I’m a big fan of working on my own cars and trucks. And I’ll be honest—I’ve cobbled project cars together with my fair share of duct tape, zip ties, and yes… Vise-Grips. But an Oklahoma City driver crossed the line when they cobbled together a homemade tiller by snapping a pair of Vise-Grips onto their steering column in place of a missing steering wheel. The quick fix didn’t work out as planned when they steered right into a multi-car pileup.

The Oklahoma City Fire Department couldn’t help but poke some fun at the DIYer. “No matter how unique, every vehicle needs the same basic parts: a body, wheels, mirrors, a motor… and a steering wheel.” So imagine the firefighters’ surprise when they were investigating a multi-vehicle crash, looked in a Chevrolet Silverado’s cab, and saw no steering wheel. No, the steering wheel didn’t come flying off in the pileup—it was long gone. In its place? A pair of Vise-Grips clamped on the steering column.

How do you steer your Chevrolet Silverado with Vise-Grip pliers?

I imagine the driver just steered the truck like a boat, moving this homemade tiller left to turn right and right to turn left. Parallel parking would’ve been a serious workout. Even more dangerous, driving this way could significantly reduce your reaction time. Things went sideways—literally—when the Chevy driver encountered a car crash.

The Fire Department specified, “The driver was involved in a multi-vehicle crash, but it wasn’t their fault.” It added, “Thankfully, no injuries were reported.”

That said, with no steering wheel they obviously had no airbag to protect them during the pileup. The Department concluded that the incident “does highlight is the importance of keeping every part of your vehicle in proper working order—from the steering and tires to mirrors and lights.”

The top Facebook commenter suggested a solution. “That’s why we need the inspection stickers back.” You can see the Oklahoma City Fire Department’s post—with pictures of the Vise-Grip steering wheel—embedded below: