The Detailers Cafe
General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: Too Stroked on November 27, 2015, 02:51:44 PM
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Well boys and girls, my favorite daily driver ended up getting wrecked yesterday. My son was driving it to visit his grandparents in Pennsylvania (a few hours from home) and swerved to miss a deer on an expressway. He ended up losing it and side swiping a guard rail. Fortunately, my son was OK, but the damage to the car certainly won’t buff out.
Despite the damage, the car still drives perfectly straight – except for a slight tire rub on what’s left of the wheel well liner. None of the air bags went off. There is a pretty decent air gap around the top of the door frame from the door getting deformed. We won’t know how bad the damage really is until the door comes off. The preliminary estimate is just under four thousand dollars – and that’s if the A pillar isn’t pranged. I’ve already located all of the body parts from a 29,000 mile wreck that’s even the exact same color.
(http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e60/tfwarda/2006%20Scion%20xB%20-%20Silver/Damage%20Left%20Front%20View_zpsyb6gbyd9.jpg)
(http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e60/tfwarda/2006%20Scion%20xB%20-%20Silver/Damage%20Left%20Rear%20View_zpsf6nyc6i6.jpg)
(http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e60/tfwarda/2006%20Scion%20xB%20-%20Silver/Damage%20Door%20amp%20Fender%202_zpsoivilmlh.jpg)
Oh well, I guess the clean Carfax report on this one is now a thing of the past. At least it looks fixable and my son is OK.
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Glad to hear they are OK.
I have to ask the dumb question, why was he using your box instead of his*
- His as in your old one you gave him.
BTW : I take it that is a typo in the 1st paragraph : "and swerved to hit a deer on an expressway"
- Maybe and swerved to not hit a deer on an expressway or and swerved to miss a deer on an expressway
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Glad to hear they are OK.
I have to ask the dumb question, why was he using your box instead of his*
- His as in your old one you gave him.
BTW : I take it that is a typo in the 1st paragraph : "and swerved to hit a deer on an expressway"
- Maybe and swerved to not hit a deer on an expressway or and swerved to miss a deer on an expressway
Steve,
He was driving my toaster (xB) because his mom had his (my old one). Long story with an ugly ending as you can see.
As for the typo, you were correct and I corrected it. (By mistake, I changed your post instead of mine, then changed it back.)
A funny thing happened at the collision shop today while getting the estimate. The estimator said it might be close to a total. I then asked him to do everything he could not to total it - unlike most folks. The car is just too good - and still tight as a drum - to write off. Since most of the damage appears to be cosmetic and I trust this shop's ability to make it perfect, I want it fixed and will live with the marked Carfax report. BTW, this is the shop that fixed my Tacoma so well last winter.
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Wow. What are the odds of finding all of the same parts in the same color. As long as he is ok, the rest doesn't matter. Bummer for sure though.
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Wow. What are the odds of finding all of the same parts in the same color. As long as he is ok, the rest doesn't matter. Bummer for sure though.
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They're the same color and from a low mileage car, but none of them are perfect, so all will have to be repainted. But at least they're not aftermarket parts - which the insurance company may want me to take. The quarter panel will need to be straightened and repainted too, so the whole side of the car will end up with fresh paint. That should avoid any paint match / fade in issues. I'm just hoping the A-pillar isn't pranged.
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My biggest pet peeve on my expedition was after the fender was painted, from the door all the way back was a perfect match. The hood was a noticeably different shade. Probably faded from years of sun beating down on a horizontal surface.
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Steve,
He was driving my toaster (xB) because his mom had his (my old one). Long story with an ugly ending as you can see...<snip>...
Crap, after all these years and she is still a thorn in your side. :moody:
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Just snaked a camera in and found the A pillar is indeed bent. :moody:
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Does that total it now?
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Does that total it now?
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I won't know until the insurance adjuster comes - maybe tomorrow. I really don't want this vehicle totaled, but if they do, I'll probably buy it back and fix it.
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that sucks. glad he is ok . hope you can fix it.
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Just snaked a camera in and found the A pillar is indeed bent. :moody:
CRAP !!
Even with the parts you found and the work needed, that might take it up over $ 4K to fix it.
If it is totaled, do you know how much you are going to have to go into your pocket on it ?
- buying the car, re-title back and work ?
Not like a clean carfax means anything, you are not going to sell it anytime soon.
If you salvage it, does that change the insurance on it ?
IL does not allow salvage titles, so I have no clue if the insurance company still insures it the same, or if it is like Fed Flood Ins in a flooded house ( they already paid once, that is it ).
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Just snaked a camera in and found the A pillar is indeed bent. :moody:
CRAP !!
Even with the parts you found and the work needed, that might take it up over $ 4K to fix it.
If it is totaled, do you know how much you are going to have to go into your pocket on it ?
- buying the car, re-title back and work ?
Not like a clean carfax means anything, you are not going to sell it anytime soon.
If you salvage it, does that change the insurance on it ?
IL does not allow salvage titles, so I have no clue if the insurance company still insures it the same, or if it is like Fed Flood Ins in a flooded house ( they already paid once, that is it ).
Steve,
My initial guess was that it had at least $5,000 worth of damage. The preliminary estimate from the shop that will fix it was $3,700 using new / aftermarket parts and assuming no damage to the A pillar. (I have no idea why the guy didn't look where I did.) The big question is how much pulling the A pillar out will add and if that will push it over the edge and total it.
If they do decide to total it, as I understand it, I can take the insurance money and then buy the car back to fix it. The question will be if I can make that work financially. I think I can get the guy down some more on the used parts and that might help. I do believe that the car would then get a "salvage title" which makes it pretty much unsaleable. Since I have no plans for selling it anytime soon - and since it still drives perfectly - that shouldn't be a problem.
The next few weeks are going to be a real learning experience. And I really want to get it fixed before the first real snow hits. Once that happens, all of the collision shops get busy and quality sometimes goes out the window. Wish me luck.
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Just caught it....oh geez, I know you love that car.
Glad your son is ok....avoiding Deer is a problem here in Texas too...bad chit always happens.
Ugh, what a pain. I hate bent stuff
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Really sorry to see Tom. I hope it gets sorted out at least to the point where you can keep on driving it without too much of a ding to your pocket book.
Very glad your son is OK! That is by far the most important part!
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That really sucks Tom I'm glad your son wasn't hurt.
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Good news. The insurance company adjuster just left and believes the car can be fixed for a little under $4,300. (That includes pulling the A pillar back out.) I'm going to the collision shop first thing tomorrow morning to get things rolling there. Hopefully they can get it in and start working on it before the first snow hits. I'll post pics when it's done.
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Thats great, Tom!
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Sweet!
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Awesome. Hope those parts you located are still available to help with cost containment.
Question is, does the body shop agree with the insurance adjuster's opinion ?
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Awesome. Hope those parts you located are still available to help with cost containment.
Question is, does the body shop agree with the insurance adjuster's opinion ?
Generally speaking, the shop will not agree with the insurance adjuster - but they'll work it out. In fact they told me to get the insurance estimate, then bring everything in and they'd find a way to make it work. Truth be told, I was quite impressed with what the adjuster explained they were willing to do to repair the car. And since I'm already comfortable with the shop's work, I feel pretty good about everything right now.
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Situation Update: I scored a set of virtually perfect doors and an almost perfect front fender yesteray - all off a low mileage / no rust wreck about an hour from here. http://buffalo.craigslist.org/pts/5337798699.html (http://buffalo.craigslist.org/pts/5337798699.html) (They're even the correct color.) The insurance company wanted me to use aftermarket parts, but since I paid less for these, the only aftermarket parts are going to be the front bumper cover and wheel well liner. I used some of the savings to get them to spring for an OEM headlight. (Did I mention that aftermarket replacement headlights suck?)
The shop is going to repair the rear quarter / dogleg (under / behind the rear door), pull the A pillar out, replace the damaged doors & front fender with the parts I got, then paint the entire side of the car plus the front bumper cover. I'm going to reinstall the driving lights, right front fog light and replace the right front tire. Painting the whole side should minimize color match issues. And since most of the sheet metal will be factory paint with new paint over it, corrosion shouldn't be a problem except on the repaired rear quarter. I've asked them to pay special attention to that area for just that reason.
The car just went into the shop and I have a rental to drive for the duration. Keep your fingers crossed!
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A rental?. Where's the Toyota?
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A rental?. Where's the Toyota?
Parked safely in the garage - away from the local deer population.
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A rental?. Where's the Toyota?
It's winter. It is in storage.
I think mom's chrysler sebring convertible does better in the snow... :burn:
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Collision shop just called. They found some more hidden damage in the quarter panel and have to wait for the insurance adjuster to approve more repairs. Might be into next week before I get it back.
BTW, I have a Buick Encore (AWD CUV) for a rental. Worst / vaguest steering of any vehicle I've ever driven. You can't even place it in a corner with any confidence because the steering wheel is apparently connected to the front wheels via the transatlantic cable. And rearward visibility? Yea, right. It kind of shows why they're herding us toward self driving cars so quickly. None of this will be a problem when one isn't driving anymore. Count me out. I want my toaster back! At least it's fun to drive.
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Crap !!
I hope that does not push it over the limit on you. Hate to see you need to go into pocket to fit it or have to deal with a 3 color car.
- Pillars new, doors as they are and the factory paint.
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Steve,
The insurance adjuster called me this afternoon and filled me in on what was wrong. Apparently the\ shop found an additional $475 worth of hidden damage on the front apron under the battery box when they pulled out the A pillar. It wasn't the quarter panel as the shop had told me. Still not enough to total the car - which is fine with me. I might not have it back till next week though. Oh well, I don't care how long it takes as long as it's fixed right.
As for the 3 colored car, I'm keeping my fingers crossed. This shop has an awesome painter who has been with them for over 20 years. If anybody can do it right, he can. It would make one heck of a nice Christmas present if it came back right.
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Tom,
glad to hear it is that "minor". Even if you had to go into your pocket for $200 of it, it is still worth it.
I thought the worst, another 1,200.00 +
You have the rent a marshmallow for the duration, so that is the down side.
I had a buick something or another rental in 2009 out of SFO. I took it into the turn off 880 going towards SC university, and downshifted into 2nd to scrub speed. The car did nothing :wow:
- It did not act like a Ford, I slammed the brakes and once the car got slow enough ( down below safe ramp speed ) it down shifted. PoS !
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The shop called today and said the car had just come out of paint. They wanted me to check out the progress before they went any further. The Front Bumper Cover still wasn't on it and the Rear Bumper Cover was detached on the driver side so they could paint everything else. All of the sheet metal had been hung and painted though.
Quite honestly, it looked pretty good considering what it went through. There were a few minor (easily fixable) blemishes in the paint and I asked if they could improve the fit between the front and rear doors just a bit. Other than that, I was pretty happy.
I picked up the old doors and brought them home. Why? Well, they still contain the window glass and regulator assemblies, door handles and latches as well as all of the wiring, switches, motors, speakers, etc. If I keep this car as long as I'm planning, some of this stuff might come in handy. So into a corner of the basement they went.
The car should be finished by next Monday or Tuesday and I'll bring it home. I'll then re-install the fog lights, driving lights, license plate bracket and new tire. (Trying to save some money here.) Then I'll post some pics up to see what you guys think. Will it be perfect? No, but hey, it's 9 years old with 60,000 mikes on it. It'll be good enough.
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Glad to hear it is working out to your satisfaction Tom!
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Tom, here's what the front of my truck looks like at the moment.
(http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f120/dsq1975/image_zpsdib13lag.jpeg)
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Ouch.
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...<snip>...
The car should be finished by next Monday or Tuesday and I'll bring it home....<snip>...
Any word on the car today ?
I did not have to ask why on picking up the doors, and I think the majority here are pack rats the same.
I might have stripped out the glass, wiring and parts leaving the bent sheet metal for the scrap guy. You are just taking the why spend the time on it now, if I never have to angle. :clap:
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Tom, here's what the front of my truck looks like at the moment.
did you kiss a utility pole or tree ?
- It looks like a perfect round dent on the block heater plug.
It is kind of a shock what truck bumpers are like these days. Makes me want to go out and get ranchhand bumpers front and rear.
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Tom, here's what the front of my truck looks like at the moment.
([url]http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f120/dsq1975/image_zpsdib13lag.jpeg[/url])
Geez Dave, that's not nearly as bad as I thought it would be. It still sucks though. I'm assuming the deer looked worse?
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Tom, here's what the front of my truck looks like at the moment.
([url]http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f120/dsq1975/image_zpsdib13lag.jpeg[/url])
Geez Dave, that's not nearly as bad as I thought it would be. It still sucks though. I'm assuming the deer looked worse?
I didn't think it looked bad either until the guy at the body shop started pulling chunks of plastic out of the passenger side wheel well and took the winter front off the grill.
There is a bunch of hidden damage which includes both headlights, fog light, grill, A/C condenser, bumper cover, and the bumper plus what ever they might find when they take it apart next week. I managed to hit the yearling instead of the Mom but it would have been a lot worse if I hadn't seen Mom first and started slowing down. I'm actually very surprised the air bag didn't go off since the deer hit right where the tow hook in on the passenger side.
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Ah yes, the infamous "hidden damage." It's amazing how much stuff you can't see gets broken these days.
BTW, I tagged the rear bumper of the Tacoma this morning whilst parking it at 4 AM to get in the salt truck. Many bad words were used. Fortunately, it's just the bumper. :moody:
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Ah yes, the infamous "hidden damage." It's amazing how much stuff you can't see gets broken these days.
BTW, I tagged the rear bumper of the Tacoma this morning whilst parking it at 4 AM to get in the salt truck. Many bad words were used. Fortunately, it's just the bumper. :moody:
I almost backed into the passenger side quarter panel with the box blade on my tractor this morning while I was plowing my driveway. :crazy:
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I hope this is just a phase you and I are going through. Words fail me.
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You and me both......... :dunno:
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That looks like it sucks Dave! Hopefully it all gets sorted easily.
I haven't even moved my truck since the 22nd, you guys are making me nervous :funny:
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That looks like it sucks Dave! Hopefully it all gets sorted easily.
I haven't even moved my truck since the 22nd, you guys are making me nervous :funny:
Dave & I will be happy to drive up and give your truck some exercise. :funny:
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That looks like it sucks Dave! Hopefully it all gets sorted easily.
I haven't even moved my truck since the 22nd, you guys are making me nervous :funny:
Dave & I will be happy to drive up and give your truck some exercise. :funny:
What could possibly go wrong! :funny:
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I choose not to comment on any of this in fear of following down the same path. So, um... happy Tuesday? Or any other completely irrelevant statement.
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Well guys and girls, the Toaster came home from the collision shop this past Wednesday. I have to say that Austin-Spencer Collision here in Rochester has once again knocked one out of the park. The car looks drop dead gorgeous. They were all worried about the panel gap between the hood & left front fender due some simple looking but hard to get out damage in the used fender I got them. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I reluctantly - in the name of saving money - gave them permission to let is slide. Well, you'd never know there was an issue there. And the rest of the left side looks equally awesome. Even the door jambs are perfect. Unless somebody told me the car was in a wreck, I'd never believe it - and you know how picky I am!
They did run into a serious problem with the aftermarket front bumper cover the insurance company required them to use. After getting it all painted, they couldn't get it to fit for crap. So they went back to the insurance company and got them to OK a factory part which they then had to go all through painting and installing again. So in the end, I ended up with 100% OEM parts.
I still have some work I have to do to it. Again in the name of saving money, I agreed to reinstall the Fog Lights, Driving Lights, license plate bracket and left front tire & wheel. I should have that all done by later this week. Only then will I post up pics - and I will post them up!
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Tom,
That is ( more ) great news that it turned out.
The small things you have to do to finish it are not that big of a deal, and you know how to do it in short order.
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That's great, Tom! Gotta love when a bar situation works itself out as good as it can.
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I’d promised to share some pics of my repaired Scion xB (aka “the Toaster”) a while back, but kind of got tied up on a number of other things. It came back from the collision shop over a month ago and I’ve been letting it sit so the paint had a chance to harden up and I could put something on to protect it. Today I gave it some love in the form of a little Menzerna SIP (just a couple spots) and Carpro Reflect (the whole side) followed by Menzerna Power Lock. (It just wasn’t warm enough to apply the C.A.R. Bullet Proof coating that’s on the rest of the car.)
Overall, I’d say the car is about 95% of what it was before the crash. The body panels all line up just about perfectly despite some concerns from the shop on the hood / front fender gap. The paint is pretty darn good, but has a few bits of dirt in it. The color is a very close, but not perfect match. (Hell, it is sliver after all!) In fact I almost like the metallic in the repaired panels better than the OEM paint because the flakes appear to be just a touch larger and it really makes the finish pop. I didn’t have the shop replace the black tape that covers the area around the windows in an attempt to save a few bucks and I’m regretting that a bit. I may have to buck up and spend the $45 for the kit and do it myself.
All in all, it’s a very good repair job and I’m very happy with the work Austin-Spencer Collision in Rochester, NY did on the car. My insurance company - Travelers – was great to work with too. Hopefully the next few hundred thousand miles on the car will be largely uneventful. See what you think:
(http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e60/tfwarda/2006%20Scion%20xB%20-%20Silver/Repaired%20xB%20Front%20Quarter_zpscudz9ls3.jpg)
(http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e60/tfwarda/2006%20Scion%20xB%20-%20Silver/Repaired%20xB%20Side_zpsxemmyuin.jpg)
(http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e60/tfwarda/2006%20Scion%20xB%20-%20Silver/Repaired%20x%20Rear%20Quarter_zpszmbytyjt.jpg)
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Looks really great Tom! I would be super happy with those results.
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Take care of it. Toyota just pulled the plug on the brand.
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Take fare of it. Toyota just pulled the plug on the brand.
Yea, now that I own a "classic," I figure the value just doubled! :funny:
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on another note, where is all the snow???
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on another note, where is all the snow???
I was wondering if anybody would notice that. Truth be told, it's all gone - even the piles from the snow plows. Not a good season for those of us who ski and plow. In fact this may be the first season in 55 years that I don't go skiing.
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looking good Tom....classic.
:funny:
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That turned out great, glad it worked out in the end.
The only reason we have any snow left are the piles where it was a rain to snow transition and the plows piled it up. It went into the high teens in the same 36 hr span, so all the very wet snow turned into icebergs.
You guys have a crazier winter than us with the snow then 50* temps swings. Look for the teens / single digits we are sending your way later in the week.
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Well boys and girls, this would be that crash that Brandon & happened upon moments after it happened last week. A guy driving this late model Chevy Cruze ran straight off the road (never lifted / no brakes according to the guy behind him) and straight into a bridge support at just over 60 MPH.
(http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e60/tfwarda/Cruze%20Path_zpstiyzztan.jpg)
(http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e60/tfwarda/Cruze%20Front_zpsh6b7vtpm.jpg)
(http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e60/tfwarda/Cruze%20Side_zpsgat9a2vh.jpg)
As you can see in the pictures, the bridge support was pretty much 100% unprotected. (This fact was not lost on the NYS Troopers on the scene.) As I mentioned in my shout, Brandon & I arrived moments after it had occurred. Two other motorists had stopped and were franticly trying to find out if the driver was still alive. I was about to send Brandon back to the truck for my glass breaking took when one of the other guys produced a shovel. Using the sharp corner of the shovel, the back window took one small hit to bust out. (There is a trick to this.) I then tried to open the driver’s door through that window, but couldn’t reach the handle, so we pried the back door open and I crawled in. I was able to get between the front seats and carefully reach under the driver’s upper body to pop the lock. Oddly enough, the door popped open. The one guy (a nurse) then held the guy’s head steady until help arrived a couple of minutes later. The guy was clearly not in good shape because he wasn’t wearing a seat belt, but he was alive when they took him away.
Take aways from this one? Always wear your seat belt! And I have to give GM some props for building a car that would take a hit like this and allow an un-belted driver to survive. I couldn’t believe that the driver’s door actually opened without rescue tools.
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I think its safe to say that won't buff out either. My first thought after reading that was I was amazed the front door opened. Impressive. I'd be curious to know if he indeed survived after all of that.
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According to the local news, he's in rough shape, but will live. Amazing.
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Holy crap man. What a story and scene. Words escape me right now
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Geez, where did the motor go? Glad he survived, odd situation though.