| Author | Message | ||
     Pwnzor |
Well, I suppose it was bound to happen some time. I was stopped in traffic this morning and so was the guy behind me. The person behind that was barely moving and got hit by the person behind her going about 60mph. So, domino effect down the line and *bam* the brakes on my little Ford Focus are doing the work for 4 vehicles. I was the only one who had kept a safe distance in front of him, and the only one with his foot on the brake. I got hit so hard the whole right side of my back and right leg immediately started burning and spasming and thankfully I stopped the line of cars and did not connect with the vehicle in front of me. After prying the embedded license plate out of my rear bumper, I looked at the car and marveled at how well it sustained this rather substantial impact. It was on this forum in another thread that I read about someone getting in a head-on with Saturn Vue where the Focus drove away and the Saturn had to be towed. Now this happened and I am again astonished to see that only a plastic bumper shroud will likely need replacing because of 2 small holes in the plastic. Rear hatchback operates smoothly and seals perfectly still. Once again I am reminded what a great value this car has been. I spent the next 3 hours at Mission Hospital getting poked and prodded by cute nurses and given a goody-bag full of nifty pills to take home. So it's been a few hours and I'm feeling just good enough that I fired up the smoker and threw down some beef ribs and a tri-tip   The thing that sucks the most is that I was on my way to American Sport Bike with my forks to do a rebuild and I had to postpone it for another day. Waahhhhh I wanna do my forks.... Now I gotta go to 3 weeks of physical therapy and keep eating these pills. All because some lady in stop and go traffic decided not to pay attention. It's the first accident I've ever been in where I was at the controls of a vehicle. 19 years of driving with a perfect record, and she wrecks it for me. | ||
| Ulywife |
Glad you were able to walk away. Those Ford Focus' are tough little cars. Keeping a safe distance when stopped saved my mother's life as she was hit from the rear. She was in a Triumph Spitfire and was shoved into/under the rear of a full-sized pick-up truck. Even when you're careful and do what's right, there will always be someone who is in their own little world and then collides with yours. Good luck with PT. Glad you were in a car and not on your bike. | ||
| Swampy |
Good luck with P.T. Last time I went to P.T. they threw me out, cause I demanded too much of them, like read the perscription and do what was on it.... I hope yours goes better. | ||
| Naughtynurse |
WOW that really stinks !! Hope you feel better. And I agree with Uly wife...at least you were in a cage and not on your bike. Good luck with the PT. At least your appetite looks like its in check YUMMM  | ||
| Kootenay |
Hmmm...wife just got a new car...Ford Focus wagon... Glad to hear you're OK. | ||
| Diablobrian |
Glad you escaped without serious injury, or serious damage to the car. Don't be surprised if there is damage to the bumper sub-structure as well as the shell. It's amazing how fast the price of auto body repairs rack up. Was anyone hurt in the other cars? | ||
| Pwnzor |
Nobody else seemed injured. I was surprised at that, I bet some of them are in pain now. Happens like that a lot where people don't feel it till later. I'm sure the polystyrene cores are crushed and the whole bumper will need to be replaced, on their nickel of course. But the car drives straight and isn't rattling or making any funny noises at all. Doors and windows all function normally, so I think I got off easy. Those ribs and tri-tip are still on the smoker. I figure about 2 more hours. Don't worry I have yesterday's ribs to eat while I wait for these. | ||
| Jon |
I see accidents regularly on the way to work. Send me the tri-tip UPS. You can have the ribs. Heal up! | ||
| Oldog |
Glad that you were not seriously injured, Ford Focus you say, Good data point. I wonder if the day dreamer was actualy a phone talker? | ||
| Pwnzor |
Thanks for the well-wishes everyone. Tri-tip is on the way by UPS Sonicair, what you may not have noticed was the layer of chicken wings on the bottom rack. Today I'm making beef jerky since the wife has forbidden me from driving on this medication so DARN IT I have to spend the day at home... As for recovery, this morning I feel as though I were hit by a car as a pedestrian. Went back to the ER last night and they in turn rushed me over to the MRI center and now they're saying some kind of nerve damage, sciatica most likely. Ford Focus, definitely I can't stop singing the praises of this car. The way cars are priced these days, it's amazing to me to get everything we got for $20k. It's got every single option you can get short of being the SVT model, which there were none available or we might have spent the extra cash. It's a 1.6L I4 that turns out 161hp and is geared such that I can have my wife and kids in the car with the air running on max-ac and climb over Ortega Hwy in 4th gear without losing speed or downshifting once. It has an impressive power band for such a little car with no modifications. I'm thinking about a race kit for it, punch it up to about 200hp. Maybe a couple of swaybars and some new springs too. I can go on forever, but here's the car. Say what you want about Ford but this car is an excellent investment.  | ||
| U4euh |
Pwnzor-it was me who posted about the Focus-vs-Saturn. Your story adds to my train of thought, base model Focus for daughter, and maybe the SVT model for me! Glad to hear you wern't seriously injured considering. Go slow on the recovery process. | ||
| Pwnzor |
It's definitely a high-value product and the safety factor is there in spades. I was also impressed that the airbags did not deploy from a rear impact. Some cars waste airbags that way needlessly. The seatbelt locked immediately, not letting me lurch too far forward before catching me. The brakes did not skid when I moved forward... I mean everything just worked perfectly. I had been telling everyone about your mash-up with a Saturn and the general response was "no way...." but here it is proven once again. The guy who hit me from behind had much more visible damage and it was a 2000 Mercury Cougar, a vehicle with much greater mass. | ||
| U4euh |
Need to clarify- it wasn't me- I was on the Buell approaching the intersection when I witnessed the Saturn being tossed around like a bag of candy! If I had not witnessed it myself, I would have been 'No way...' | ||
| Pwnzor |
Even better, your observation was objective in nature. | ||
| Zxzer04 |
probably lifted the rear of the lighter car, hence the lesser damage... | ||
| Skyguy |
Sorry to hear about the crash. Glad the car did it's job. The thought of a 60mph rear ender is scary as hell. You are quite lucky to not be in a hospital for a few days. Sorry about the driving record. However as a driver you know it is not if but when. No one escapes the reality of steel pinball forever. Mostly glad to hear you were not pounded. Hopefully the insurance cash will help with the pain. How did the people behind you fare? I feel a bit like I was hit by a car as a pedestrian and have a rather large hematoma on my hip. Pretty colors though! (Message edited by skyguy on August 20, 2006) | ||
| Pwnzor |
well the muscles around my spine are doing a rain dance and the pain is at a constant 4 so really it's nothing I can't deal with, but the prospect of nerve damage really bothers me. If that lady screwed me up for life somehow, she's gonna pay dearly for her short sightedness. I checked out her wallet when I was getting her information, she's got plenty of scratch. I've been in other accidents, definitely my fair share, just never as the driver. I have had multiple mountain bike crashes which resulted in reconstructive surgery but DMV doesn't give points for bicycle accidents thank God. I'm so dizzy right now... soma and norco.... | ||
| Skyguy |
Pwnzor, First rule of lawsuits: Don't talk about them on the net. Second rule: By the time you get paid the doctors and lawyers will eat up 60 to 70 percent. All contingency lawsuits go three years as most attorneys charge 40% rather than a thrid if it goes that long. I hope there is no permanant damage. Hopefully the nerves are just bruised and freaking out. If DMV pulled licenses for MTB crashes I would never get to drive again..................... | ||
| Lady_asb |
Matt, Nooooo... I'm sorry to hear about that... Enjoyed your visit the other day (always nice to put a name to a face!), and was glad to hear that you were coming down on Saturday to get things fixed. I think you've already used up all your share of bad luck; yep, pretty sure you're not allowed anymore. Here's hoping that the pain will subside and things will start looking up... Your wife sounds like a smart lady - hope you're following her advice! | ||
| Oldog |
Matt: I hope that you do not have nerve damage Be careful with the lawyers....... | ||
| Vegasbueller |
Just be glad you aren't in Florida. I was told as I was laying on the hospital bed, two weeks after my accident that I had a million dollar law suit...only problem was....(drum roll) the lady didn't have a million dollars. We could have gone to trial and won but the court could not have compelled her to pay. Then to make me feel better the nice lawyer said....if you had been killed, then she would be in BIG trouble. Yeah? and Sammie wouldn't have to worry about a thing except changin' the flowers on my grave. I hate lawyers, I hate insurance companies and I sure hate distracted drivers! Glad to hear you are ok!Chalk one up for Ford I suppose. Nick | ||
| Buellgirlie |
glad you're alright. impressive story about the lil' ford. take it easy, take the pills, endure the PT even if it hurts - it helps you get better faster and straighter. D | ||
| Pwnzor |
Thanks all, for your support and well-wishes. Joanne, I'll be seeing you again down there within the next week or so. I'm definitely not dying, just in a bunch of discomfort, I've worked through worse. As for nerve damage, I certainly hope it's nothing like that. As for lawsuits, there doesn't have to be one. The insurance companies will handle everything and however it comes out, so be it. Her insurance company is who will pay dearly, not her. I have no intention of suing her. She will however, have increased premiums forever. I ate yesterday's ribs and took a few naps today. I think I was arguing with somebody in another thread but I can't find it now... I fed my tortoise, I remember that. | ||
| Marhaba |
Good to hear you fed your tortoise, always important to keep up with pet's dietary needs, and don't neglect your own either. From the looks of your smoker, I'd say you're doing a pretty good job of it. Rest up and get better soon. Hopefully, you don't have nerve damage, and even though PT is a pretty sucky deal, it'll make things a lot better for ya a lot faster, so keep your chin up. Best of luck. | ||
| Pwnzor |
She's not in danger of missing any meals!  |
