JATO Rocket Car

The account of the JATO Rocket Car was one of the original Darwin Awards winners: a man who supposedly met his death in a spectacular manner after mounting a JATO unit (a rocket engine used to help heavy aircraft to take off) onto an ordinary automobile. It was originally circulated as a forwarded email.[1]

In 1996, after numerous inquires, the Arizona Department of Public Safety issued a news release posted on their website concerning the story. It termed the story "an Arizona myth."[2]

The story was also debunked in 2003 on the pilot episode of MythBusters, titled "Jet Assisted Chevy".

  1. ^ Treat, Wesley (2007). Weird Arizona : your travel guide to Arizona's local legends and best kept secrets. Mark Moran, Mark Sceurman. New York, NY.: Sterling Pub. Co. ISBN 978-1-4027-3938-5. OCLC 173400034.
  2. ^ Mikkelson, Barbara (November 12, 2006). "Carmageddon". Snopes. Retrieved August 14, 2012.