My Weekend . . .

[BigJon]

. . . ended badly

I'm on crutches with a dislocated kneecap and can't drive or work for 6 weeks. The other guy ran a stop sign. I had only just enough time to apply my brakes, hit him about 55 mph. He told the trooper he was late for work. He's lucky he's not dead. I hit him square in the driver's door, but due to the height difference, I went under his bodywork.

It coulda been a lot worse. I'm glad I drive Volvos.

'lil' bit looked at my crutches and asked "Are those called crotches?"

[Trumpetmaster]

Bigjon,

My prayers are with you for a speedy recovery!

TM

[barfle]

That ding in the roof is remarkable! And I'm glad you drive (or drove) a Volvo, too. Hopefully the other guy learned that being late for work is not the worst thing that can happen.

Best wishes for a full and speedy recovery. So far I've avoided having an air bag blow up in my face, but my latest vehicle ('06 Subaru Forester) has about twelve of them.

[Trumpetmaster]

A couple of years ago I was rear ended.

I was waiting at the end of an exit ramp...
Traffic was flowing on the main road so as I was waiting.. BAMM....

The kid driving said he was late for work and did not see me.

People are in too big a rush and need to slow down.....

[Shapley]

I'm sorry to hear it. But, as you say, it could be worse.

I take it the other guy still didn't make it to work on time....

[jamiebk]

Wow...that looks terrible. I wish you a full and speedy recovery (and hopefully no glitches on the insurance recovery as well). It took my daughter 1 year, an attorney, and surgery to recover from being hit by a drunk driver.

[Selma in Sandy Eggo]

Does Volvo make helicopters? That might be safer...
Seriously, you've got to quit killing Volvos like this. Yikes! Good luck on the knee recovery, and the insurance.

[Shapley]

I saw a vehicle run a stop sign this morning on the way to work. Fortunately, the van he ran in front of had seen him coming and could see that he wasn't going to stop, so he was able to avoid a collision. The vehicle that ran the stop sign then cut quickly across traffic in order to get into the drive-thru lane at a fast-food restaurant. I suppose he had legitimate reasons to believe that they were running out of food.....

[jamiebk]

I saw a vehicle run a stop sign this morning on the way to work. Fortunately, the van he ran in front of had seen him coming and could see that he wasn't going to stop, so he was able to avoid a collision. The vehicle that ran the stop sign then cut quickly across traffic in order to get into the drive-thru lane at a fast-food restaurant. I suppose he had legitimate reasons to believe that they were running out of food.....

He was probably just anxious to get his 5th cup of coffee.

[Shapley]

He was probably just anxious to get his 5th cup of coffee.

If he can handle five cups of Hardee's coffee, he's a better man than I....

[Schmeelkie]

So sorry! Speedy recovery! Knees are no fun to fix - good luck.

The other guy is lucky you were in a Volvo too - and not a van, truck or SUV - he'd likely be dead or VERY injured. I almost smacked someone the other day at a two-way stop sign - he stopped and was about to go again - likely didn't know that I didn't have a stop sign...luckily I tend to be cautious at that intersection - only one in the neighborhood that either isn't signed at all or isn't 4-way stop. I always stop at the end of my street (T-intersection) even though there's no sign - hedges to the left impede enough of the view that it seems the safest course.

[piqaboo]

Oh my. Best wishes for a complete recovery.

[Giant Communist Robot]

55 mph? Wow. That Volvo did its job, probably saved your life.

I think when people rush around its a symptom they are not in control of their lives.

[GreatCarouser]

Here's to a speedy, complete recovery! Six weeks to spend with your little one(s)...there are probably other 'silver linings' as well...

[Haggis@wk]

The ongoing story in Plano was the death of five people, including three children, killed when a car traveling at 98 MPH (the speed limit is 40!) ran a red light, lost control, went airborne and slammed into the van. The victims had just left church and were on their way home. I go through the same intersection every day, it's only a mile from my house.

The guilty driver was "in a hurry" to pick up his kids from his ex-wife. Small favor that they weren't in the car. The driver remains in the hospital and has been charged with five counts of vehicular manslaughter. Either he will die from his injuries or spend the rest of his life in a prison ward, all because he was in a hurry.

[dai bread]

Sorry to see you've joined the statistics Bigjon. Best wishes for a good recovery. And if the doctor says take 6 weeks, take them. I know a couple of people who thought they couldn't be off work for that long. They were hobbling around long after I'd mended. I took my 6 weeks.

We had a sizeable Hobble Club at work then. There must have been a dozen of us who were either on crutches or had just finished with them.

[Serenity]

I'm sorry to hear about your accident. I hope you recover quickly with the least amount of pain and paperwork. And I'm glad to hear you have 3 functional crotches.

[analog]

Glad you're okay.

That photo is sure a demonstration of "crumple" effect absorbing energy.

The truck looks to have had a lift kit - probably the height difference put the softer part of your car against the strongest part of his truck, the frame rail?

The energy absorbed by your Volvo front end probably saved that guy's life too.
Were the Volvo built like son's '65 Buick there'd have been far less metal crumpling and much greater energy expended in deforming his truck and throwing it on down the highway.
Peak accelerations felt by both vehicles would have been more and that's what hurts passengers.


You got me curious and I looked up Volvo's thoughts on front end crumple - this press release is pretty impressive.
http://www.volvoclub.org.uk/press/pdf/V ... Levels.pdf

Looks like everything worked as they intended. That's one bit of high-tech that I like.

Again - glad it was no worse than it was.

Hope it doesn't hurt your insurance rates either.

a.

[piqaboo]

Where'd the engine go?

[BigJon@Work]

It turns out I had a 95% torn patellar tendon. I had surgery a month after the accident and had the leg braced straight for 6 weeks. My knee is still very weak and gives out on me occasionally. I really need to watch icy and slick conditions in case I slip and tear it again. I have another month of therapy ahead of me. The doctor told me it takes up to a year of to get back to normal, but my tendon will never be the same. I may have to give up few of my favorite vigorous activities to prevent a repeat of the tear. I may also have worsened arthritis, due to the injury.

Right now I’m fighting with the insurance companies for a fairer settlement. The first one they offered is a joke.

Where'd the engine go?

The top-front of it was pretty comprehensively crushed.
The engine and trans dropped an inch or more. That is by design. Volvo puts shearable mounts under the engine and trans so that the entire assembly breaks away in a frontal collision and drops under the chassis. This is to prevent it from intruding through the firewall into the passenger compartment. Mine didn’t completely break away, but it was going in the right direction.