R.I.P. Dodge Shadow...or...How Jack Hilton almost died

From: W. Jack Hilton III (HEMI@charter.net)
Date: Wed Oct 06 1999 - 17:55:47 EDT


Well , the Shadow is toast .

I was going to a field office to train some people this morning .

I was traveling on a state hiway , it had two lanes on my side , and one
lane in the opposite direction , with no turning lane .

I was in the lane closest to the center-line behind a Blue Ford Ranger .

We were both doing between 55-60 and all of the sudden , he swirves to the
right-hand lane VERY quickly without a signal or brake lights , and I am
staring at the back end of a 93 Mercury Sable that had stopped in my lane
to make a left turn into a business .

I slammed on the brakes .

I knew I couldn't veer left because of oncoming traffic , and I tried to
veer right to force my way over instead of hitting a stationary car . I
turned the wheel , but when the brakes locked down , steering was futile .

When I knew I would hit the other car , it was just like the movies :
Everything went into slow motion and it felt like it took half an hour to
reach the other car . All I could hear was my heart beating .

I know I joke around alot here with you guys , but all jokes aside , I
trult thought that I was about to die . I mean , I knew it .

When I finally reached the car and was about to hit it (I skidded 135 feet)
I let go of the wheel so I wouldn't break my arms or anything .

After hitting the rear of the car ( it was offset to their right-rear and
my left-front ,so I guess I was able to swirve ever so slightly) my car
travled another 35 feet . My car spun counter clock-wise and rotated about
90 degrees before coming to a stop . The car that I hit was spun
counter-clockwise and the right-front of their car clipped the two tandem
axles of the trailer on a semi coming in the opposite direction .

My car had one air bag , theirs had two , and they all exploded and worked
like they should , thank God .

Immediately after I came to a stop , my left arm was dislocated , I guess
from the shoulder belt , which also left it's mark on my left shoulder and
chest .

The damn fumes from the airbag were unbreatheable . It's like you survive
the crash , but then you sufficate in the car from the damn fumes !

Miraculously , everyone was alright . There were two people in the front of
the Sable , and they both had their belts on too . everyone was out and
walking around after the accident and I think the worst visible damage was
the other passenger had a very very slight nick in her forhead . We all
went to the emergencey room just to be on the safe side since I have a bad
back .

The bastard in the Ranger didn't even stop and he HAD to have seen what
happened !

The State Patrol came to the hospital and interviewed all of us and issued
my a freakin ticket for following too closely . He said even though there
was nothing I could do , and that I was not being dangerous , that the law
here says that you should be far enough behind someone so that if they make
an evasive maneuver , that you can react safely .

So anyway , now here are my problems :

1) Insurance will go up
2) Both cars were totalled
3) When they total mine , I know they will not give me enough to pay it off
as I just bought it in May and had to get a high interest rate .
4) I will probably be sued by the two women I hit .
5) I have a damn ticket with an accident on my record .

If anyone knows anyone at Chrysler that works in the areas that design the
safety standards for their cars , I would like ot send them a personal
thank you .

My car gave it's life for me .

There was absolutely no intrusions into the passenger compartment and both
the belt and the airbag worked as they should have .

This was the more common of impacts , an offset-frontal type , with my car
absorbing the brunt of it .

I think the right-rear of the Sable's bumper ended up in it's back seat .

The damage to my car was extensive to say the least . The damage was , as I
said , offset to the left of the car . From the left side of the right
headlight , all the way around to the driver's side door , the car is
demolished .

I would still have hopes that they could repair the car , except the roof
is buckled just a little bit right where the door post is on the edge ,
which would mean that the frame got bent .

I went to the wrecker service and gathered my personal things from the car
as well as took several pics which I will post tomorrow evening .

The only bright spot in this story ?

I will be driving my R/T every day for a while until things shake out !

I have never been this scared , nor have I ever been so certain that I was
going to die , I mean *really* die .

It really makes you stop and think about life .

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W. Jack Hilton III

HEMI@charter.net

http://webpages.charter.net/hemi/jbd1.html

ICQ#: 32611901

AOL Instant Messenger: "DwnSth69"

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