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So on Friday 2/20, my low fuel light came on. As most of you probably know, at that point, there are still approximately 2-ish gallons of gas in the tank, so I chose to ignore it. I barely drove the car on Saturday. On Sunday, I drove across town to coach indoor practice for my daughter's softball team.
As I left practice, it crossed my mind that I should stop and get gas, but I live in Iowa and it was about 2 degrees. So I thought I would wait until I got across town (and the car was warm) to get gas near my house. I didn't make it.
I lost power while on the Interstate and made my way to the side of the road, parking as close to the shoulder as possible. It was around 6:30pm and starting to get dark. I turned on my hazards and called my wife; she was 30 minutes away, so I told her not to come get me. I turned off the hazard lights (in case I didn't make it back that night, I didn't want the battery to be dead too) and walked down an exit ramp and over a couple blocks to a gas station. My thought was that I would buy a cheap gas can, fill it up, and return to gas the car up.
However, it was freezing cold, and by the time I got to the station, I wasn't looking forward to the return walk. So I thought "What do I pay AAA for anyway?" and gave them a call. 30 minutes later I was riding back to my car in a service van from a local automotive company who had brought a spare 3 gallons of gas for me.
As we approach the place where I had left my car, we noticed a trooper with his lights on, checking my abandoned car I supposed. But as we pulled up behind him, I could see the car in front of his cruiser and......it wasn't mine. Mine was nowhere to be seen.
He was the 2nd trooper on the scene, called as backup by the 1st, who was on his way downtown with the driver of the other car who, I was informed by Trooper #2, would be "spending the night in jail."
So short story long, a drunk driver plowed into my car doing at least the speed limit (60mph) and likely more. Their car knocked my car into the ditch and traveled on until stopped by a guard rail that is now rather mangled.
We are all thanking God that I left the vehicle instead of sticking with it and that the other driver sustained only bumps and bruises as well.
It was ruled as 100% the fault of the other driver, their insurance company paid up, and I used the money.....well, actually I used the money to pay off the remaining loan on my wife's van and financed my new (used) Acura MDX (with Tech package).
My first thought was to replace the 2004 TL with another 2004 TL. Then I decided to "upgrade" to a 2007 TL, primarily because (of all the stupid reasons) the 2007's have an AUX audio port so I could plug in my iPhone. Yes, other side benefits would be a three year newer car, lower mileage, a better color (I found a beautiful one in black), and a Nav system. But it was really all about the AUX jack.
Then I test drove a 2008 RL. I was blown away by how much nicer and more luxurious it was than the TL. Far less sporty, true, but the ride was nicer and there was more room. It was more comfy and had lots more amenities, including SH-AWD.
Then I saw a local dealer with a 2008 MDX in my price range. One test drive pretty much convinced me that it is the perfect trade-off of everything I am looking for in a vehicle (except gas mileage). It's got performance (300HP/275pf of torque). It's got handling and the SH-AWD. It has the tech package which adds Navigation, backup camera, 2 extra speakers, and "surround sound." It's got lots of room. I can finally haul larger things home from Home Depot. And it is very comfortable and quiet!
I loved the TL, I really did. Except for the "old man" gold color and always wishing I had about 1 inch more room in the drivers floor space.
But I am looking forward to a fun future with the MDX for sure!
Moral of the story: Get gas *before* your low fuel light comes on.
TL;DR: Ran out of gas on the interstate. Abandoned my TL which ended up getting hit by a tipsy driver. Her insurance paid up. I bought an MDX to replace the TL.
Crazy story thanks for sharing. Not saying you did this, but to give an example of how incredibly dangerous it is to stop on the side of the highway....if I was in a position where I had my family in my vehicle and all of a sudden got a flat tire, or some really loud engine noise or overheating or whatever, I would ruin my car and get it and my family off the highway before I let them sit in a car on the side of a highway. There are so many incredibly terrible drivers going very fast and way too close. Glad no one was in that TL.
So wait, just out of curiousity, wouldn't you be partially responsible for leaving your car on the shoulder of the interestate with no hazards on? I think if she wasn't under the influence, this may not have worked out as well as it did in your favor.
Nonetheless- I presume the driver who hit you was ok? hitting a stationary vehicle at 60+mph would be somewhat catastrophic. What was she driving?
So wait, just out of curiousity, wouldn't you be partially responsible for leaving your car on the shoulder of the interestate with no hazards on? I think if she wasn't under the influence, this may not have worked out as well as it did in your favor.
Nonetheless- I presume the driver who hit you was ok? hitting a stationary vehicle at 60+mph would be somewhat catastrophic. What was she driving?
When I went to the salvage yard where it was towed to retrieve my plates and items from the vehicle, a lot attendant was with me. He was the grandfatherly man-of-few-words type. I turned to him and said, "What do you think? Think we could fix this?" He chuckled and said, "Yeah, with a new car."
I don't claim to understand insurance laws. Iowa is a "no-fault" state. Which actually ends up having the effect that drivers are usually charged with a portion of fault. So for a rear-end accident, the driver who did the rear-ending may be charged with 80% fault and the driver who got rear-ended may be charged with 20% fault for not driving slowly enough to compensate for how close the car behind was following him. It usually creates some mind-bogglingly asinine situations. But in this case, her insurance company ruled her 100% at fault.
I never saw the driver of the other vehicle, but late the next day she did call me. She was very apologetic and I let her off easy because I figured she was already dealing with enough chaos. I asked how she was and she said she only had "bumps and bruises." Turns out my neighbor knew who she was (small world), and we looked her up on Facebook. She is young and pretty and has a nice looking family, so I hope this didn't disrupt her world too badly.
It also turns out she is an American Family insurance agent; the company who her holds her auto insurance policy. For a normal driver, something like this may affect your insurance rates. But I wonder if this affects her job?!
As for her car, it was a 2002 Chevy Impala. I only saw it from the rear the night of the accident, and there was no damage there. But I am told it was totaled too. No surprise there.
Here is a picture of both vehicles from the night of the collision:
Holy crap man, Does that say 42nd St? If so Is that on 235 of DSM? I live in Iowa also DSM to be exact. I'm glad you're safe especially with the damage done to the vehicle. What a coincidence you had left your vehicle at the exact moment. Glad you got an MDX, was always thinking about getting one but I can't see myself in a SUV. If you ever run into trouble or anything like that again I would be glad to lend a hand!
So wait, just out of curiousity, wouldn't you be partially responsible for leaving your car on the shoulder of the interestate with no hazards on? I think if she wasn't under the influence, this may not have worked out as well as it did in your favor.
Nonetheless- I presume the driver who hit you was ok? hitting a stationary vehicle at 60+mph would be somewhat catastrophic. What was she driving?
There is likely no way to tell if the hazards were on or not, unless OP gave a statement saying they weren't.
Originally Posted by e5c4p3artist
When I went to the salvage yard where it was towed to retrieve my plates and items from the vehicle, a lot attendant was with me. He was the grandfatherly man-of-few-words type. I turned to him and said, "What do you think? Think we could fix this?" He chuckled and said, "Yeah, with a new car."
I don't claim to understand insurance laws. Iowa is a "no-fault" state. Which actually ends up having the effect that drivers are usually charged with a portion of fault. So for a rear-end accident, the driver who did the rear-ending may be charged with 80% fault and the driver who got rear-ended may be charged with 20% fault for not driving slowly enough to compensate for how close the car behind was following him. It usually creates some mind-bogglingly asinine situations. But in this case, her insurance company ruled her 100% at fault.
I never saw the driver of the other vehicle, but late the next day she did call me. She was very apologetic and I let her off easy because I figured she was already dealing with enough chaos. I asked how she was and she said she only had "bumps and bruises." Turns out my neighbor knew who she was (small world), and we looked her up on Facebook. She is young and pretty and has a nice looking family, so I hope this didn't disrupt her world too badly.
It also turns out she is an American Family insurance agent; the company who her holds her auto insurance policy. For a normal driver, something like this may affect your insurance rates. But I wonder if this affects her job?!
As for her car, it was a 2002 Chevy Impala. I only saw it from the rear the night of the accident, and there was no damage there. But I am told it was totaled too. No surprise there.
Here is a picture of both vehicles from the night of the collision:
Young and pretty and having a nice looking family doesn't excuse drunk driving. Again glad everyone came away relatively uninjured, but agree with GKin.
Originally Posted by GKinColo08TL
Both of you are lucky! Good of you to let her off the hook...she's dealing with a DUI, good chance that will cost her her job.
Holy crap man, Does that say 42nd St? If so Is that on 235 of DSM? I live in Iowa also DSM to be exact. I'm glad you're safe especially with the damage done to the vehicle. What a coincidence you had left your vehicle at the exact moment. Glad you got an MDX, was always thinking about getting one but I can't see myself in a SUV. If you ever run into trouble or anything like that again I would be glad to lend a hand!
Six4one, this was in Cedar Rapids on I-380 going northbound. But I grew up in Des Moines, and I know it well.
Wow, it's a good thing you decided to abandon the car to get fuel. I could only imagine the whiplash you would've had if you were sitting in the car when she slammed into it. Learning lesson for both I suppose. Don't let your gas get too low, and don't drive if you've been drinking.
Glad to hear you or your family were not in the car when it happened, or anywhere near it for that matter. Sad to see the TL go, but you got a nice car in the MDX.
As for your moral of the story. The only time I've ever had my gas light come on was when I pulled into the gas station. Otherwise I usually fill up when my range says about 100mi left or 2 bars before empty
Most, if not all insurance companies have an expectation of agents being ambassadors of the product written specifically in the terms of employment. I'd be quite surprised if she still remained gainfully employed hereafter.
Most, if not all insurance companies have an expectation of agents being ambassadors of the product written specifically in the terms of employment. I'd be quite surprised if she still remained gainfully employed hereafter.
While some of this may be true, how would her employer find out? In most cases, people who work for insurance companies are not insured by their employer (my brother and sister in law work for two different national insurance carriers) as it eliminates the possibility of any conflict of interest or opportunities for funny business. As she was driving a 2002 MY car, I'm going to say she was not driving a company vehicle and as this happened late a night, I'm going to say she was not conducting any work related business. However, if she needs time away from work for court and/or is locked up, then that's a different story.
I'm not defending her or her actions, but I wouldn't be so sure she is going to loose her job over this.
While some of this may be true, how would her employer find out? In most cases, people who work for insurance companies are not insured by their employer...
She does indeed work for the same insurance company who insured her car.
Most, if not all insurance companies have an expectation of agents being ambassadors of the product written specifically in the terms of employment. I'd be quite surprised if she still remained gainfully employed hereafter.
Originally Posted by GKinColo08TL
Both of you are lucky! Good of you to let her off the hook...she's dealing with a DUI, good chance that will cost her her job.
It isn't always her employer that she has to worry about telling, it is the state or what ever agency handles her insurance license. That usually has the clause that she must self-declare any issues and they may take action against her. I have friends who are agents as well and that is their biggest fear and what keeps them in-line. They dork up their insurance license, they end their career since they can no longer sell insurance for anyone.
03-02-2015, 04:45 PM
Again glad everyone came away relatively uninjured, but agree with GKin.
