Oscar Mayer Wienermobile Crashes, Flips Onto Side Along Chicago Highway

One of the most famous vehicles in the country found itself into quite the pickle—which would go great with the rest of the sandwich. On Monday morning, an Oscar Mayer Wienermobile crashed and rolled onto its side right along the highway near the Chicago suburb of Oak Brook.

Oscar Mayer enjoys promotion thanks to its fleet of brandmobiles, the Wienermobile. The first was created in 1936 and it remained a consistent presence on roads everywhere, interrupted only briefly in 2023 by a name change to Frankmobile that was quickly reversed. There are six of these iconic vehicles on the road—here is the incident that recently befell one.

An Oscar Mayer Wienermobile crashed and fell onto its side along the highway

Illinois State Police say that the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile in question crashed into a Hyundai. After losing control from the collision, the Wienermobile overcorrected. This move, in turn, caused it to roll onto its side along the highway.

No injuries were reported. The right lane of northbound I-294 was subsequently closed.

“We’re grateful that everybody involved is safe and there were no injuries,” said a spokesperson for Oscar Mayer. “We’re offering ongoing support for our Hotdoggers and we appreciate the support we’ve received from local authorities. Safety on the road is top priority for us.” Hotdoggers are those who drive the themed cars; there are only 12 that are allowed to drive them each year.

Navigating a brand icon

Being a Hotdogger isn’t just about driving a food-themed car; it’s exclusive, though the job may be for a dozen people any given year. But there are several additional responsibilities that range from timelessly practical to newly-developed now that new technology has been introduced into the recipe.

For instance, the job description says Hotdoggers are responsible for “sharing photos and videos on social media, answering questions about the brand and the vehicle (the most frequently asked question is if there’s a bathroom in the back, to which they respond: ‘No, it’s not a Weenie-bago’), and distributing swag.”

Only college seniors on the cusp of graduation qualify to become a Hotdogger, ideally while pursuing a degree in public relations, journalism, advertising, communications, or marketing. Professional recruiters work with existing Hotdoggers to visit college campuses to find next year’s crew.

There have been a few vehicular mishaps over the years. For instance, in 2009, one Oscar Mayer Wienermobile crashed into a resident’s deck when the driver was trying to back out of the cul-de-sac but did not realize the vehicle was not in reverse. In 2020, another driver was issued a warning when it did not heed the Move Over Law to yield for an emergency vehicle. Usually, though, these hotdog-themed cars are served with a heaping serving of safety.