Bluffton-area Christmas car might’ve hit end of the road after pulled over a 2nd time

Christmas is over, and as 2018 speeds towards us festive adornments everywhere are starting to come down. Such is the case with one piece of Christmas cheer unique to Beaufort County.

Hardeeville resident Brandon Wooden’s Christmas car, a Ford Taurus that he decked out with about a thousand twinkling Christmas lights, may have seen its last day, according to a post on his Facebook page and in the Bluffton/Hilton Head Ask and Answer Facebook group.

“I got stopped this morning,” said Wooden’s post, which also said that the stop was not serious and that the person who pulled him over was a “really nice guy.”

“He pulled me over and he was like ‘you know its not Christmas anymore,’” said the 23-year-old train conductor in an interview Thursday morning. “I was planning to keep them on until New Year’s because everybody wanted me to, but when he pulled me over I thought I might as well just take them off. I only got a warning for it. He was really cool.”

Wooden gave a shout out to all of his fans and supporters, and said that it was a “pleasure to have put smiles on everyone’s faces around the community and around the world.”

When interviewed, Wooden said he was having second thoughts about taking the lights down, though.

“I don’t think I’m going to, to be completely honest,” said Wooden, noting that there are still many people who want to see the car that haven’t gotten the chance yet. “It makes a lot of people happy, so I like doing it for that reason. I can take another sacrifice if I have to.”

A traffic ticket was issued to Wooden a little over a week ago, and it looked like it might be the end for the festive Ford, but a Go Fund Me page was created, raising enough money to pay off the $232.50 fine for operating a vehicle with improper lighting.

The twinkly Taurus also gained national notoriety with a story on CNN earlier this month.

“I just like to see people’s reactions, spread a little love, joy,” he told the television network. “I call it, ‘spread the glow.’”

Even if he does decide to keep the lights up, though, Wooden said he would be removing them on Jan. 1.

In his Facebook post Wooden promises that he has “something epic” in store for next year.

He also talked about wanting to host a charity event for those in need, which he said might happen at Shelter Cove on Hilton Head Island.

This story was originally published December 28, 2017 at 11:44 AM with the headline "Bluffton-area Christmas car might’ve hit end of the road after pulled over a 2nd time."