Things that go BUMP in the dark

Well, what a difference 24 hours can make. I'm sorry there won't be any quilt related discussion today.

Yesterday a "new" experience happened to me. I was in an accident. Don't worry - I'm OK!!!

It was about 6 AM and I was on my way to pick up a friend so we could spend the day teaching her how to quilt. She's from out of town.

I filled up my car with gas and I was away. I was just getting on the highway - basically in the on-ramp signaling and shoulder checking to see if the way was clear. I had started to move into the live lane and I noticed someone creep up on my right-hand side. For god sakes - it an ONE-LANE on-ramp.

Then I heard a big noise and felt an impact. My hair band flew off as did my glasses, things were flying in the car and I remember spinning. I remember watching my back bumper fly off the car and catapult through the air. Yep - out my front windshield, I watched my back bumper fly off because the car was spinning.

The other thought that went through my head - "how is this going to end?" There's a ditch right beside that onramp and I sure didn't want to end up there. I must have taken my foot off the gas????  and applied the brake??? Next thing I knew I was stopped. Still in the on-ramp but almost at the end of it with the nose of the car extending into the live lane - by a hair.

Keep in mind - it's 6 AM so it's DARK and it's raining. I was facing forward again. But NO ONE could see me or my bumper or whatever else had fallen off the car. I did put my four-way flashers on.

Have to say that I was a wee bit stunned. What the heck just happened? Should I call 911??  I know - but it wasn't a super emergency, but then I thought - I'm a sitting duck on this highway - I need to get help right away. So I called. I think that was my first 911 call. Then I called home to let DH know what had happened. Now what?

The dispatcher asked me if I wanted to call my own tow truck or could they call one. I have no idea. I let them call one. Anyway, before long a tow truck showed up and then the OPP showed up. I was in the tow truck at this point and the cop almost ran into my bumper. Did you know the bumper on my car is HUGE!!!

OH  - I should mention that while a few cars stopped (I noticed that once I had stopped spinning), but no one came to see if I was OK and everyone moved on again. Including the idiot who hit me. I have no idea what happened to him.

I doubt that I ever left the on-ramp lane when I was spinning, but funny how the stories go. It was called in that the disabled car was in the HOV lanes which are on the other side of the road.  I don't think that was me.

I got a rental car from the towing company and got to my destination only to find that my friend bailed because of potential bad weather for her to get home. She had left something for me so I picked that up and came back home. NO - we are not allowed to be frustrated by this. It's just something that happened and no one is to blame for why I was on the highway when I'm not normally.

Here are the pictures of my car. Technically it just looks like the bumper flew off.

The back of the car

But when I look at this side - well, I think we might have an issue. You can see where I was hit just behind the passenger door. Those bumpers are just held on with some clips so it doesn't surprise me it flew, but the more I look at the damage - the tailpipe is bent, my hitch is bent, I'll bet the frame is bent too. The back panel is crushed in so it was rubbing on the tire. Yep - I think I'm going to start shopping for a new car.

The damage

DAMN - I wasn't planning on replacing this car for at least three more years!!!  I never liked the car much. Not because of the car itself - it was a replacement for a Toyota Echo and it was a gas guzzler. It was the sporty model and it was HEAVY.  Anyway - I guess a heavy car is good in an accident. That damn bumper - I backed into a light pole soon after I got the car. Didn't dent the bumper, but scratched some of the paint. GRRR - It was going to cost $750 repaint the bumper. Needless to say, that scratch remained on the bumper.

The remainder of the day was spent on the phone with the insurance company, going to the doctor - I seem to be fine. I'm going to book an appointment with the dentist as my GPS flew off the dash and hit me in the mouth. I took back the tow company rental car and got one through a car rental agency. And then I vegged on the sofa all day - what was left of it.

I had already had a massage booked for last night and I was recommended to keep the appointment. It was actually a good idea and I'm feeling not too bad this morning. My left side is a bit sore - probably from the seatbelt.

I should mention that the airbags did NOT deploy as the impact was from the rear. The accident was identifed as a no-fault hit and run.

I can be grateful for a couple of things - I wasn't hurt. There was no one in the car with me. There were no dogs in the car. There were no sewing machines or other expensive stuff in the car.

It would appear that the guy was trying to pass me in the on-ramp lane. He realized that he wasn't going to have time, so he backed off and then took a hard left to cut in behind me - except that he misjudged. Not that he misjudged and just hit my bumper - no he misjudged by about TWO FRIGGIN FEET!!!!   Seriously????  And then not stopping? I bet he doesn't have insurance. The cops were going to check the highway cameras. Isn't that cool - that we have highway cameras???

Now after all that - there is a lesson to be learned here. Actually, there are several lessons to be learned here.

1. Do NOT keep crap on the dash of your car unless it is WELL secured. Yes - that goes for your phone in those fancy little holders. If you get rear-ended, that phone becomes a deadly weapon in your car. Got kids in the back in car seats??  They could get hit in the face with that phone. No airbags are going to protect you in a rear impact.

2. Just because you get frustrated that someone isn't driving as fast as you would like them to, that doesn't give you the right to make stupid impulse decisions. Stay calm - OK - get frustrated but don't make impulse decisions - "I'm going to show this person and roar past them". Come on - people do it all the time.

3. PUT YOUR FRIGGING PHONE IN YOUR PURSE in the car. NO ONE needs to be distracted and see it in front of their face when they are driving. I know that phones were not involved in this case - at least not in my car - my phone was in my purse. But seriously ONE SECOND looking at your phone and BAM - you've rear-ended someone.  Think about it - this is SERIOUS business. This is LIFE-CHANGING business. Even though I have insurance on my car - that doesn't buy me a new car. Someone else changed my life because of a stupid mistake.  I don't care that you just need to touch a button on the phone - YOU DON'T.

On my way out at some point in the day, I was going down the same on-ramp and there was a tow truck winching a car with a young woman at the wheel who had lost control on the off-ramp and she was in a deep deep ditch between the on-ramp and the off-ramp. I bet a phone was the cause of that one.

Seriously, people - we need to become better drivers!!!!!


I'm off my soapbox now. I need to do some research on getting a new car. I'm not bitter - it happened. I'm just thankful that I wasn't seriously injured. The situation could have been a whole lot worse. There was a guardian angel looking down on me yesterday morning.

Have a great day!!!!

Ciao!!!