Accident...

[rambotheshark]

I have not posted in a long time. Had no real reason too, but Monday on my trip out to watch a long weekend of car racing I had the dreaded accident.

I was cruising down a two lane road headed to the racetrack in Sebring, Florida and an elderly woman, age 85, pulled out from a side street right in front of me. I was able to slow down a little, not much though and got her rear quarter panel. Probably totaled her car as it look like he axle snapped.

She said she "did not see me".

Lucky I got her there and not the passenger side door or else she would have been injured. All her air bags went off in the Hyundai and she walked away. Shook up, but no injuries.

My truck took some damage, but the airbag did not deploy. Nothing important seemed loose under the front end and nothing was leaking so I made it the last four miles (yes, I was that close) I had left to go to my destination and had some fun. I also made it back home today.

Now the insurance fun begins...

[rambotheshark]

rhagfo wrote:

Campinfan wrote:
I could see how she did not see that little truck of yours and that mini trailer on the back. Glad no one was hurt.

Just a point of curiosity, did you have your headlights on???

Also glad all walked away OK.

Did you check your hitch for damage?

Headlights were not on.

Yes, I checked for hitch damage. It looks minor. There is some though. One of the rails that bolts to the truck is bent a bit although still solidly bolted down. I am not sure if it is an indication of a major issue like any potential frame damage to the truck, but it is definitely something that will need to be checked out. Also the bolts in the kingpin look to have shifted a few millimeters. This stuff is all on my list of things to get inspected and fixed if need be. I fully understand that small hairline fracture or the like that the untrained eye misses can become a huge dangerous problem later on with just regular travel stress.

[2oldman]

rambotheshark wrote:
..I tried my best to slow down as much as I could without making the situation worse for everyone. Locking the brakes up, potentially jackknifing, and going headfirst into oncoming traffic in the next lane seemed like much, much, much worse alternative.

You did right. Panic reactions can and do make situations much worse - like swerving into oncoming traffic trying to avoid hitting an animal.

[rambotheshark]

Ozlander wrote:

rambotheshark wrote:

I figured to keep from jackknifing or worse I could only do a real slow deceleration, even if only a few miles per hour before impact and just plow through it. Try to keep everything going straight and come to a controlled stop. Really not much you else can do.

You posted on a public forum that you didn't really try to stop.
What were you thinking?
Her lawyer could take you to the cleaners.

There was not a snowballs chance in hell I could have stopped my truck and fiver in less than three seconds or so. She literally pulled out right in front me. It would have been flat out impossible so I tried my best to slow down as much as I could without making the situation worse for everyone. Locking the brakes up, potentially jackknifing, and going headfirst into oncoming traffic in the next lane seemed like much, much, much worse alternative.

And she is lucky I was able to slow down even just a little as that allowed me to hit her rear passenger quarter panel area and not the dead center of the car.

[Ozlander]

rambotheshark wrote:

I figured to keep from jackknifing or worse I could only do a real slow deceleration, even if only a few miles per hour before impact and just plow through it. Try to keep everything going straight and come to a controlled stop. Really not much you else can do.

You posted on a public forum that you didn't really try to stop.
What were you thinking?
Her lawyer could take you to the cleaners.

[Coach-man]

FrankShore wrote:
I would get those airbags checked when you're getting the front end work done. Seems mighty odd that they didn't go off upon impact (20mph is the low threshold iirc) They could be Takata like mentioned above!

X2! I would make it a point to have the air bags checked! As I understand one of the complaints on the suspect air bags is they don't deploy at the crash, then for no apparent reason they will go off later! If your TV is equipped with those bags, get them replaced! On the flip side, no one injured, and you still have the TV and Rig!

[is_it_friday_ye]

I agree with some of the other posts, that's not much damage to the truck. I wouldn't want my airbags to go off on a collision like that. I would be happy if my radiator, oil cooler, etc.. weren't punctured.

[Bumpyroad]

all that damage happened to the front end and no air bag??
that should be reported to some agency.
bumpy

[blofgren]

FishOnOne wrote:
Good everyone walked away.... Looks like a new front bumper and your good to go.

x2. And you're right in that it does happen when you least expect it. I was t-boned by a lady that run a red light 4 years ago in my new work F-150 that I had for exactly 9 days at the time.

[rhagfo]

Campinfan wrote:
I could see how she did not see that little truck of yours and that mini trailer on the back. Glad no one was hurt.

Just a point of curiosity, did you have your headlights on???

Also glad all walked away OK.

Did you check your hitch for damage?

[Campinfan]

I could see how she did not see that little truck of yours and that mini trailer on the back. Glad no one was hurt.

[ReneeG]

Oh wow, so glad that it wasn't as bad as it could've been! It is definitely a hassle you didn't want to contend with, but your truck is probably ok engine wise, the 5th is ok, and everyone walked away.

[rrev]

1. Airbags normally don't deploy on a collision like that.
2. The bumpers on those, and all trucks, are designed to do exactly what it did; crumple. It reduces the chance of an injury in an accident.
3. The other car got that much damage for the same reason; designed to crumple.
4. I've been to school for auto body and been doing it for over 20 years.

On a little different note, glad everyone is ok.

[2oldman]

Drive safely..but everyone says safe. Don't know why. Maybe adverbs aren't a strong suit.

[Calicajun]

Glad everyone is ok. Really like that bill board in the background of your picture. The one that says drive safe. 🙂

[DownTheAvenue]

newman fulltimer wrote:
that looks like a truck from fords fleet line if so i did not think they came with airbags

All vehicles come with air bags! Even my son's over the road Volvo tractor/trailer has airbags!