The owner of the car says he has lots of exotic cars, including Ferraris, Corvettes and Porsches, but he says it's the Bugatti that's his favorite. That's why he says it was a "heartbreak" when it was driven into the water.
You can't help but wince when you see one of the most expensive cars in the world stuck in a salt water lagoon. Wreck driver Gilbert Harrison waded out in the waist deep water to pull out the exotic 2006 Bugatti Veyron EB
"When I got here it was still running. Right after I got here the car died," Harrison recalled. "The officers say (it ran) about 15 minutes."
Harrison says the tire tracks show where the car veered into the water. According to the La Marque police department, Andy House, 34, was driving northbound in the 700 block of the Gulf Freeway Wednesday af about 3pm. Authorities say House was distracted by something and failed to dive in a single marked lane. His car left the roadway, coming to rest in the water.
According to their website, Performance Auto Sales in Lufkin is run by House.
House told Eyewitness News on Friday, "When I reached and picked up my phone I must have actually caught a glare, which appeared to be a flying object at the time. (It) happened so fast, as you can see, that it was out of my control."
Harrison said, "I knew it was an expensive car, but it's no different than any other tow, just recovered the vehicle."
At the wrecker yard, even covered in mud the car is stunning, with 1001 horsepower, the engine in the back and a speedometer that reads a top speed of 280 miles per hour. It gave Harrison pause for reflection.
"I've never seen before but, you know, it's nice to see one," he said. "I won't ever see another one."
House says he plans to repair the car and drive it again.
The Bugatti car company was founded in France in 1909, and is now owned by Volkswagen. The Bugatti Veyron, like the car involved in this accident, is the fastest manufactured car you can buy. It's said to go from zero to 60 in less than three seconds. The cars are handmade and to reach top speed of over 200 miles per hour, you have to have a special key.
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