Just Wrecked My Dream Car

SYNFULL

Enthusiast
Joined
May 11, 2005
Posts
1,042
Reaction score
0
Location
Bucks Co, Pa
Was coming home from the gym on this beautiful day when I came over a hill and traffic was at a dead stop. I slammed on my brakes and they started to stop
and then nothing. I frantically pumped the braked and nothing was happening. It was like a slow motion nightmare. I had nowhere safe to go, there were 2 lanes of traffic stopped in front of me and and 2 lanes of heavy traffic coming the other way. I crossed over the median strip and thought I hit 3 or 4 cars. Finally I came to rest and sat there for a moment.
I checked my body and thought I was alright except for my right eyebrow which was hurting and bleeding. I tried to open the drivers door but could not, so I had to crawl through the passenger window. The airbags never deployed. I could only see one car that I had hit and the older couple seemed ok. By now volunteer firefighters (the station was down the street) began arriving and checking on everyone. I grabbed a rag out of my gym bag since my head was bleeding but I couldn't believe it seemed like no one was really injured. My car parts were all over the highway. I can't imagine the car not being totaled. Traffic was stopped in both directions and there were fire engines and emergency vehicles all over the place. I don't know how but I think I only hit one car and nobody was seriously hurt. The hood was about 15 feet away, the front bumper on the side of the road and my door skin totally off. The ambulance came and checked my out and I told them I was going to go to the hospital with my wife. I am so very lucky. I had thirteen stitches put in my eyebrow but otherwise I am fine (except my baby is gone).
I was just driving the car yesterday which also was a beautiful day and I was thinking how lucky I was to have such an amazing vehicle.
I hope my insurance covers everything. It is Classic Collectors and my policy has a "stated value" of 48000. I'm not really sure what that means as opposed to agreed value.
My brother took a bunch of pics which I will post later (if you want to get nauseous).
Hopefully I will be fortunate enough to enjoy another vehicle like this one. Be safe!
Gary
 

BlknBlu

Enthusiast
Joined
May 25, 2008
Posts
3,514
Reaction score
0
Location
Omaha, NE
THe most important thing is that your ok. So sorry to hear about the accident.

Bruce
 

killerviper

Viper Owner
Joined
Nov 7, 2009
Posts
155
Reaction score
4
Location
Houston, Texas
Sorry to hear about your loss Gary, at least you are safe as well as the people in the other cars! you can always get another Viper
 

TowDawg

Enthusiast
Joined
Feb 13, 2010
Posts
2,105
Reaction score
0
Location
Chattanooga, TN
***** to hear and glad everyone is OK.
With your policy, you should be just fine and get a check for $48,000 from the insurance company. That's the beautiful thing about stated/agreed policies. I wish I could get one for mine, but I like to drive it too damn much and wouldn't be able to stay under the milage restrictions.
 

CA97GTS

Enthusiast
Joined
Sep 4, 2011
Posts
129
Reaction score
0
Location
Riverside, Ca.
Good that you got away with just bumps and bruises
Stated value usually has clause that they pay you "book / NADA value"
Agreed value they pay what it is insured for.

Who is it Hagerty, Grundy ?
 

CA97GTS

Enthusiast
Joined
Sep 4, 2011
Posts
129
Reaction score
0
Location
Riverside, Ca.
***** to hear and glad everyone is OK.
With your policy, you should be just fine and get a check for $48,000 from the insurance company. That's the beautiful thing about stated/agreed policies. I wish I could get one for mine, but I like to drive it too damn much and wouldn't be able to stay under the milage restrictions.

Try Grundy- no mileage restrictions.....I am in the middle of switching form Hagerty.
 

Ratical2

Enthusiast
Joined
May 8, 2007
Posts
2,326
Reaction score
0
Location
San Jose, CA
Wow, I hate to read stories like this but am very happy to hear that no one was seriously injured. <br>
<br>
The longest moment in the world is when you have done all you can do and all that is left is to hold on and wait to see how bad it is going to end.<br>
<br>
Was your wife injured in any way? You mention you went the hospital with her.
 

tucker

Enthusiast
Joined
Jan 19, 2006
Posts
814
Reaction score
0
No good. It sounds like you will be in another one before too long though.
 

drlee50

Enthusiast
Joined
Nov 16, 2010
Posts
141
Reaction score
0
sorry man!
down shift to 1st? and engine brake ? I wonder what failed? damn!
 

mattdillon

Enthusiast
Joined
Oct 10, 2010
Posts
1,520
Reaction score
0
Location
Duck Dynasty Back Yard
Glad you're ok Gary, & no one else was injured. I know with everything happening so fast, did you even think about the emergency brake or was it not working either. The worst part will be the next morning waking up & thinking it was all a dream until you go out to the garage & realize it really did happen & your baby really is gone (at least thats the way it felt to me 20 years ago & my baby back then was a Corvette). Will you try to replace it with the same car or will you get another one in the Viper family. Don't forget to say your prayers tonite cause it really sounds like you were lucky you only got stitches. jmo
 

Camfab

Enthusiast
Joined
Oct 2, 2004
Posts
2,916
Reaction score
3
Location
SoCal
The truth is, as long as everyone's ok, really that's all that matters. Now the internal reality.....................unfortunately I've been in your shoes. You'll hash it over in your mind over and over again. I also had classic car insurance and it took quite some time to get it all sorted. Rest assured it will all get resolved and you'll get another car. Stuff like this will always leave a mark, better emotional than physical. Thank god no one was seriously injured!
 

Fatboy 18

Enthusiast
Joined
Jan 16, 2008
Posts
5,092
Reaction score
3
Location
Surrey, United Kingdom
Oh No :( Really sorry to hear this, but I glad you made it out ok and that no one else was injured.

So what do you think caused the brake problem? Did the wheels just lock up and you lost traction or was there No Brakes? I hope the other car you took out was a Prius :D

Sounds like you ran down the side of the other car so I guess that could be why the Air bags did not deploy?
 

Jeebs

Viper Owner
Joined
Apr 3, 2011
Posts
514
Reaction score
0
Location
Ontario
***** to hear but glad everyone is ok. Cars can be replaced, lives can't. Over the next couple days you might be thinking what you could have did different to avoid all this damage, but truth is what you did was likley all you could have done. **** happens fast, and it sounds like you did your best and everyone walked away. Sounds good to me. But still *****.
 

plumcrazy

Enthusiast
Joined
Jun 9, 2003
Posts
16,243
Reaction score
7
Location
ALL OVER
its just a car, dont sweat it. glad youre ok.

keep us posted on how the insurance deals with it. it will be good for us to know and learn god forbid it happens to us
 

PDCjonny

Enthusiast
Joined
Nov 2, 2004
Posts
5,999
Reaction score
3
Very sorry to hear this.
What an inopportune time for brake failure.
 

georgethedog

Enthusiast
Joined
Nov 4, 2007
Posts
2,982
Reaction score
6
Location
Near Peoria, IL
Like everyone else has said, really glad you are ok. You don't think about brake failure on today's vehicles, but anything can happen. Sorry you had to go through that, but sounds like you and the others are fine so take it easy and keep us up to date on the insurance. I think I need to look into classic insurance too, right now I just use Country Companies. Take care.
 

DrumrBoy

Enthusiast
Joined
Jul 21, 2003
Posts
2,612
Reaction score
0
Location
GA
Glad you're OK. If you get a chance to figure out what caused the brakes to fail, it'd be good info for you to have. A worn line, a popped fitting, etc....Shouldn't happen on a relatively young street car but if you figure out what happened it might give you peace of mind about the bad break.
 

Matt M PA

Enthusiast
Joined
Oct 2, 2000
Posts
1,582
Reaction score
0
Location
Langhorne, PA USA
I'm so very sorry to be reading this, Gary. Sounds like you are okay and that's what matters. Wow.

I'm be anxiouus to hear what happened with the brakes.

Where did it happen?
 

CEJ

Enthusiast
Joined
Apr 4, 2011
Posts
1,175
Reaction score
2
Location
Raleigh, NC
Sorry to hear your Viper took the brunt of this accident. You were very fortunate as was the old couple...as many have stated, material stuff can be replaced.

When you get the check from the insurance company, you have a lot of options for getting another Viper.
 
Top