Sorry for the length of this but I have to tell...
Yesterday evening I was helping my Dad with a string of Christmas lights in front of their house. My sister and brother in law were there too and had parked their Tahoe in the street. My parents live on a pretty quiet, narrow street. There are no sidewalks but the area is so nice that many people walk or jog, and it isn't uncommon to see people walking their dogs even late at night. There are stop signs on each end of their block.
About 5:30 last night I heard an engine racing, very high up in the RPM band. I turned as the engine got closer so I could see this idiot who was racing down the street and BAM!!! He plows into the back of the Tahoe, picking it up in the air and setting it down at a 45 degree angle half on the street and half on the grass. The car moved about 10 feet forward too.
I see this and immediately run towards the street which is about 80 feet away from where I was standing. The driver now puts the car in reverse and backs up very fast. I don't know if it was due to the damage to the car or just his general condition but the car started back to one side of the street and circled back to the next door neighbors' yard, up the curb and through their new split rail fence. I was now right at the property line and the car was about 40 feet in front of me. I saw the car rock...he was trying to go but the wheels were stuck in the mud thanks to the rain we have had over the past week.
I saw he was stuck so I turned and ran back towards the house. My brother in law was coming out of the house followed by my sister and I yelled to call 911. I then turned and ran back to the driver. I approached cautiously not knowing what he might do next. I saw he appeared to be OK but he was sitting still. My brother in law, a sergeant in the Sheriff's Dept., had picked up his gun which is always in a fanny pack style holster and came over. He acted like an officer making a traffic stop, asking him if he is OK, asking if there are any weapons in the car, etc. The guy said no and at that point Eric placed him under arrest.
The guy asked if we would let him go. He lived somewhere near by and said he would pay for all the damages if we would let him walk home. When Eric said NO he tried to start the car a couple times but it was dead at that point. The fire department came, the ambulance, and then the police. They took him away to the hospital where he managed to blow a .27 on the drunk machine, over 3 times the legal limit.
It took everyone a couple hours to get everything cleaned up, measured, and towed. The tow truck driver for the wrecked car pulled theTahoe off the grass and left it in the street. They are having it towed to the body shop this morning. The Nissan was completely wrecked. The whole front end was destroyed, the hood was loose and the tow truck driver had to secure it before he left.
The Tahoe came out amazingly well. The guy was going from my estimate about 40-45 MPH when he hit. There was a very short skid mark before the impact point. He basically went under the left rear of the truck, picking it up and throwing it about 10 ft forward and to the right. The left quarter and taillight will need to be replaced, The tailgate has a small ding in it and the bumper is crushed from taking much of the hit. The right rear tire blew and the rim is most likely gone from going up the curb and landing. I think the rear may have snapped as well.
Fortunately no one was hurt. It could have been so much worse. This is the first accident I have seen in person in my life. They had bags of gifts and things in the back they were going to unload and could have been standing there when he came through. A nice Christmas in jail awaits this man. Please, as the Fbodfather has said, do not drink and drive during the holidays...or anytime for that matter. It's just not worth it.
Posted by DanPazich (Member # 1352) on :
OMG!! That must have been pretty scary witnessing that accident. I couldn't imagine it, thought you make it quite vivid. And yes, it could have been WAAY worse. Luckily everyone is safe and that guy will be locked up from hurting anyone the next time. PLEASE BE SAFE this holiday. Be a defensive driver cause you never know what kind of crazy people are out there.
On a side note, unfortuantely I have had a stupid friend that drove drunk and got in an accident. Car totalled, and he broke his neck (very close to becoming paralyzed). I think he learned the hard way as to why drinking and driving doesn't mix. Nevertheless, be safe, and be careful. Have a great Holiday.
Posted by 2002Z4CSS (Member # 1393) on :
That drunk need to be off the roads and in jail. I lost a mint 1970 Monte Carlo SS 454 to a drunk that hit me head on at approx. 55-60 mph. Worse yet,I was sore for 2 months after the wreck.
[ 23. December 2002, 12:26 PM: Message edited by: 2002Z4CSS ]
Posted by Hawkeye (Member # 88) on :
WOW bet he's sorry now.
great message for this time of year. glad no family members were out loading or unloading that Tahoe at the time.
Posted by Cal (Member # 1493) on :
In relation to driving around drunk, I was able to volunteer this year for a local organization which offers, free of charge, to drive intoxicated people home in their own cars (instead of taking a cab and leaving their cars in the parking lot overnight). They just call the dispatcher, and we get a radio call to pick 'em up at the bar or club they're located.
It was Friday night, the last weekend before Christmas, and I felt really strange not having even just one beer early in the evening at my office X-mas party, but the sign-up sheet stated clearly that volunteers shouldn't drink or take drugs of any nature 12 hours prior to their shift. I was completely sober but by the end of my shift, my partner and I had safely driven 6 people home (we were handling the Marietta area), and the gratitude shown by each of the car owners was more than enough to make my night. Even the most intoxicated ones (who of course at first didn't want anybody else driving their beloved machines) were thankful that we drove them home.
There should be something like this for every major city in the States. You can read more about the one here in Atlanta, at http://www.ncpid.org . Happy holidays!!!
Cal
PS - One of the cars I drove was a new Mustang GT 'vert. I had never driven one before, and granted, with the owner sitting right beside me, I wasn't beating the engine up or anything... but I gotta say her Stang just felt sluggish and hesitant. Posted by mhayman (Member # 146) on :
Wow what a great program. Every bar should have the information on this posted where everyone can see. Thanks for sharing that Cal...you are one guy who does his part, for sure.
Posted by SSteve_35th (Member # 1300) on :
Way to go Cal! Not only did you keep an intoxicated person from driving, you even kept mustang driver from driving!! And all in the same night!!!
Did you counsel her on the error of her ways? I'm speaking of her owning a mustang, of course.
Posted by Fbodfather (Member # 1119) on :
Wow.....another example....very fortunate that no one was walking along the road. It;s also a good thing your brother-in-law didn't 'let him go' --because hopefully this fellow has learned his lesson and won't try the same stunt over again....with much worse results.
It's a season to celebrate...but it just is not worth it to drink and drive.......
--glad to hear no one was injured other than the Tahoe!!
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bet he's sorry now.![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)