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
http://webpages.charter.net/hemi/jbd1.html
ICQ#: 32611901
AOL Instant Messenger: "DwnSth69"
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This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Fri Jun 20 2003 - 12:17:42 EDT