Friend of mine and I were in his 2000 Dakota headed to the hardware
store around 9pm tonight. We were making a free left turn across a
major arterial, and just as we were broadside to oncoming traffic I saw
light glint off black paint. I started to yell "Look out!" but only got
out the "Look" part out before some idiot in a late model black Toyota
with his headlights off (not even parking lights!) slammed into the
passenger side door of the truck where I was sitting. He hit us so hard
we spun in a 180 degree arc across traffic and ended up with our REAR
bumper smashed into the front bumper of a lady who was waiting to make a
right turn on to the arterial we were crossing, blowing out the rear
passenger side tire and pulling it half off the rim.
I hauled myself across the truck and out the driver's side with the help
of my friend. I stood there coughing on airbag fumes and waited for the
cops to show up. The lady we hit with our rear bumper took one look at
the side of the truck and told me I needed to go to the hospital asap to
get checked out. I looked, and due to past experience, immediately
pulled my cell out and took pictures:
http://www.moparhowto.com/pictures/2000-Dakota-Accident/pass_side01.jpg
http://www.moparhowto.com/pictures/2000-Dakota-Accident/pass_side02.jpg
http://www.moparhowto.com/pictures/2000-Dakota-Accident/pass_side03.jpg
As far as I can tell in #2 the guy hit hard enough to either bend the
frame into a "U" or shear the cab to frame bolts. A fire department
paramedic showed up first, asked if we were all ok, where we were
sitting, etc. He found out I was in the passenger seat of the truck and
took a look at that side and immediately had me stand with my hands on
the bedrail of the truck and used his hands to immobilize my neck and
told me to stand still. Then the ambulance showed up and they put me in
a neck brace and strapped me to a backboard where I stood and hauled me
to the ER.
I must say, you get quicker service in the ER when you show up in an
ambulance. They checked me out and x-rayed me so much I probably glow
in the dark now. A few hours later they discharged me with pain killers
and muscle relaxants and bumps and bruises all over. I'm home now, very
lucky that that Dakota was able to absorb a Toyota T-boning it at
45+mph. The Dakota, sadly, is totaled, though it was still running
until we turned it off. Thank god for modern crash protection and the
fact it wasn't a taller vehicle that hit us. The Toyota looked like
someone dropped it nose first off a cliff.
Drive safe everyone and TURN ON YOUR HEADLIGHTS. :)
M.B.
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Wed Jun 01 2011 - 12:13:05 EDT
