Hey all...

Got into my first wreck in five years today and it was my very first car-to-car crash. Thankfully it was very minor and nobody was hurt but unfortunately it happened with my uncle's VW Jetta, a car he was kind enough to loan me while he's on his honeymoon. I'm taking it to the body shop here in Boston tomorrow to get a quote and will pay for all related damages. Thankfully the other driver was really nice about the whole thing even though it was my fault. I was pulling out of a Target parking lot and thought a black Mustang was turning right when in fact he was going straight. As soon as I realized this, I jabbed on the brakes as did the driver of the Mustang and he grazed the front of the Jetta with the right front bumper of his car. The whole thing was very surreal and it seemed like it was happening in slow motion. I was still shaking twenty minutes later.

Here are some pics of the damage. As you can see it was just barely a glancing blow...the license plate took most of the hit but it also did a number on the bumper and the chrome insert. Also, one of the chrome grille fins was knocked off, too. The other car had similar damage.

 

Glad everyone's okay and it wasn't worse. Your uncle will hopefully be understanding.

I can't say I know how this feels (never crashed, knock on wood), but I've come close and I know that shaking feeling all too well.

 

Wouldnt call it a wreck, but sucks it was your uncles car. Hopefully everything gets fixed quickly.

 

Glad that's all the damage that was done! Glad you're ok as well. My first accident was me getting t-boned in my TL, and less than a week later as I was driving my moms car I came over a hill to see traffic was stopped and slammed into the back of the car in front of me. Not a good week that's for sure.

 

So Andrew how much you think you're looking at there? You're right, I think most of that can be buffed out, to bad you didn't bring the Makita...Lol! I'm glad to hear you're ok and it happens to alot of us, accidents happen.

 

Sorry. Glad you're ok.

 

Thanks for the kind words, everybody.

We'll see how it looks after they buff out the bumper but I know for a fact I'll have to pay for (at least) the grille and a new license plate bracket as the original is toast. I can bend the license plate back into shape no problem.

 

Ouch.

You and Boston don't seem to agree with each other...

 

It'll buff out

 

Pfft....just use your PC and Makita...it'll buff right out.



Sorry to hear bud. Glad to hear it was a serious accident.

 

No worries, could have been A LOT worse.

Accidents are scary no matter what the damage. At least this was minor.

 

Sorry to hear. Glad it was minor.



Maybe we should ask Saintor if you are old enough to be driving a VW Jetta? Or if we should hold your uncle responsible for being irresponsible?

 

 

Just curious... what made you think he was turning right? Did he have his right turn-signal on? While he still has the right of way and you have to let him make his move, it may or may not change things when it comes to the accident report/report to insurance.

Either way, glad it was just a glancing swipe and everyone is OK.

 

Err?

 

You must not be following the Corvette crash thread....

 

No....I walked in and walked right back out again but now that you make the connection, I get it. From what I read in there I surmised that he was saying that it was the fault of the parents or something like that.

 

That will buff right out.....no really...quite possibly...sorta.

 

x2

 

I think you may be able to salvage the grill. It doesn't appear to be cracked, all I noticed was the gap at the lower end of it, but the top part is perfectly aligned. See if you can close the gap. As for the damaged paint, to be honest I'd probably attempt to sand it down and paint it myself, and yes I have done so on the same car with the same body color.

 

Get him a TDI Cup front end

 

It's actually pretty scraped up and the right side has popped out (broken tabs I think) but you can't see it in the crappy cell phone photos. I'll take some pics with my digital camera but I won't be able to put them up until tomorrow because I don't have my cable.

Still waiting on the call back from the body shop and hoping for good news....

 

I could have sworn I saw his right turn signal on and it was a complex intersection that I was unfamiliar with. Below is a satellite photo of the intersection in question. His direction of travel is indicated by the red arrow and mine by the black. We hit around the area of the blue dot. Personally I think this intersection would be much easier to navigate if the right incoming lane was a right only instead of a right/straight combo lane.

 

^ Yeah, it's tough. I was taught to always let the person make the turn even if they have their signal on, just in case they don't realize they have it on and go straight. That said, I've done what you have as well, but caught myself and never actually pulled out. The few times I have I've been lucky that they really did turn. But I try to do what I was taught every time, just in case.

Like I said... glad it was just a glancing blow and everyone is OK!!

 

I agree with the post above, I wait til they start slowing down and begin turning prior to pulling out, I've seen people drive with their signal on for 3 miles.

 

How's the baby?

 

Brilliant thinking!

 

Good

 

thats nothing. It will buff out. You are safe that all that matters.

 

I was talking about Portland's.

 

Oh