No one was hurt in an accident involving the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile on a highway in Illinois, according to the police. The incident occurred when the promotional vehicle collided with another car and flipped over on its side, causing the closure of a lane on I-294 in Illinois.
The crash did not result in any injuries, but it did lead to the closure of the right northbound lane of Interstate 294 near the suburb of Oak Brook for about an hour. Social media users quickly shared images of the overturned Wienermobile, with one person humorously referring to it as a “wurst-case scenario.”
The Wienermobile is described as a “grilled fiberglass hot dog resting on a lightly toasted fiberglass bun” in the company’s promotional materials. Following the collision, the vehicle, which is shaped like a hot dog, was seen lying on its side in the middle of the highway, with the front fender missing and the headlights broken.
Footage captured after the accident showed two individuals, known as “hotdoggers,” climbing out of the vehicle through the passenger-side door and safely making their way down. A tow truck crane later arrived to lift the Wienermobile and remove it from the scene.
Oscar Mayer, a packaged meat producer based in Chicago, expressed gratitude that no one was injured in the incident and stated that they are providing ongoing support for the Hotdoggers involved. The company’s iconic Wienermobile was first conceptualized in 1936 by Carl Mayer, the nephew of the company’s founder, as a creative advertising strategy.
Overall, while the accident involving the Wienermobile caused some traffic disruption, it fortunately did not result in any injuries. The quirky and beloved promotional vehicle continues to be a recognizable symbol of the Oscar Mayer brand, with a long history dating back to the 1930s.