Well these photos sure are tough to look at. Before a mini-van drove off the road and center punched the brilliant blue 1950 DeSoto parked on display out in front of a New Jersey body shop, it was a beautiful example of the often forgotten brand. Although it is pretty sad to look at this once proud automobile that was restored by a former owner, it may be sadder to consider how it was even involved in this wreck in the first place. The man who owned, loved, and restored the car was Dan Wyatt Sr. according to a story on NJ.com, Wyatt Sr. loved the car so much its likeness was etched on his tombstone. Unfortunately none of his kids or family members shared that love for the car and it was sitting in front of the body shop with a for sale sign in the window when it was struck and destroyed.

We’re not here to blame anyone (except the minivan driver, who sucks out loud) but it is pretty sobering to think that something this man loved enough to have put on his own grave was worth nothing more to the family than the $13,500 asking price it was seeking to get before the wreck. Now, it will be crushed, melted, and erased from the Earth forever. That’s kind of a heartbreaking thing when you consider the hours, sweat, blood, and care that went into making that car what it was. The owner’s son Dan Wyatt Jr. operates a business close to the body shop and undoubtedly was on the scene quickly after the accident. He did not comment on the scene but we can only imagine what he was thinking.

Not big “karma” guys here but when you think about the scenario, you can start to draw some interesting “beyond the grave” story lines from it. The way the van completely center punched the car was kind of amazing. Honestly, it couldn’t have been any better lined up than if a stunt man did it. The fact that the thing was for sale about a year after Wyatt Sr. died, the fact that it wiped out a sign that says CARS on it in the process of sliding across the parking lot. All of it is weirdly appropriate and sad.

We completely understand that not everyone shares interest in cars. We get that. It just hits us a really sad that something this guy really cared for was wiped out in such a violent way after being essentially abandoned by his family.