Crashed my baby!!!

[WadePatton]

Overcast day, lights on, accelerating up to highway speed where road opens up to 4-lane divided and BOOM an 86 year old lady pulls right into the side of my truck.



I saw her at the last minute, but she never lifted and I couldn't get over because of truck to my left.



She broke the wheel/tire/leaf spring. So I had a hand full of fishtails for a moment--then I got is settled down and stopped in the median.



Her little truck drove home. Glad she wasn't hurt. It could have easily been her last day on Earth.



Oh, well 18,000 miles (under my care) and one big DING. :{ :{ :{



My third wreck in 21 years of driving.

 

[Wirenut]

I hate when that happens.

 

[lmills]

Sorry to hear about that. Just be thankful. It could have been a lot worse.

 

[Pit Bull]

Glad your OK. Took my Mom's driving priveledges away from her when she turned 80. Got some reports that she was driving through red lights. This type of thing is one of the reasons I drive a "BIG" truck.

 

[nickleinonen]

some old lady side swiped my dad's old trailer. she didn't even see the BIG white box. . . the home made fender's on the trailer [1/8" sheet metal with a angle iron 1. 5x1. 5x. 25 edge] tore her drivers side of the car wide open and the front corner of the trailer took off her mirror. only damage was to the front corner where the mirror hit. the fender needed some more black tremclad to cover up the oxidized red that it picked up from her car.



bad luck... for you, but could have been worse.

 

[homeka45]

Metal's easily fixed, glad you're ok. But it sure sucks until you get it fixed.

 

[CumminFast]

Sorry about your truck, at least it wasn't your fault. I know how it feels when I scratch or ding my truck... screws up the whole day. I would take your truck to dodge dealers for estimates and then go to good reasonable body shop and probably have $1500 in your pocket w/ the difference.

 

[GeneralMachine]

Glad everyones ok, I know how it feel's when yer baby get's damaged, Good luck on getting it fixed. Have a Happy New Year.

Harv

 

[parcher]

Wade, Glad you are ok. Very gracious attitude toward the person who hit you.



A friend of mine was towing his 8 second Avenger home from the track with his (grown) son in the truck. They were hit hard nearly head-on by a woman who died in the wreck. My buddy gets out of the truck screaming and yelling, really shook him up when he realized he was yelling at a corpse. Sheet metal is easily fixed flesh is much more precious. Again, glad you're ok!

 

[Champane Flight]

Sure?

That damage is awful close to the exhaust pipe. Are you sure you didn't smoke her out at the last light and she was just trying to get even?



Just kidding, glad you and her are OK.

 

[Chipstien]

Man that hurts. At least it is on the rear half of the rig so those are easier to fix. In fact... . don't they normally just purchase a new bed.

 

[benhall]

Glad to hear you ok. Accidents are never fun to be in. In the Readers Rigs under my user name, you will find a pic of my 99 Ram. Your's is an ex fix compared to what mine was.



Ben

 

[Got Smoke?]

Gosh Wade I leave you alone for 3 days and look what you do!



Just kidding bud! Glad to see your ok!Oo.

 

[WadePatton]

Thanks folks

Won't ever forget the last day of 2002. My first wreck was on Pearl Harbor day (Dec 7th, 1941- I think), in 1985.



As in my other two crashes, I jump out and start screaming and yelling and throwing a woohoo--at me, for letting myself get into a wreck. In that 1985 one, I think the lady was hurt a bit. She ran a red light and I plowed her square in the door. No injuries in the other two.



In this last one, I might have been ****** if it was some punk(ette) with a phone in his/her ear, or an obviously intoxicated person. But otherwise it was just an honest mistake. Yes, she is probably a bit old to be driving, but I'm not going to argue that point in front of her. Her kids may have grounded her by now anyway.



Just a few feet one way and it would have been a total miss, but a few feet the other way and she would have been a goner--I'm real glad I don't have to live with that, no matter whose fault.



Now if I could just get somebody to bang into the Ford I'm driving now!

 

[Big_Daddy_T]

I find a little understanding goes a long way. They are just as shook up as you are. I must admit losing my temper one time but it ended well and I didnt go to jail so alls well. The car rear ended me and they had been shining laser beams at my face and mirrors. Its kinda like wades comment about the cell phone thing. Some fopaus are easily to let slide while others get on your last nerve. These people with the cell phone in their ear are still on it after the accident seen it firsthand. Shows you where there attention was at. And it wasnt the road.

Im a highly mobile person logging 50 to 90k a year with about 3000 minutes on the cell a month. No speeding tickets no accidents no traffic violations of any kind. A prudent person can do two things at the same time as long as you realize which one carries the higher consequences if a mistake is made. A vehicle has somewhere around 20 separate controls to make it function. This we can do mostly subconsciously. But the conscious mind must watch the road at all times. A phone call is secondary.

Sidenote: My eldest brother is driving home from town. He sees a small car darting through traffic and cutting people off. He accelerates just enough to close the hole between him and the car next to him. Cmon youve all done it once or twice. Well the guy goes for it and my bro says screw it im not swerving to miss this dumb A. Unfortunately they hook bumpers. It becomes a tug of war for whos the biggest and the car looses. The car spins out and flies off the road. This is all at highway speeds on a 4 lane. He stops the truck to pummel this idiot into a pulp and sees that its an 80+ year old man on the verge of a heartattack or panic attack from the accident. He felt like a complete ass. Helped the man calm down and check for damage. All was well in the end. just some minor scratches on the bumpers of both vehicles.



Nobody is perfect. Everyone makes mistakes. When someone cuts you off just smile and wave your heart will love you for it.

 

[WadePatton]

ER is ready

They're taking the truck in on Monday. Maybe I'll get it back before February.



I got to drive Mom's the other day. The rattle was nice, but I felt naked without gauges and silly reaching for the clutch. And that sucker won't smoke AT ALL. :{



Driving the Ford around in the snow begging an insured motorist to hit it-wouldn't take anything at all to total it. No luck so far.



One month no CTD-no fault of mine- really bites turd biscuits.

 

[John Berger]

All said, that's not so bad. My truck was damaged on the same side. I was able to drive it home from the wreck site and all, but it still bugged me that it was wrecked. Once you get it back and it drives OK, you'll be good to go. No one was hurt and that's always good.

 

[WadePatton]

OH MY GOD! They took a can opener to it and laid it open. They've pulled the bed and cut the entire right side off. Actually it looks better already.



New spring is in place. No more dog-walking.



Photos as this story develops. I just forgot the camera this morning.



Better get the "FER SELL" signs back in the fjord.

 

[Peterbilt379CJ]

Its just parts brother. Be glad you were able to walk away. Sheetmetal easily replaced. Humans are not

 

[John Berger]

On the way home from work the other day, I'm on the inside lane of a two lane road. There's an F-150 in the outside. He's just tooling along out there in the fast lane. As I pass him on the inside, he starts to drift over. I lay on the horn and he keeps on coming for what seemed 2 or 3 seconds and finally he moved back over. I get alongside of him and he's talking on a cell phone As I passed him I rolled the window down and waved He didn't even see me. I'd say another two inches and he would have been into me. Now that's annoying.