On Monday night I received a call from Jason Torchinsky’s wife, Sally, who informed me that Jason had suffered what seemed at the time like early stages of a heart attack. With intense chest and stomach pain, Jason had to be take in an ambulance to the local hospital, where he underwent surgery for a tear in his aorta. The Taillight-King is currently recovering, and seems in good spirits.
I’m gonna keep this blog short, because there’s a lot rushing through my mind at the moment. Jason Torchinsky is, of course, way, way more than my coworker, he’s one of my closest friends and a titan in the automotive media world who has made cars fun and approachable in ways that nobody has ever done before. Squid cars? Ham bumpers? Sushi taillights? An entire world themed around taillight gangs? I could go on and on. Jason is the soul of The Autopian, just as he was the soul of the German Lighting Site, but more than that, he’s an amazing, one-of-one human being with an awesome wife, Sally, and fantastic son, Otto. Which is why I’m so glad to hear that Jason is recovering well after surgery.
What happened is something called “Aortic dissection.” Here’s a little primer on this rather serious condition via St. Clair Hospital’s website:
An aortic dissection is a medical emergency. In this condition, a tear occurs in the inner layer of the large blood vessel branching off the heart. This blood vessel is called the aorta. Aortic dissection is most common in men in their 60s and 70s.Symptoms include sudden, severe chest pain that spreads to the neck or down the back and sudden stomach pain. Other symptoms include loss of consciousness, shortness of breath, and stroke symptoms such as trouble seeing, speaking or moving. Treatment includes surgery to fix the aorta and medicines, such as beta blockers.
He’ll be back here blogging crazy taillight blogs before you know it, but until then, he’ll take a nice, long, well-deserved and much-needed break.
We love you, Torch. Get well soon so we can fix your Beetle’s engine. And your F-150’s flywheel. And your Pao’s hood. And the Tiguan’s…Volkswagen-iness. And your RV’s…everything. Actually, forget I mentioned those — you don’t need that stress in your life. Just relax and enjoy the holiday season.
UPDATE: You can support Jason HERE.
Get some rest and feel better soon, Torch.
Get well soon! (Or else.)
Take your time with recovery, man. Heart surgery’s no joke.
I’m so relieved to read Torch is on the mend!
That note from Matt about Jason in the email newsletter earlier today was the first I’d seen of it, and it was more upsetting than anything I would have anticipated in that context.
Just in case the previous 237 comments didn’t make it clear, I hope Jason recognizes just how much joy he has brought to so many people through his work, and all of us are wishing him the easiest, most uneventful recovery possible.
My money’s on Torch. If doing “The Worm” on David Tracy’s floor didn’t kill him, nothing will. Rest up, and we’ll hoist one for you at the Lumiere Rouge.
Damn! I hope you will recover soon!
It’s a good thing you didn’t lose your Torchinskyness and still make comments like “Don’t neglect your aortas.”. Your different view to cars and the world is what made me an avid Jalopnik-reader and then all of a sudden you were gone. I found there was something missing and you left a big hole in my daily ingestion of car news. Luckily I found Autopian. Take it easy and know there are people out there who love and appreciate everything you do and write!
Get well soon Torch, the taillights will be there when you get back!
LONG time lurker since the other website. THIS propelled me to register. Get well soon.
Take care, rest up, and heal soundly, Torch. We need more seriously unserious voices like yours in the world.
Wise words from my 75 year old father in law, who survived a heart attack and triple bypass surgery at the early age of 55:
“It’s not a death sentence, it’s a wake up call.”
Silly words from me, an obtuse Autopian commenter:
Take good care of your beater. It’s the most important means of conveyance in your collection.
Yikes – thank god you’re on the mend Jason, this awesome community is the Autopian, not the Aortopain. Please – assuming the groan caused by that joke doesn’t finish you off – take as much time to rest and recover as you need, and then take a bit more time to make sure Sally, Otto and the rest of the Torch clan are rested and recovered too.
Once they are so sick of hearing all about the optional crystal side marker lamps on a Range Rover L322 that they demand you get back to work, I expect to see a flurry of articles on the various lighting options available on modern ambulances (these are my personal favs), an in-depth analysis of whether a fleet of modified Chang-Li should be used to transport patients around inside the ER instead of gurneys, and at least one of those new car reviews that you’ve been putting off writing since you started this website. Just get yourself better first.
I’ve met you just once, Jason. I would like to meet you irl again. Please stay alive and take good care of yourself. Please also forego my birthday car drawing and spend that time with your family. Cheers!
Damn, take care Torch! I’m glad we avoided the worst here!
Do take care of your aortas and rest properly! The tail light themed erotica can wait for your recovery.
I think we’re all grateful that, so far, things have turned out about as well as they could have. Take care of yourself Torch, we’re not going anywhere
Damn, good thing you got that taken care of in time. Guys like John Ritter not so lucky. Based on the picture, looks like you’re feeling alright and in good spirits!
Meanwhile, we will have to wonder if you’re thinking how the nurse call light needs an amber section, and maybe a flashing section too.
Holy shit!!! Very glad to hear that things have gone well and you’re on the mend, Jason. Do whatever the doctors tell you to do (except for changing the VW T-shirt) and take whatever time is needed to get completely back on your feet. We want you back but we want you back for the long haul!
Wishing you a speedy recovery. Take care.
Wow. This same thing is what killed John Ritter, you’re incredibly blessed to have survived. Prayers for a speedy recovery. We’re not done with you yet, Torch.
Damn. Get well soon, Jason! I’m so glad that you were able to promptly get the medical care you needed.
Geez Jason, you took Wrenching Wednesday to a whole new level – Heart Wrenching!
So glad to hear you’re well and recovering.
I’m really distressed to hear this, but I’m happy the surgery was successful! Get plenty of rest, Torch, and don’t push it! (Save that for the Changli)
(it says a lot about this place that this article may be the most commented ever)
It’s Jason, so in a way it’s not surprising. But,….yeah.
Noooooooo!!!
Get well soon. Don’t rush back into work and jeopardize your recovery, please. We will survive without cold starts and taillight content for a while.
Lost for words. But I’m very happy to be able to say this: get well soon.
Holy cow, I wasn’t expecting this! Thank God he’s okay! Been reading Torch since the late 2000’s. Get better quick, so we can read more of your classic wit!
I just want to say that Jason is incredibly fortunate to have had the wherewithal to get to the hospital for this. These events can be fatal within minutes given the right circumstances. I think I can speak for all of us that we are incredibly thankful that he’s recovering and getting taken care of. I have thoroughly enjoyed this site and quite honestly think it’s the best thing to have ever happened to automotive journalism. Recover well Jason! Don’t let David get you too excited about trafficators or something like that.