Crash!

I was on my way to work yesterday, driving normally. I was going straight through an intersection on a green light and the other driver was making a left turn on a green light with no green arrow. I'm mad I didn't see her earlier to apply the brakes sooner- I didn't see her until it was too late and usually I'm much more aware than that. I was not distracted by anything other than my thoughts of selling the trailer, which goes to show that if thoughts are distracting enough to cause me to not drive defensively, how much more distracting it is to eat, do the radio or text or even surf the internet. So by the time I saw her and hit the brakes, I was able to stop so she did not T bone me on the driver's door. She hit the front bumper/ fender right where it curves.

The damage does not look very bad at all, which is why I was surprised the car wouldn't go. I was right in the middle of the intersection, so once she got her head together and backed up out of my car and I tried to drive out of the way, I discovered the car wouldn't go. It was as if the e-brake was on. So I got out and looked but with just a cursory glance it looked ok. I debated the further possible damage to the car vs. blocking traffic and possible causing another accident and gave it more gas and rolled in spurts off to the side of the road.

The other driver said it was her fault and we exchanged info. Then a cop showed up and asked me to move the car, which I told him I couldn't. The good thing about the location is the lane I was blocking started right there. So no one had to move over to get around me. They just had to wait to get past me before they pulled over into the lane I was blocking. The location was right outside my first apartment. Then a second cop showed up. Then a third. It is nice to live in such a safe city were 3 cops can show up for a non-injury accident. I don't even know who called them. I didn't have my cell phone. I was 3 min away from home when I remembered I didn't have it but decided not to go back for it. I had to use the cop's cell phone to call the base to tell them I would be late. It was a very rugged phone.

The tow truck driver gave me a ride home because the rental place wasn't open yet. I called my insurance to report it and they told me I could wait for the other insurance to accept responsibility or go through USAA. I called the other insurance and the driver had not reported it yet. I did a report with them from my point of view. Later I called USAA back to go through them since I trust their body shop and know they will get after the other insurance company to take responsibility.

The rental car place couldn't come get me for over an hour so I rode my bike there. They gave me a Chevy HHR and I was able to put the bike in it. I went home to get the stuff I took out of the car for the trailer (table legs) that had to go to work with me but couldn't go on my bike with me. Then I was off to work and got there by 9:15. Elapsed time- just over 3 hrs.

My car is sitting in the indoor tow yard just waiting now. The rental has unlimited mileage on it so I can drive it to AZ as planned this weekend.

I just had an alignment done while I was in Mississippi. Wasted that money. I'm hopeful the car will be repaired. I don't think there is any damage to the engine. Damage to the axle maybe. The passenger side tire (opposite side from the impact) was turned funny but straighten out when it was put on the flat bed. The other car's entire bumper was falling off.

I think I heard her say, "I thought she was going to stop." Never, never assume the other driver will do anything! That is why I'm mad at myself. I should have seen her coming and stopped in time. I've avoided lots of other accidents by driving defensively. I think what probably happened is I did see her- you know how people making left turn hang out in the middle of the intersection? My brain probably saw that and didn't alert me until it became obvious SHE wasn't stopping. I know that is why you can't be distracted (even by thoughts.) Because your auto-pilot brain is not as safe as your full brain. It's a dumb accident. There were no other cars around. How do you hit someone making a left turn? She was thinking it was a green arrow maybe? It was so dumb the first thing I did was look up just to make sure I had the green light- thinking maybe I had done something very stupid and was at fault. But no.

So that is what happened. No injuries. When driving you are relying on everyone else on the road not to be an idiot and it seems a lot of people are, so I am lucky not to be injured. I've always been surprised there are not more accidents every day, based on how stupid some people are.

After work I took the HHR to the tow yard to pick up crates and other training stuff I keep in the car and will need before the car is fixed like my tracking line, tracking articles, scent articles, dumbbell and favorite motivational toys. Plus, I grabbed my x-pen, chair and "wheels" (ie- cart for lugging all this stuff around.) One crate fit facing the rear hatch and the other crate fit in front of that facing the rear doors. Kind of a T configuration. The wheels and x-pen went next to the crate facing the back. The car is too short to fit anything on top of my crate. The Buick is so tall you could stack 2 crates on top of each other. I have always felt the Buick is a great dog car, which is why I bought it. If the worst happens and my car gets totaled, I will buy another Rendezvous- hoping I can find one- they don't make them any more.

When I picked my stuff up I got a better look at the damage. There were scratch marks on the driver's tire and the tire was pushed in and touching the wheel well. The front bumper where it curves was heavily damaged. But I did not see any hood buckling which hopefully means the engine is intact and everything is repairable for a low enough cost that I get to keep my car. Yes, it has over 100K miles (the adjuster asked me that) but that doesn't mean it isn't worth saving!

Because I was hoping to sell the trailer at lunch, the dogs had stayed home, which is rare these days. Usually they come to work and hang out in the cool car in the shade then we go tracking at lunch. The accident was low speed so I think everyone would have been ok but getting the dogs home in the tow truck would have been a pain. They would have had to ride in the car, then I guess jumped down from the high flatbed tow truck?

I have not yet heard if the other insurance is accepting responsibility, although I don't think it will be a problem since the other driver told the police she was at fault. There was a hold up with my car not being released from the tow yard, even though I told them twice it was ok to release it. It might still be there, since by the time I got it straightened out this afternoon, it was getting late. I will call them tomorrow.

Be safe driving!


The Bonnie crate behind the driver's seat.


The Pie/ Dottie crate. Yes, 2 mals are a little squished in this crate, but I think they would agree there are worse things to endure than being a tiny bit squished. Isn't it great they can ride together? Actually, everyone (permanent party) is able to ride with everyone else, but usually Fancy is not subjected to riding with Dottie. Fancy rides in the front seat. I moved the chair off the top of the crates today. Even with the bungee it wanted to hit me in the head. Which reminds me. I had my crates strapped down in the Buick using that orange strap on top of the blue bag in this picture and the ring it was attached to in the Buick broke in half. Bad. Not only because if the accident had been more high speed the crates could have gone flying, but also because now I will have no way to keep the crates from sliding around in just normal braking.


In case you could not picture the HHR. It is small and I even feel cramped up front. However, the young boys next door (the white SUV belongs to their mom) thought it was very cool. I heard their exclamations of appreciation when they spotted it. I think this car helped me realize another reason the Buick stays so cool with the windows rolled down. The windows furthest to the rear (in the area that would be the cargo area if the seat were in) are very small. So the amount of glass that does not roll down is only the windshield and the back hatch. In most other cars, such as this one, those windows are larger, allowing the heated air to get trapped back there.

I do give this vehicle props for getting 30 mpg according to the Internet. I will appreciate that on the way to and from AZ this weekend. The Buick is closer to 20-22.