled by a 1,500lb wrecking ball
The 21-year-old wheelchair user caught on the front of a truck
The £36.3million car crash picture
Sat nav trouble for a student who drove her car onto train tracks
See the £5,000, 70mph toilet
Crushed Bristol