First car collision

[erictank]

As noted, I was involved in my first vehicle-on-vehicle collision on Monday on my way home from work (what a way to end a 12-hour shift!).  I was about 3 minutes drive time from home, dammit.  Other driver ran a solid red - as in, her light had been red for 20+ seconds when she entered the intersection at what I'd guess to be 40+ mph - and whacked my car but good as I was proceeding through the intersection on a fresh green light.  Pretty heavy front-end damage, but thanks to position of impact and relatively-modern (MY2008) safety equipment, all I had was a knee that got smacked by the underside of the dash, which was just bruised (hurt to walk on yesterday, mostly better today - went to urgent-care to get it checked yesterday, x-rays showed no damage and doc said it looked and felt okay).  Never had an airbag go off in my face before.   I was shaking afterward for probably 45 minutes of so.

No word yet on whether they'll be totalling my car or repairing it - it was still in the tow lot as of yesterday afternoon, though it should hopefully have been moved by yesterday evening, I ought to have the estimate today.  Still worth $15K or so, according to the county's tax assessors, so we'll see.  It was undrivable after the impact; sounded like the radiator was venting, as I was talking to the cop, and I couldn't restart it to get it out of the intersection immediately after the crash, though the tow truck driver got it started to drive it up onto the flatbed (no idea why I couldn't start it - I had to push it clear of the road).

Other driver was ticketed for running the red light, thanks to my detailed description of the event timing and the corroborating statement of a pedestrian witness who kindly stayed to talk with the cops.  Sounded like she intends to fight it, though - the first words out of her mouth immediately after the crash were, "What happened?  *I* had a green light!" (my response - "No you did *NOT*."), and she either did not or WOULD not understand that signing the ticket was an acknowledgement that she'd received the ticket and would either pay the fine or appear in court to contest it, she was arguing with the cop until he got exasperated with her.  I'll grant that her apparent unfamiliarity with English (from name and appearance, I would guess Vietnamese?) may have played a part in that, but her husband showed up about 10 minutes after the crash and was translating for her by then, and she was STILL arguing.   She eventually signed it and the cop got to go deal with the next crash that happened just then, about 10 yards further down Braddock Rd.  That intersection's not usually that dangerous - I think the second crash was just idiot rubberneckers.

Crashes suck.  And while my rental car is fine (got a pretty new Altima from Enterprise), I'd rather have my car.

[robear]

  Glad you're OK.    I haven't had a crash (or even a ticket) in almost 10 years.    I know what you mean about not being able to calm down for a while.   It's surprising what that adrenalin dump will do to your nerves.

edited to add: Man, I hope I didn't just jinx myself!

[vaskidmark]

Glad to hear you made it out OK.  Sounds like you got hit right around the wheel well, which is far better than getting T-boned, even on the passenger side.

From the way you describe her statement, it sounds like there was not a steady stream of traffic to help her visualize that she did not have the right of way.  What time of day was it?  (If the crash happened about where I think it did, that stretch of road stays pretty busy at all times of day and night.)

stay safe.

[slugcatcher]

I feel your pain.  Our vanpool was rear ended a couple of weeks ago.  We were sitting at a red light and a co-worker drove right into the back of our big, white 14 passenger van.  Some people just don't pay attention.  Glad you're ok.

[Viking]

Been in three car crashes now, one car vs car, head on, second time a school bus that got t-boned a bit by a timber trailer that slid on the icy road, the third time when the braindead bitch infront of us failed to use her turn signal and my brother had to swerve to avoid t-boning her, which made us plow into a large pile of rather packed snow.

[Pharmacology]

Yikes.

Had a kid nail me through a red light at 50 or so.  First thing on my mind after I kicked the door open (it'd jammed due to frame twisting, I think) was kicking the guys ass.  Then, I heard my then g/f crying, so I stayed to help her out.

[Bigjake]

You were lucky,  it could've been a neck/back injury, and those suck Epically.  Bummer about the car.

Every modern vehicle I've owned has a fuel cutoff sensor that trips on impact, usually under the dash, passenger side.  Turns the pump off so the thing doesn't torch in the event of an accident.  Your towtruck dude only had to click it back off to get the car fired up.

[Monkeyleg]

A damaged vehicle is better than a damaged you. As for the woman, my guess is that she didn't score any points with the police officer with her behavior, and that won't help if she tries to fight it. If she's anything like the people who've hit my cars, she'll lie.

Believe it or not, with the way I drive, I've only been involved in two car accidents in my life. One was me gawking at girls on the main drag in Milwaukee, and lightly rear-ending another car and busting the tail light lens. The other was a kid who walked backwards while dribbling a basketball into rush hour traffic and bumped the side of my car. He was bruised, and the insurance company gave him $25.

All other accidents were ones in which my car was parked, or I was stopped at a light.

[41magsnub]

My recent one was someone did a hit and run on my land cruiser.  All they did was partially rip one of the flares off.  Since I was thinking about deflaring it anyway I just finished the job instead of fixing it.

[Pharmacology]

Oh, by the way Eric, I'd say you should get your back checked out.

I thought I could tough it out, like a dork, and now I've got permanent chronic neck and sometimes lower back pain

[Kingcreek]

I heard an insurance statistic that most motor vehicle accidents happen within 1.5 miles of home.
So I've been looking to buy a different house atleast 2 miles away.
Glad you weren't seriously hurt.

[HankB]

Oh, by the way Eric, I'd say you should get your back checked out.

I thought I could tough it out, like a dork, and now I've got permanent chronic neck and sometimes lower back pain

Even if you have no pain, it may be a good idea to get checked . . . sometimes it takes a while for aches and pains to show up, and you don't want to be on record as being A-OK if her insurance company decides your car is totaled and they lowball you on its value. (Hold out for a NEW REPLACEMENT, plus something for your time & inconvenience.)

[K Frame]

ah. Braddock Road.

Virginia, by chance?

I almost got creamed by some tool at the intersection of Braddock and Guinea a few nights ago.

[Brad Johnson]

Had the same thing happen two years ago.  A seasoned citizen with no business behind the wheel of a vehicle ran a light that had been red for a full turn cycle, hitting my Vic so hard it buckled the roofline from b-pillar to b-pillar.  Thankfully, what energy the Vic didn't absorb was dissippated when I hit the console (console was totally crushed but all I got was a nasty bruise from the seatbelt).

Like you, I had corroborating witnesses.  One was a pedestrian, the other was the driver of the vehicle my Vic was pushed me into.  The third was the off-duty detective stopped at the intersection waiting to turn, and that she whizzed by on her way to hitting me.  Let's just say her insurance company became very cooperative when they got the accident report and found out a cop directly witness the accident.

Also remember, if the insurance company wants to have your car repaired you have the right to request NEW factory parts and to REFUSE aftermarket replacments, even if they act like it's the only thing they're willing to do.

Brad

[KD5NRH]

Like you, I had corroborating witnesses.  One was a pedestrian, the other was the driver of the vehicle my Vic was pushed me into.  The third was the off-duty detective stopped at the intersection waiting to turn, and that she whizzed by on her way to hitting me.  Let's just say her insurance company became very cooperative when they got the accident report and found out a cop directly witness the accident.

I had a friend who was hit twice at the same light within a month.  Both times were around the same time of day, and both times, the same off-duty DPS officer was right behind her.

If it had been anybody but a cop, the PD would have sworn it was an insurance scam.

[erictank]

Glad to hear you made it out OK.  Sounds like you got hit right around the wheel well, which is far better than getting T-boned, even on the passenger side.

From the way you describe her statement, it sounds like there was not a steady stream of traffic to help her visualize that she did not have the right of way.  What time of day was it?  (If the crash happened about where I think it did, that stretch of road stays pretty busy at all times of day and night.)

stay safe.

It was 4:45P, and no, strangely there wasn't anyone in front of her (or she would have hit them instead of me - or come to a stop for the red light).  

ah. Braddock Road.

Virginia, by chance?

I almost got creamed by some tool at the intersection of Braddock and Guinea a few nights ago.

Yup - 1 intersection down from Guinea.  Well, one 4-way - if you count Rolling Road, it's two.  I live up on Braeburn, and was SO close to home.

Brad, thanks for the insurance advice - I will have to remember that.  I don't have a real problem with repaired, as long as it's repaired RIGHT.

Knee's just about completely better now - I can still feel it, but the stiffness isn't interfering at all anymore, and it only hurts if I hit it on something.  Been walking fine for a few hours.  I'm noticing the minor bumps and bruises more than the knee, now.  Back and neck are still fine

[280plus]

Happens fast doesn't it? I've wrecked a few. Still have leftover back problems from one of the more serious ones.

[never_retreat]

We have abbreviations for those around here.
DWA= driving while Asian.
DWI= driving while Indian.

Cops no exactly what you mean when you say it.

I watched a women put her car in reverse in a supermarket parking lot and drive backwards straight into the car behind her.
She tried to take off but someone else blocked her in. This was in a very busy lot in broad daylight.
I watched the whole thing so I stuck around to tell the cops what happened. Mostly for the benefit of the poor persons car that got smashed.
Cop rolled up says what happened, I said DWI. He responded thanks this is going to take a while.

[Boomhauer]

Its theillegals around here who do lots of hit and runs.

[Pharmacology]

ts theillegals around here who do lots of hit and runs.

I wasn't aware that there was a legal way to do a hit an run 

[Boomhauer]

I wasn't aware that there was a legal way to do a hit an run 

Maybe I should rephrase it for ya. It's the undocumented Mexicans, Guatemalans, Salvadorans and other folk from south of the border who cause a lot of wrecks here and favor the hit and run tactic. Drunk white guys are also big around here, particuarly since SC is way too lax on DUI.

[Viking]

We have abbreviations for those around here.
DWA= driving while Asian.
DWI= driving while Indian.

Cops no exactly what you mean when you say it.

I watched a women put her car in reverse in a supermarket parking lot and drive backwards straight into the car behind her.
She tried to take off but someone else blocked her in. This was in a very busy lot in broad daylight.
I watched the whole thing so I stuck around to tell the cops what happened. Mostly for the benefit of the poor persons car that got smashed.
Cop rolled up says what happened, I said DWI. He responded thanks this is going to take a while.

Indian as in native American, or Indian as in people from India?

[Pharmacology]

Probably a mixture of both

[Monkeyleg]

I keep seeing this thread title in the Round Table index, and expect to see it expanded: your first car collision; your first bad date; your first zit...

[Perd Hapley]

I keep seeing this thread title in the Round Table index, and expect to see it expanded: your first car collision; your first bad date; your first zit...

And I was expecting it to be about the President's Caddy.