This happened around sometime in April/May in 2007...the last weekend of hard rain before summer. It had just started raining quite a bit right before I got on the 110 South from Pasadena. The 110 stretch from Pasadena to LA is 4 lanes wide (2 northbound, 2 southbound), no shoulders on both sides and a concrete divider about 3.5-4 feet tall with a 4-5 feet tall chain linked fence sitting on top of it, and rather twisty for southern California
I got on the freeway, got cruising a little over 50 mph (I think the speed limit on that stretch of the freeway was posted at 55). About .5-1 mile into the freeway, I see lights up ahead that caught my attention. Reason being, the position looked awkward...you have to realize that I'm seeing this through chain linked fences through a turn and night in the rain, so it's kinda hard to tell if it's on my side of the freeway or the opposite.
By the time I realize that there is a minivan pointed against the wall in almost the wrong direction in the fast lane, the lane I'm in, I start braking. Downhill, rain, 50-52 mph, no front ABS, off-road tires (Ford Ranger) = not-so-much traction = not-so-good braking. I conclude that I will probably not be able to stop in time to avoid hitting the minivan. Unfortunately for me, a Jetta was in the lane next to me who must have also seen the minivan and decided to slow down at the same time I did. For some reason, the braking performance of that Jetta was equally as good as my truck.
I am now boxed-in with no where open to go. I can side swipe the Jetta and maybe miss the back of the minivan or broadside the parked minivan. I decide to test out my tube bumper, and proceed to keep braking in the lane I'm in. I get it down to around 20-25 mph (not too sure here, might have been more) before I take out the entire driver side of the mini van. Glass is everwhere, the minivan's glass that is. I nailed the minivan just after the driver side door.
The left end of my tube bumper is now sorta fish-hooked into the minivan. Unfortunately, my truck is dead (inertia fuel switch kicked in). I'm trying to get it started again, it's cranking but not firing up. I don't want to get out cause I just nailed a dude in the fast lane and I'm hoping that someone doesn't nail me from behind. The Minivan, however, has other plans as the engine is still running for him. He's moving back and forth trying to get free, I roll down the window and ask if he's ok. He's kinda ignoring me...maybe doesn't know English too well?
The dude gets free, and I'm still stuck in the fast lane with a truck that won't start. I'm thinking, "ok, at least he's out of the way, since we're on a downhill, I think I can coast off to an exit and we'll get this insurance crap settled." Minivan decides otherwise and takes off. I never see him again but I'm sure he had a noisy, wet ride to wherever he was going. I call up CHP, was on hold for 15 minutes, gave up on that. I didn't get his license plate as I didn't think he'd run away after getting nailed. Plus my mind wasn't exactly ready for any of this as this was my first car accident in the 10 years I've been driving.
I coasted off the freeway and called a friend up to tell him I just hit a minivan and he ran away and that my truck won't start. He tells me I shouldn't be hitting minivans and reminds me of the inertia switch. I switched that off, starts right up...but my steering rack cracked (the housing), I lost all my power steering fluid and it looks like my steering wheels making a left turn while driving straight. I have a lovely drive home in the rain and proceed to see 2 more accidents on the 5 freeway.
Soo......
What would have been my choices here? I didn't report it to insurance because the steering rack was a $160 fix. And the only information I had on the person I hit was that he was a Hispanic male in a faded baby blue 80's dodge/chrysler minivan. I tried calling CHP again but never got through...obviously they were busy tending to the other retards speeding in the rain.
Damn, that's unnecessarily long, sorry. I thought I'd ask for some officers opinions about the situation.
I got on the freeway, got cruising a little over 50 mph (I think the speed limit on that stretch of the freeway was posted at 55). About .5-1 mile into the freeway, I see lights up ahead that caught my attention. Reason being, the position looked awkward...you have to realize that I'm seeing this through chain linked fences through a turn and night in the rain, so it's kinda hard to tell if it's on my side of the freeway or the opposite.
By the time I realize that there is a minivan pointed against the wall in almost the wrong direction in the fast lane, the lane I'm in, I start braking. Downhill, rain, 50-52 mph, no front ABS, off-road tires (Ford Ranger) = not-so-much traction = not-so-good braking. I conclude that I will probably not be able to stop in time to avoid hitting the minivan. Unfortunately for me, a Jetta was in the lane next to me who must have also seen the minivan and decided to slow down at the same time I did. For some reason, the braking performance of that Jetta was equally as good as my truck.
I am now boxed-in with no where open to go. I can side swipe the Jetta and maybe miss the back of the minivan or broadside the parked minivan. I decide to test out my tube bumper, and proceed to keep braking in the lane I'm in. I get it down to around 20-25 mph (not too sure here, might have been more) before I take out the entire driver side of the mini van. Glass is everwhere, the minivan's glass that is. I nailed the minivan just after the driver side door.
The left end of my tube bumper is now sorta fish-hooked into the minivan. Unfortunately, my truck is dead (inertia fuel switch kicked in). I'm trying to get it started again, it's cranking but not firing up. I don't want to get out cause I just nailed a dude in the fast lane and I'm hoping that someone doesn't nail me from behind. The Minivan, however, has other plans as the engine is still running for him. He's moving back and forth trying to get free, I roll down the window and ask if he's ok. He's kinda ignoring me...maybe doesn't know English too well?
The dude gets free, and I'm still stuck in the fast lane with a truck that won't start. I'm thinking, "ok, at least he's out of the way, since we're on a downhill, I think I can coast off to an exit and we'll get this insurance crap settled." Minivan decides otherwise and takes off. I never see him again but I'm sure he had a noisy, wet ride to wherever he was going. I call up CHP, was on hold for 15 minutes, gave up on that. I didn't get his license plate as I didn't think he'd run away after getting nailed. Plus my mind wasn't exactly ready for any of this as this was my first car accident in the 10 years I've been driving.
I coasted off the freeway and called a friend up to tell him I just hit a minivan and he ran away and that my truck won't start. He tells me I shouldn't be hitting minivans and reminds me of the inertia switch. I switched that off, starts right up...but my steering rack cracked (the housing), I lost all my power steering fluid and it looks like my steering wheels making a left turn while driving straight. I have a lovely drive home in the rain and proceed to see 2 more accidents on the 5 freeway.
Soo......
What would have been my choices here? I didn't report it to insurance because the steering rack was a $160 fix. And the only information I had on the person I hit was that he was a Hispanic male in a faded baby blue 80's dodge/chrysler minivan. I tried calling CHP again but never got through...obviously they were busy tending to the other retards speeding in the rain.
Damn, that's unnecessarily long, sorry. I thought I'd ask for some officers opinions about the situation.
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