Car wreck

[Chairboy]

Hey guys,

Drive carefully, the weather can change quickly and cars have a lot of energy in them.  Yesterday, I was one of three cars involved in the following:

http://www.tdn.com/articles/2008/03/30/area_news/10179828.txt

I was driving south on I-5 near Kelso when the weather turned.  It started to hail and rain, so we all began to slow.  Up ahead, I saw a black Mercedes 300 spinning counterclockwise and sliding backwards across the lanes right in front of me.  I jammed on the brakes and aggresively steered to the right and 95% dodged.  The last 5% was a doozy, though. 



Here's my car:



The image peeled the front left fender off, also hit the wheel and probably broke something in the steering.  As noted in the article, the other car was northbound on I-5 and lost control, coming across the ditch that separates the two and into our traffic.  I shake when I think what would have happened if I hadn't been able to dodge as much as I did.  A closing rate of over 100mph (remember, he was heading the opposite direction on the other side of the road) is astonishingly fast, the Buick Regal really did its job.  I checked out Marcus quickly, re-assured him, then had to twist in my seat and use both feet to push the door open.  I ran over to the Mercedes and saw that he wasn't breathing.  Other people were on the scene and we were trying to get him breathing (I went around to his side where it was caved in and was going to clear his airway and start CPR), but a volunteer medic ran up and took charge so I called 911 (never assume someone else has already) and ran back to my car.  There was a group helping the woman who T-boned the Mercedes.  I got back in, pulled my son into the front and just held him.  We were both really shaken up.

We bought the car back when my wife was pregnant with this kid for the safety features, and they paid off big time, both in responsiveness (the collision avoidance) and the protection (for the part of the collision that wasn't avoided).  My ~6 year old was in the back in a booster, we were all wearing seatbelts.  He had a cut on his face but was checked out and is fine.  I had some torn muscles in my back, but I'm sure that'll heal up in a week or so. 

So drive safe, folks, and be ready for anything, including a car from oncoming traffic.  And slow the foxtrot down when it starts hailing.  We were on our side, but at least one car on the other side may not have.

[DoNKeY]

Glad to hear you're both alright.

donkey

[Ripsnort]

Holy crap! Glad you and your family are safe~!  State of Or-e-gone needs to put up some jersy barriers or at the very least cable barriers on that stretch of highway.

[Chairboy]

I think this is roughly where it happened:

http://tinyurl.com/yurdny

Right next to Oregon, but this was in Washington.

[Holden McGroin]

Right next to Oregon, but this was in Washington.

So RIP wants Oregon to pay?

Good you're OK CB.

[E25280]

Glad you are OK. 

Doubly glad you had your child properly buckled as well.  I still sometimes see kids through the rear window of cars on the interstate bouncing back and forth as if they are on a trampoline.  Even with the "relatively" minor hit you took, if he hadn't been buckled, it could have been far worse than a couple of cuts.

[Chairboy]

Absolutely.  Everything loose in the car flew forward.  Note the kid shoe in the front window, that was in the backseat.  If that had been a ~6 year old kid....  <shudder>

[wrongwayric]

Good to hear your ok. When weather changes like that you should always slow down, gradually, not drive your butt off then panic brake when heavy rain/hail/snow hits. That's usually what gets people into the uncontrolled situations they find themselves in. A head-on out of control crash is the most difficult type of accident to avoid as usually you can't accurately judge were the car is going or how it's going to impact you. Had you not steared as you did and the impact been in the door i shudder to think of the damage to you. Well Done Sir. On the lighter side it must be all the practice you get dodging ho's here in AH. See this game does help you in real life.

[Sundowner]

Glad to hear that you and yours is ok, CB.

Regards,
Sun

[xbrit]

Glad to hear you are both OK.
Now you'll get a chance to watch some of that FTA !!

[snowey]

where in the world is keslo
good think you and your kid were alright
and you have nothing to complain about my cousin totaled 3 cars in a month

[nirvana]

Wow, glad you're okay Chairboy.

[FrodeMk3]

Really glad to hear you and your boy are ok, Choir. And WTG for your actions' immediately afterwards, I've driven up on wrecks' before where all people did was get out of their car and stand around, wouldn't lift a finger to help anyone for anything. <S>

[Donzo]

Heavy stuff there Chairboy....glad to here that you and you family are ok.

[eagl]

Glad to hear you're ok.

One thing - you say your back should heal in a few days, but you MUST go get it checked out and thoroughly documented.  If it turns out you have a slipped disc or something and you didn't document it, you will be stuck with the bill yourself.

Edit - The article said someone died, but didn't specifically say it was the driver of the mercedes...  I'm puzzled by the "no charges will be filed" either.  Driving way too fast for conditions warrants a citation, and when you nearly kill 3 carloads of people doing so...  But again if the driver was dead, then I guess yea nobody to file charges against.

Still, get a lawyer. 

But even if you don't sue his estate, make SURE you document your medical condition and your back injury.  That sort of thing has a way of coming back, making it almost impossible to work while not being covered by insurance and not making you technically "disabled".  Better let the guy who injured you pay for that, and the only way to do that is to get thoroughly checked out (X-Ray, MRI, the whole works), get multiple follow-ups over the next couple of weeks, and of course have the other guy's insurance pay for the exams since he's the one who did it to you.