The automotive hobby has been used as a way to turn a negative situation into a positive situation many times over. Fred Leight’s life was forever changed after a tragic accident, but he has used his position in law enforcement, and his love for cars as a way to help others. Leight’s “Project 55” 2006 Mustang is his way of turning a terrible accident into a way to educate people on the dangers of distracted driving.
Leight has always been fascinated by cars, he grew up in a generation that was heavily influenced by the Smokey and the Bandit films. Family also played a big part in drawing Leight towards the automotive hobby. Leight’s cousin had a Pro Street Camaro that he found fascinating, and his father took him to indoor car shows, monster truck events, and tractor pulls too.
“As I got older, I got into drag racing, John Force was my guy. When I got my first real job after high school, I bought a 1984 Mustang SVO. It wasn’t a bad car but I needed more, so I traded it in on a 1990 Mustang GT. Of course, I did the usual mods over time which led to a 10-point roll cage, and plans on building a nasty 347 cubic-inch small block Ford,” Leight says.
In 2002, Leight decided it was time for a career change, so he enrolled in the police academy. The downside to this was that Leight had to sell his Mustang to pay for his tuition, but he was determined to start a new chapter in his life. After graduating from the Police Academy, Leight was sworn in as a Deputy Sheriff in Stark County, Ohio where he has served in various roles ever since.
Leight eventually got married and started a family, but it was at this point his old Mustang made an appearance in his life once again. The car was for sale, and Leight jumped on the chance to purchase it.
“It wasn’t the best move, but I decided to buy the car back. It had a 357-cubic inch small block Ford that was based on Dart block, it had a ProCharger F-1R added to it, but the car was only running in the twelves. So, we worked out all the bugs and ran a best of 9.15 at 151 MPH. Then, one day during testing at Summit Motorsports Park, the engine blew a head gasket on a pass. I went sideways through the traps recording 9.44 at 141 MPH before I hit the wall. So, being a new father, I decided to part the car out and hang it up,” Leight explains.
On May 25, 2016, Leight’s life would change in a big way. His stepdaughter Brea and her fiancé Robby were on his motorcycle after Robby had just picked Brea…
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