1996 Explorer XLT Saved our lives...

[CobraMountaineer]

OK, none of the people on the modified side has seen or heard this yet, so feel lucky...
On February 7, 2009, I was on our way home from W. NY to ESMD with our children and 5 dogs. We were going through Felton DE South bound and were hit by a drunk driver in a 2004 F150 Crewcab. We were in the right lane doing 45Mph and the Lady hit us going over 90Mph. We spun 180 degrees and hit the grass and rolled passenger side first 360, to land back on the wheels. Everyone "Walked away", and we lost one dog. A ford Explorer saved our lives, and I want everyone to know how much we love them. See link for pictures of the accident scene.

Spin and Family

http://www.fithp.net/story.asp?ID=528

 

[jad2411]

Damn!!
Glad everybody walked away from the crash, RIP to your dog

 

[CobraMountaineer]

Thanks

 

[Rick]

Wow! That was a tremendous crash. Glad you came out of it ok. Sorry one of your dogs didn't make it

 

[BrianDye]

Glad to hear you guys are okay!
Hopefully that woman got quite a jail sentence....

RIP to your dog

 

[Joe Dirt]

Wow. Just wow.

Glad (most of) your family made it out alive! Sorry about your dog, that's too bad.

Thanks to all of the emergency response personnel as well! What a great testimony to the stoutness of the Ex. Damned if the door hinges didn't still work. Well done, Ford.

 

[94 explorer xlt]

Glad that you and ur family including the 4 dogs are ok.

RIP to the other dog

and RIP to ur X

 

[CobraMountaineer]

I tell you what. That truck was solid. It had frame rust from good'ol NWPA, and it was gettin miles on it (214,000), but she was a solid truck, and the cargo area was the only saving grace. It was folded up like an accordian, the A pillar drivers side was so low from the roll, the visor was eye level sitting there. There was blood on the roof where my head hit it. I didn't even know it. The last pics were the FD lookin for the fuel cut off or something. Too bad they couldn't find it. The engine still turned over, and might have been drivable except for the flat. We hit so hard on the landing that the right rear wheel was buried into the dirt to the hub. The only thing that kept us going over again was the doors being blown out of shape. The witness that saw it said it was a semi-airborn role. We left 3-4" groves in to pavement when it slide sideways 180. if it wasn't for the accident, it would make for a hellava theme ride...

Thanks for the support...

 

[celly]

Yet another example of how safe our rides are despite what misinformed media sources like to say. That's a nasty crash. So sorry to hear about your dog.

 

[patman]

psh you're car's not in too bad shape it'll buff out! lol i'm kidding
glad to here you're ok and i'm sorry for your dog

 

[tripplec]

Well size has always mattered especially when tangling with another vechical such as a pickup. Good to hear you all came out of it ok. I am sure your nerves were through the roof. too bad about the dog. But Five dogs, I have to wonder about that.

From the look of the pics its a wonder more dogs did not pass away. That rear quarter was non existent and the drivers corner wacked in pretty good as well.

 

[CobraMountaineer]

Oh yea, the insurance company said it would cost over $11,000 to fix it... for a 1996 Ex. I wish they gave us that instead of the $2,600 to replace it... Oh well...

 

[Joe Dirt]

They actually went through an estimate process? They couldn't tell from looking at it that it was finished?

Wow! WTF?!?!

 

[FloridaState]

Wow, that's pretty bad. I'm sorry for your loss, I know how hard it can be losing a pet, but I'm glad the rest of your family is okay.
I'd almost bet my life that you all were wearing your seatbelts, no?
Seatbelts save lives; you most likely would have been ejected from the car and this incident would have been a lot worse had you guys not been buckled up.

I once went to a signal 7 (fatal accident) with my dad, who is the THI (traffic homicide investigation) sergeant for the Florida Highway Patrol. It was a first generation Explorer that apparently lost control somehow (it was never determined why, looks like they dozed off or weren't paying attention and over-corrected) and flipped multiple times. The car held up remarkably well, but some of the occupants did not. The two parents were not wearing their seatbelts; they were both ejected, and the SUV rolled over and crushed the mother lying on the road, while the father was thrown into a barbed-wire fence (it was the impact that killed him, not exactly the fence). The two small children in the back survived because, get this, they were buckled up! Now, unfortunately, they are without their parents. Investigators say that without a doubt, if they were wearing their seatbelts they would have survived. The cabin was totally intact, and they would've escaped with minor, if any, injuries.

So yeah, don't mean to hijack your thread, but wear your seatbelts, people!

 

[CobraMountaineer]

ALways do, and the one time I was putting it on, I got a ticket...lol

 

[CobraMountaineer]

I guess the insurance company wanted to make sure it was a total loss...

 

[techieman33]

I guess the insurance company wanted to make sure it was a total loss...

I'm glad everyone was ok for the most part. I just rolled mine on the 2nd and the adjuster said that legally they have to write a repair estimate even when they know without a doubt it's totaled.