oldguytsxer

Short story

40 miles outside of Flagstaff as we are passing a semi, three quarters of the way past him, he pulls into our lane.
Dave is driving my 2006 Acura (R.I.P...Acura TSX knew you well)

Dave slams on brakes it is too late, semi hits my side of car.
It was like a slow motion movie...I had just woken from a short nap and was groggy; Dave tried to control the car but the car launched, tumbled end over end three times, each time it hit ground was the sound of a huge smash, crash, and creaking buckling steel.

In slow motion, my arms shot up to protect my face (pure instinct)
I saw desert trees brushing the windows (The DPS,
Arizona Highway patrol, said witnesses said we went thru the top of a tree) every time we cartwheeled then hit the ground I thought to myself, "this is worse than the most violent amusement park ride you could imagine"

The car ended upside down, half over a culvert.

Seemed like an eternity, but people, cops, volunteer firemen, appeared in about 15 minutes?

I was laying on the "ceiling" looking up at Dave, moaning was dangling from his seatbelt, we were teetered on a culvert.
I was dripping blood from my right eye area and thought I had lost an eye as I could only see out of my left..
Actually felt next to zero pain ...at that time..adrenalin, probably.
They had to bust the windshield out to get Dave out, and I was pried out thru the passenger side, they told us not to move as the car was unstable and teetering.

We are stretchered, neck collared,immobilized and whisked to Flagstaff...no sirens...sirens are for bad news people, that is actually good news for us.

The hospital is fuzzy to me, must have been good stuff in the IV.
Dave and I are catscanned, interviewed, then came the snow....
I remember seeing heavy snow in the reflection off a medicine cabinet window.
I got 15 stitches above my eye...when my arms went up, I was wearing a Heavy Heuer watch..I figure the impact rammed the watch into my skull.
We are admitted over-nite.
Slowly my back tightened up and got much worse to the point I was issued a back brace and walker.
I could barely walk without pain even full of meds.

Snowed so bad our cab got stuck and we had to get rescued by a 4 wheel drive taxi...good 8+ inches of the nasty heavy wet stuff..not the benign fluffy stuff.

We are dumped at an American Inn probably built in the 50's, probably original matresses, i might add.

We are snowed in, no rent cars available, they later had some trained in from somewhere.

The room was a POS...remote does not work, phone only local calls, not even an 800 number...our cell phones were sucked out the broken back window as we tumbled..
But at that point it was home...
Dave was barely scathed and he taxied to the grocery store, drug store, and brought back a large gourmet "Pizza by George" had mozzarella and goat cheese of all things, covered in Fajita meat....it was a feast fit for a Sultan at that point.
Dave is my best bud, we are now bonded for life.
(He kicked my ass in the Orleans 7pm $75. buy in; Dave
Cashed for 675 on a a 6 way chop)

I swiped a pee bottle from the hospital figuring I would need it....after 4 days of bed rest and supreme boredom, interrupted with calls from half the planet, I left the half full pee-bottle outside in the 12 degree overnite..

PEE DOES NOT FREEZE..

It looked like a golden "slushy" from quick-trip.


After a couple days of total rest, wives decide we need to fly out of Phoenix.

FLAGSTAFF IMPRESSIONS

Old lumber mill town, one main street, "Milton" incorporated
1891, now a ski area, rock climbing, trout fishing, college town..bought a new lucky poker cap, NAU LUMBERJACKS. (Northern Arizona)
I will say this, I have NEVER seen so many tall, leggy brunettes and redheads in one area.....women college age outnumbered men 2-1 easy...
flagstaff is beautiful country at 7500' altitude.
Pines everywhere, covered in snow it is like a perpetual xmas card..

Decending on Rt 17 to Phoenix was spectacular, Dave drove our rented 2011 Camry LE...really fine automobile.
Pine trees thinned out slowly to steppe vegetation, near desert scrubs, rocks, spectacular views and dry riverbeds, then WHAM! we our surrounded by Legions of Saguarro Cacti...one of the coolest sites I had ever seen...
Figured we were 60 miles north of Phoenix.
As Dave drove on,,,I studied the myriad different shapes sizes of these majestic creations, seemingly reaching towards the heavens.

Just as we passed "Bumble Bee" Arizona, (No services sign)
I saw a Saguarro cactus for the ages..3 limbs
It was like a giant man with arms spread out for a giant hug, with an enormous erection.


Rest of trip home, bland and dull...works for me..

Still have medium back pain, major bruises and contusions, and constant headache from the concussion, my report said I was knocked out, that would explain lots of holes in my memory.

FUNNY THING

As I was being stitched up; I had a 30 year old doctor, they brought out this huge lite with
magnifier....I remember singing "Good Morning Sunshine, The Earth says Hello...." from late 60's 5th dimension age of aquarius...the young doctor stopped and asked me what that was...
I said "Guess you do not remember the sixties"

He chuckled and said, "Not Really"


ANY MATURE SOLID ADVICE ON WHERE TO PROCEED against trucker insurer is welcome....A new car and some cash for misery and sufferings as well as new anxieties {Dave and I were apprehensive every time we tried to pass a truck}

I have yet to get a good nites sleep without meds. Not sure of future sufferings, still hurt too bad.

Sorry no pictures, trust me, only the driver side survived major damage...

justnspace

iTrader: (1)

wow.
glad you and Dave are okay

renedcruz

iTrader: (8)

I'm no expert when it comes to that insurance stuff, but you should be compensated GREATLY for your pain and suffering (according to what you just described). As I was reading your description, I could actually picture it in my head and I'll take your word for it that it was not pretty.

Glad to hear you and your buddy are ALIVE which is the most important thing.

kimbahpnam

+1

Did the truck driver accept responsibility?

PACman

WOW!! First off, happy to hear you made it out with your limbs intact and are able to breath and type. Same with your bud Dave.
Yes, you'll be hurt and sore for some time considering the severity of the accident. After the ER, the next medical thing to do is follow up with your general practitioner. Bring him/her up to speed as to what happened. Have them obtain ER notes, and plan the next course of medical management. You'll need medical documentation if you choose to pursue legal consult.
Also, if you haven't already, advise your auto insurance.

Best wishes.

Flipster23

iTrader: (15)

good thing your alive damn!!!

oldguytsxer

truck did stop.
Claims he was going 55 and we ran into him....

I will get accident report in awek or 2

shmork53

Glad to hear you are doing alright. I am sure you know that same accident in a 20 year old car the outcome would have been much worse. In terms of moving forward with compensation for damages etc, get a lawyer. Find a good Personal Injury attorney and get a copy of all your medical records so you can share them with the lawyer. In my limited experience as a practicing chiropractor in WA state, I have seen a few patients get minimal compensation and or the insurance company dragging there feet so pay out takes a long time. Now I work closely with a PI attorney and any auto accident patient at lest consults with him.

If you try to battle them yourself you will loose, they have lawyers and good ones at that, make sure you at least level the playing field with obtaining professional help. Hope you heal back to 100%.

808havok_tsx

glad you are alive!

document document document everything. have extra copies of said documents. and get a good lawyer. once the accident report proves your story true, trucking company will probably want to settle rather than go to court. in (civil aka tort) court, you can sue for compensatory (actual incurred due to lost work, etc.) damages as well as punitive (aka punishing bad driver, emotional/physical distress, etc.) damages. settling will be easier for the trucking company... get a good lawyer!

mrgold35

Make sure and get the truck driver drug tested. He could of been high when he ran you off the road. Do the drug test with his hair, the hair will store the drug history like rings on a tree.

princelybug

iTrader: (16)

+2.

06cmv6

scary story...glad to hear you are both alright...and thanks to acura for making a safe enough car to save lives even through a horrific crash

godfather2

thank god u r still on this earth. hope your recovery is speedy n smooth

miner

I know a great personal injury attorney in Tucson if you need help. By all means start with an attorney, let them do your legal work. You survived a heck of a crash that was not your mistake.

oldguytsxer

Can not replace my TSX, looking at a V-6
Camry xle Lotsa horses for the money and a cool color "Spruce Mica"

Will let you know how I fared on settlement....

I Hondated it, Enkeied the wheels, Medallion Exhaust, redid sound system,
replaced intake etc....

Finally after 5 yrs got it how I wanted it and now...poof....

Anybody want to buy the salvage parts it is in Williams Arizona I signed it over to insurance company

lostlegend

Hey tsxer, I'm glad to hear you survived such a horrible wreck and sorry you are having so much paiN because of your wreck. I've been rear ended 3 times and will probably have lasting issues because of it.

My advice, get the best lawyer in town, and go to the doctor every time you need to, don't do what I did and just tough it out. Get all the help you both need to recover 100% and worry about the bills later. The higher the bills the more compensation you will get, messed up huh?

The biggest thing above all else, get better, don't stop going to the doc until you do. If your doc says he wont treat you anymore, get another one. Oh and find a good chiropractor, they work wonders!

lostlegend

I wanted to clarify, my lasting issues are from not going to the doc. until I was 100%, thinking everything will be ok.

curls

Wow, glad to hear you and your friend are OK! I know nothing about American laws or insurance practices, but know enough that documentation of EVERYTHING is the one big thing you can do to protect yourself. Get a good lawyer, and let them handle it from here on out.

I will second the nod for a good chiropractor as well. In addition to a MD, a chiropractor can work wonders if they're a good one. I know this first-hand (many slips and falls on sheer ice, a skating accident, and a skiing accident).

tony4311

That sucks. That almost happened to my mom and me once when I was younger. She was passing a semi on the right. It started to come over into her lane so she slammed on the brakes and dived into the shoulder. Problem there was a broken down car in it. She managed not to get hit by the semi or hit the car on the shoulder. I learned there as a kid whenever I pass a semi I pass it fast.

TL Tech 18

You came out alive ......... get another TSX ...

PyroDave

glad to hear your okay. these cars are amazing in a crash. i HATE driving next to trucks, i will purposely hang back till the car infront of me has passed him, then floor it to pass the truck. hope all works out for you and dave

oldguytsxer

18,000 miles pearl white

would like to stay in acura family

just do not want bucktooth smiley face

nbtx

Standard excuse - He probably fell asleep.

Your insurance company will go after his for the damage, hospital services, your meals and lodging while away from home, and PAIN and SUFFERING. You should be able to collect a significant amount - probably $100k or more - for the P&S part. Additionally, it might be a good idea to retain legal counsel to work with your insurance company.

Wanna buy a 06 MT silver with 45K miles to replace yours?

oldguytsxer

After driving a Camry, Sonata Turbo, 2008 TL, Honda Accord v-6...

Fell in love with a Benz...Black Beauty 24,000 miles v-6 has every option except ass-wiper....list 48,000 paid 28500...

Have owned 24 cars in my 61 years, NEVER had a Black Car or a Mercedes...

Figured to make the twenty-fifth car a doozy and break tradition...will drop in with impressions.

nj2pa2nc

sorry to hear of the accident but glad you are ok. We have gone the benz and black car route. Must say when clean a black car is beautiful but it is rather hard to keep it that way. Both the benz's we did own back in the day were diesel. one with turbo. Besides the acura and mercedes we have owned volvo's, nissan's, mazda's, mitsubishi's, honda's, hyundai's, ford's, chevy's, and bmw's. We are not loyal to any particular brand.

arahim32

wow all that matters is both of you guys are ok

LuvMyTSX

Glad you guys are ok. Outcome could have been much worse.

I had a near miss last night with a truck. The jerk just wondered over into my lane as I was right next to him. I didn't take any chances - just floored it to get by him before I ended up as a road pancake. I think he was falling asleep - he was still halfway in my lane even after I honked and passed him. Very dangerous....

Come back soon and give us an update on the Benz.

rockstar143

iTrader: (6)

Wow...you took a brutal beating with that accident. And of course, at 61 I'm sure things don't bounce back as quickly (if my turning 32 and how I feel lately is any indication).

Glad you are ok and I hope you decide to spend some of your down time writing a book or memoir of some kind. People with your grasp of the English language and gripping way of telling a story should get paid for it.

J.

oldguytsxer

Bought the Black Mercedes CLK350 26,000 miles one owner, 2 door sports coupe.
OTD 28,000. List new 48,900..

I looked at new Camry v-6 xle (poormans Lexus) $28,500
Looked at new Sonata direct injection turbo, 270 hp....decent for 25k, but long term durability and torque steer livability, I do not know.

CLK First impression YOWZA! Had radio off and heard virtually nothing going down the road..that sucker is as quiet as a tomb..

Stomped on it and the 268 hp 258 torque seven speed auto, v-6 rockets it..

Car weighs 200 lbs more than TSX but gobs of torque to spare,

Insurance info...I was passenger, my car, Dave was driver. All initial insurance claims stay with wrecked vehicle...Dave is covered up to $5000. medical beyond that, they tap his policy. I am covered on Medical to $10,000.
Check your policy for Driver AND passenger medical coverage.

More later, thanks for good thoughts, on Loritabs and mending.

BluLabelCL9

iTrader: (1)

Hadn't been on here for a while, glad you made it out of there. I was able to picture the accident as clear as one of those crash test commercials. Good to know the TSX can take a beating for its owner. I wait for enough space for me to downshift and pass trucks but even doing so all anything can happen. May you enjoy the MB in good health

Shame the parts are going to end up junked, if they survived.

DarkSithCL

iTrader: (1)

so glad ur doing well... hate this ever happened to you... I too have been in a wreck where my car was totaled... not ever something you wish on another... glad to hear the MB is exactly what you needed... mine has me wanting another one ( in addition to, not to replace it!).. enjoy and God bless you.

psteng19

61 year old TSX modder!


Glad to hear the TSX kept you guys safe.

dallison

shit, that is one hell of an accident. Glad you guys didn't have any life threatening injuries.

I sure hope that trucker pays. A good portion of them are asshats.

Dead_end

wow

davidspalding

Glad you're okay, OP. I see people daily every doing things like weaving in lanes, surging and slowing, etc. ... often because they're playing with a handheld, reading a paper, eating, talking on handsfree and gesturing (like the other caller can see that) ... makes me both scared and angry. Getting some advanced driving instruction this year so I can use my TSX' upgrades to best advantage.

Hope you take the guilty to the cleaners. Putting your car upside down through a tree ... the ultimate indignity, I'm sure it was all uphill from there.

The TL Type-S just before the potato peelers looked really nice, drove a loaner and liked the V6. Almost as good as the I4 with Hondata. Worth considering.