On the same Shadow note...I had a head on collision in my lovely '89 Shadow
ES Turbo (loved that car) with a couple of Kentucky hicks in a Chevette
"Scooter" on a very blind curve on a very narrow back road near my sister's
place outside Lexington. Total speed at impact: approx. 34MPH. I watched
two heads in the other car hit the windshield simultaneously (ala slo mo).
They had no belts (hell, they had no interior!) and were shifting the car
with a screwdriver!
Chevette: total obliteration of front end..radiator into fan and
engine...broken front suspension, bent front rim, flat tire (BASKET CASE!)
Shadow: small crease in front quarter panel which was now rubbing the front
tire...that's it! Didn't even knock the front end alignment out! I limped
it back to my sis's (about 1/4 mile away), bent the quarter panel back by
hand, then had bro -in-law cut the bent piece off with a grinder (hardly
noticeable) and drove that sucker 600 miles back to NJ without a single
problem. As far as I'm concerned, Shadows walk (drive) on water! Know
anyone with a good used turbo? (love them turbos!)
Bob King
Pennsille, NJ
-----Original Message-----
From: W. Jack Hilton III <HEMI@charter.net>
To: dakota-truck@buffnet.net <dakota-truck@buffnet.net>;
dakotart@egroups.com <dakotart@egroups.com>
Date: Wednesday, October 06, 1999 6:41 PM
Subject: DML: R.I.P. Dodge Shadow...or...How Jack Hilton almost died
>
>
>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 .
>
>
>@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
>
>W. Jack Hilton III
>
>HEMI@charter.net
>
>http://webpages.charter.net/hemi/jbd1.html
>
>ICQ#: 32611901
>
>AOL Instant Messenger: "DwnSth69"
>
>@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
>
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