my X is smashed -I give up on playing with vehicles

[tbomb]

so wednesday night after work, about 5:30, im sitting in traffic in north jersey. traffic is sitting still, everyone is completely stopped from the congestion, and i need to get into the middle lane, because the lane im in is for the upcoming exit (i was in the right lane of the 3 lanes going in my direction.) so i look in the rear view mirror and the guy behind me is stopped and the trucker next to me is letting me over. just as i take my foot off the brake pedal, i hear a BOOM and 2 seconds later i get hit. some woman was obviously paying no attention to anything didnt even notice that all traffic was stopped, and she plowed into a full size , early 90's, chevy pickup behind me and he went flying into me. we pull over and the cops show up and an ambulance. luckily no one was hurt...well, me and the guy in the pickup both had some minor neck pain, but nothing major.

damage to the old lady's big red new buick: front end totally smashed in and both airbags deployed.

damage to the pickup: frame at rear of truck bent towards ground at almost 90 degrees (she hit his hitch that was sticking out and thats what pushed the frame down.) his front end was smashed in from hitting me, and under his hood, everything was pushed up into his radiator - this truck will probably be totalled by insurance. i felt bad for this guy, he was a really nice guy and hes only had this truck for 6 months.

damage to my explorer: rear tailgate door smashed in under the glass, bumper demolished, and passenger side tail light smashed. i got the least of the blow. my rear glass opens and closes, but im afraid to try the door because i might not get it shut.

to make matters worse, my insurance card was, like, 3 days expired, and my new card was sitting at home on my kitchen table, and NJ state law is to impound my vehicle if i cant show valid proof of insurance. so they impound my truck and leave me stranded 30 miles from home. thank god the pickup truck guy had some friends following him, and they gave me a ride; i wish i could have thanked them more, but there wasnt much i could do for them, so i filled their empty gas tank and gave them a few bucks for tolls. i get home, and i know no one since i just moved here, so i called a limo service to take me back 30 miles with my valid insurance card to pick up my truck. the limo cost $85 and the impound cost $75, and i have a court date for the ticket he wrote me for "no insurance", which will get thrown out when i show them my insurance card, but i still gotta go 30 miles just show some beaucratic pinhead a piece of paper with a newer date by 3 days - like the cops didnt see it when i picked up my truck that night, right? i also skipped work yesterday to sort things out with insurance and doctors and call family and friends and stuff (the accident is worse than it sounds, but it wasnt terrible; like i said, no one was hurt, but it was more than a fender bender.)

as of right now, im just so disillusioned with playing vehicles anymore. i mean, i didnt do anything wrong, im a VERY cautious driver, and i got rear ended HARD. whats the point of modifying and playing with vehicles when some dumb f*ck is gonna sit on a cell phone, or read a newspaper, or daydream while theyre driving and ruin your vehicle? all the time and money i spent, down the crapper - well, not really, but i mean, the truck will never be the same (and im so **** about my truck, that i wont bother if i know that it was in an accident.) the door wont sit or close the same probably, the paint wont match perfectly, etc. im just so frustrated. i cant even imagine what it would have been like if i didnt have an SUV; if i was in a car, there would have been a ton more damage to my vehicle.

i mean, i always dreamt that after i worked for a year or 2 i could buy another vehicle, take the X off the road (not "off road", but just make it my secondary vehicle), and play with it, modify it, possibly enter some shows, ya know, just have fun with it. now, that aint gonna happen. im sure ill always have this truck, even when i get a second vehicle, just so i can put miles on it and all kinds of stuff like that, but it will be from what i hoped for. now, i may be able to stricke up another dream of mine - get a mustang as my toy, but, like i said before, if i would have been in a car, the damage would have been far more extensive, so a mustang isnt the best choice; it just seems like nothing is the best choice, that way it cant be smashed by ignorance.

if you got this far, thanks for reading my rant (i did my best to hold back), and if you gave up reading it a while ago, i dont blame you, i hate reading long posts, too

 

[aldive]

Sorry to hear that story.

Good luck, my friend.

 

[DarkFox1]

sorry man , but you already know what I was gonna say lol, said it in chat

 

[HowLeTT]

Dead Link Removed

sorry this happened to you tbomb... life sucks! If you ever need a ride anywhere or anything just gimme a call, I'll even throw in a passenger seat (and maybe seatbelt if you're lucky). ;D

 

[leenjen]

that really sucks, jason. i see too many people talking on cell phones and not paying attention. twice in the past 3 months i had to drive off the side of the road because someone was coming at me in my lane. i wish people werent so stupid. good luck with your explorer. i hope it isnt too bad. and of course you will be able to enter it in shows. half of the cars that you see at the shows have an R title. a good paint shop can match and blend perfectly. but if that isnt enough for you, think about getting a custom paint job when you make it a show truck. things may seem sh*tty now, but you can just shrug it off as a minor setback. call her insurance company every day until your truck is fixed. when my daytona was hit, i called immediately. then again the next day. i got an estimate after that from a body shop, faxed it to the insurance company. and had a check 2 days later. dont let them drag their feet on this

 

[88vert]

That sucks sorry to hear about that

 

[RFR2212]

Originally posted by tbomb
...and if you gave up reading it a while ago, i dont blame you, i hate reading long posts, too

I gave up... Go to a bicycle on the sidewalk i guess

 

[ChuckyD]

Dude... that really sux..... sorry to hear about that man... do what Lee said... be on there ass until u get your money, and when they do your estimate make sure you go over it with them and make sure they arent dicking you around... when i got hit they told me i was going to get a junkyard bumper... i ad it out with the guy when he told me that.... i ended up not using the insurence ... but i would have had some serious issues if they would have put a ****ty bumper on...
Good Luck

 

[Crankcase]

Sorry to hear that tbomb.

Glad to hear you are alright. It feels like you got ripped off,cheated, right? I think you should ride the insurance for everything they can muster.

At least the X won't be totaled, and you are alright. You were lucky the car didn't hit you directly.

Don't get discouraged on cars , though, just take things slow, a day at a time.....

Originally posted by ChuckyD
... but i would have had some serious issues if they would have put a ****ty bumper on...

Here, the insurance gives you a rechromed Explorer bumper. My sisters boyfriend wiped out the bumper on her '92, and she ended up getting a '93 one as a replacement.

 

[JDraper]

Man, that really sucks Jason, sorry to hear that.

Make sure the insurance company uses factory OEM parts to fix the truck. Fight 'em if they try to use some cheap aftermarket stuff or junkyard parts.

Good luck!!

 

[james t]

man, that totally sucks. i had the EXACT same thing happen to me back in 96, only i was in the early 90's chevy, in the middle. i was stopped behind an ole lady in a Crown Vic, and as i glance in the rear view mirror, i see this kid in a new Nissan 4x4 coming doing about 50. i just tensed up as he hit. he never hit the brakes, and my 454SS crushed in the TOP of her trunk (he hit me so hard my truck flew through the air). pushed the bed IN through the cab, and me up onto the steering wheel. worst thing was, i had just welded in a roll pan and shaved talegate handle 2 weeks before... truck was a major project and i had just put the finishing touches on it. obviously, it was totaled. so was the kids 96 4x4, which still had the dealers tags on it. he was playing with the radio, and never looked up. and i agree with Chucky, ride the insurance company's @ss. MAKE them give you a rental, and be sure to get your X in the shop as soon as possible.

 

[Perry]

Originally posted by JDraper

Make sure the insurance company uses factory OEM parts to fix the truck. Fight 'em if they try to use some cheap aftermarket stuff or junkyard parts.
Good luck!!

I am not sure if all states are the same, but in Colorado they don't have to replace your parts with OEM. They are allowed to use after market parts and I think there reason is because your vehicle isn't new so they don't have to get it back to new condition just back to the condition it was before the wreck.

We were in a wreck last Saturday, a 17 year old girl pulled out in front of us. Glad we had the Explorer instead of the Kia, because we hit her right behind her pass. tire on the quarter panel. She was in a Toyota Camery I think. Since we are taller then she was most of the impact was taken by our tire which somehow sheered off the pitman arm off the steering box.

Her insurance came out and looked at it and are writing us a check Monday. They were really nice and fair on the price so I have no complaints.
I think they said the damage was like $1600.00 and the only thing I really have to do is pay the tow bill, buy a new steering box, get it aligned and I'm ready to drive again. Should be able to make some money on it once it's all done.....
As for her vehicle they totaled it. She needed a rear glass, pass. quarter panel, truck led, rear lights and a few other misc. things.

 

[tbomb]

wow, lots of replies. thanks to everyone for your support.

heres how the insurance thing is gonna work. i dont have her insurance info yet - its on the poilice report which the NJ cop wouldnt give to me at the scene of the accident (one more reason i HATE NJ), so my insurance company has to get a copy which could take up to 2 weeks, then i can call and harass her insurance company (the adjuster from my insuarnace company is amazing to deal with - shes doing everything she can to help me out.) her insurance company will send out an adjuster to take a rough estimate, then i fax that rough estimate to my body shop (i can take it anywhere i want, and the shop im going to is own and operated by family friends and he already told me that he would do anything i wanted. i dont plan on ripping off the insurance company, i just want my truck exactly like it was before it was hit, meaning ALL ORIGINAL FORD PARTS. if theres one bolt that got scratched somewhere, i want it replaced.) when my body shop looks at my truck, they right up an accurate estimate and tell her insurance company the real deal with the damage and thats that (unless they wanna fight over the amount, but i doubt they will.) im sure her insurance company wont try to screw me, i dont take sh*t from anyone especially an insurance company trying to screw me, heh.

just sitting here reading all of your guys' replies is really helping. i was gonna blow off fixing my slight rear end sag issue, but i think, now, im gonna fix it next weekend. i guess as long as the new door fits correctly and the paint is a good match, i really shouldnt too be too hasty (the shop im going to does really good work, my mom and my sister smash their explorers all the time and go to this shop.)

i was just really frustrated the day of the accident, especially since it was september 11th, and i work in Newark, NJ and i can see the NY skyline from work and all day i just looked over there and the towers werent there - i had a really hard time with it, as i imagine a lot of people did.

i just took some pics of the carnage, and im in the process right now of editting them to get my license plate out of them, but ill post em later today or tomorrow, and when i get the truck back, ill post some "after" shots.

thanks again everyone.

 

[section525]

(the shop im going to does really good work, my mom and my sister smash their explorers all the time and go to this shop.)

Ha! Women drivers; no survivors!

Glad youre going to continue your modding!

 

[Doug]

Sorry to hear about your truck but all i have to say is "explorer pickup."

 

[espnfreak]

(the shop im going to does really good work, my mom and my sister smash their explorers all the time and go to this shop.)

lol, well said you got a digicam to post pics of the damage?

 

[X24]

Sorry man. I'm the same way when it comes to my truck. If people get too close I get nervous.

As for the paint matching... I had to have half my truck repainted because some punks hit me with eggs. The paint match is perfect. Now, with computers, they can match anything. The can compensate for fade by tinting the paint. I wouldnt worry about the paint not matching. If it was your drivers door then I might worry but the tailgate is a separate part of the truck all in itself. If it's not a perfect match you wont be able to tell.

Good luck with everything! Keep us posted.

 

[Stephen]

If its one thing I've learned from 40 years of driving cars I love to keep perfect, you'll get run into three times as often. Our Explorer has been hit five times since new, and the Lexus has been hit three. Don't worry about the damage, a good shop can make it so you'll never know the difference. If I remember correctly, your truck is white like mine. White is one of the hardest colors to blend properly, but I had a rear passenger door painted on mine by a great shop, and you really can't tell. Just make sure they have all the latest equipment, and make sure they're going to blend the paint into the adjoining panels, if not it'll stick out really bad on white.

As for NJ, I agree with you, out of all the state police agencies, they irritate me the most. I think the uniforms speak volumes, rider crop pants, sashes, shoulder pads, oh please.

 

[Firedawgy]

Tbomb, I'll join everyone else in saying I'm sorry for your accident. The wife just did that same thing two weeks ago, not paying attention and plowed into a 99 Taurus at about 35mph. I drove the truck off with a slightly pushed in bumper, cracked lights and chome trim, she was towed and totaled with her rear in her back seat. Nobody was hurt by the way. Anyway Explorers are tough, except their trannys, and in a short time you will be all to happy to be driving your repaired Explorer. Sounds like the cop was a real di(k, he could at least given you the chance to call and verify your insurance, or made you appear in court to prove you had insurance on that day without taking your truck. Maybe Krispy Creme was on strike. He made it a lot worse on you then it needed to be, especially when you were not at fault. I know we can't make it better for you, but we're all behind you. Good luck

 

[tbomb]

ok, i took some digital pics yesterday, but im just gonna post links to em, rahter than inserting the pics into this thread.

theyre all at: http://www.dangagga.com/tbomb/other/accident/

i didnt take a pic of the exhaust, which i think might be bent slightly (only the part of the pipe that comes out of the back of the muffler), but nothing major.

it doesnt look so bad in the pics, but for some reason, when you go and stand right next to the truck, it looks worse - a lot of those blemishes on the bumper are actually the bumper supports and other members underneath starting to poke through the bumper.

stephen, yeah my trucks white. im not so worried about them matching the white paint as i am worried about them matching the grey paint on the bumper to the fender flares and the other grey paint on the truck. like i said before, the shop im taking it to does good work, not excellent work, but good, so im sure ill be happy with the job they do, but, like anyone who has been in an accident before, youre not happy until its over. (i think i said this earlier, but the shop is owned and operated by family friends, and theyre really hooking me up as to what parts i want replaced, and using OEM parts, and the amount of time that theyll have my truck for, and theyre taking care of a rental car for me, and theyre going to be doing a lot of the "dealing with the insurance companies" for me, so i dont have to. i think i might have them paint that black plastic piece that goes above the license plate white to match the rest of the truck.) a lot of people have said that i should paint the grey trim white to match the rest of the truck, but when i make the truck my secondary vehicle, i really want to paint the whole truck grey to match the bumpers and fender flares, but thats not gonna happen anytime soon.

thanks everyone, and when i get my truck back, ill post pics of it. im hoping that i have the whole accident thing all wrapped up and taken care of in 3-4 weeks; it all depends on how fast i get that police report with the womans insurance info on it.