There is a little boy in my life, a 12 year old that can be the most annoying kid in the world at times. He can also be the funniest, cutest, and smartest person in the world.
He made a choice a couple of weeks ago that could have been life altering. It was a simple choice. Nothing earth shattering. Just a everyday decision. A choice he thought about for 15 minutes because he couldn't make up his mind.
In the end, he decided to skip the autocross and ride with me to visit my parents. He really wanted to do both, and the only reason he chose to ride with me was the shorter drive to the grandparents and not wanting to sleep in a hotel. That choice saved his life. I hope he never understands how close it was. I have thanked the good Lord every time I've thought about that choice.
He was almost sitting in this passenger seat.
I knew the wreck was pretty bad, but I didn't realize how close I came to burying one of my children. I don't think this would have been survivable for anyone in the passenger seat. Thank God it was empty. This was the first good look at the car for my wife as well. She took one look inside of it and was physically ill.
If you have children, get off your ass and go give them a big hug, or at least pick up the phone and call them. Tell them you love them. Life is a fragile thing, it might be the last chance you get.
I too am thankful toyman, that could have ended very badly.
Wow, thats a big hit.
How's the driver? I hope everyone is alright.
wow, that's scary. As an Ex-commercial driver, I saw more than my fair share of accidents (only ever was in two, one minor, thank goodness) that looks like one of the worse ones. Glad it was only the wife and not the kidlet too.
Let's also be honest here.. if your boy had been in the car, his flying body could have also seriously hurt your wife, possibly killing her too
In reply to Slippery:
Bruised, but no injuries. Also something we are all thankful for.
I have a bit of a pit in the stomach just looking at that picture on the internet. Glad everyone is ok.
If that had been a Miata?
Very glad everyone is ok, but:
Don't dwell on such things. They make you frightened and hesitant to do anything.
Glad it worked out the way it did. Much of life is dumb luck. Praise your chosen god that it's the good kind.
Streetwiseguy wrote:
Very glad everyone is ok, but:
Don't dwell on such things. They make you frightened and hesitant to do anything.
I missed going on a ski trip with my mom, sister and her friend because I forgot and went to a friends. On the ride up a driver coming the opposite way had a seizure and went head on with their mini van. Mom died and sister and friend were very badly hurt, but survived because they were sitting in the back seats. I would have been dead too if I would have been up front as well.
Don't let the kid dwell on it. I was his same age when it happened and it took a long time to get past. I probably wouldn't mention it again. Life is a game of fraction of seconds and millimeters. If you think about it too hard you will drive yourself nuts.
I am glad everyone is OK. That is the focus, that and the pending 'what car' thread.
In reply to Streetwiseguy:
Good advice. I don't do much worrying about things I know I can't change, but studying how that car folded does make you reflect on how things could have turned out and how a chance decision can change a situation so drastically.
Like Mazdeuce said, it's just dumb luck.
Next car needs to be a more visible color
Thankful everyone is safe and sound! As a fellow pre aren't of a boy that age, I can certainly relate.
Holy crap! Glad you are all ok.
former520 wrote:
I am glad everyone is OK. That is the focus, that and the pending 'what car' thread.
Already happened 
https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/grm/another-new-car-thread-for-toymans-wife/118659/page1/
Thank God it turned out the way it did.
That's.....um..... uncomfortable....
Don't dwell on what might have been, instead be thankful for what you still have.
if that was 45 MPH the other car was an M1 tank.....
Since we are speaking of the crash I was wondering what the consensus of those directly affected by the incident are on how well the car took the hit?
To me that looks like a massive amount of intrusion into the cabin for a 45 mph collision. However, looking at the pics from the insurance lot, it appears to my untrained eye that it wasn't exactly a 90 degree impact. It looks like possibly one of the corners of the front of 500 hit directly in the soft spot of the door. I guess the main thing is that the driver was mostly uninjured, just really glad no one was sitting in that passenger seat.
itsarebuild wrote:
if that was 45 MPH the other car was an M1 tank.....
45 throws a hell of a lot of energy. I think it's accurate.
Curious the circumstance. Did somebody blow thru a red light? Or inattentive driving/texting?
In reply to Nick (LUCAS) Comstock:
Nick, I'd have to say it did a pretty poor job of withstanding the hit. The A pillar moved 6"+, far enough to bend the knee crash panels under the dash, on the drivers side of the car. Like I said earlier, the center of the door gave 23". At a guess, the entire car is bent a good bit. I measured the wheelbase earlier. Drivers side, 102". Passenger side, 94". Granted, the front has a good bit of tow out, but that's a 8" difference.
That said, a side impact is the worst. That is were the crumple zones are tiny, basically the thickness of the door. I don't know if any car would have withstood it any better. The IIHS didn't start side impact testing until 2003, and they only test at 31 mph. If I had to guess, this impact was in the 45-55 range. There was no evidence that the other car ever hit the brakes.
We were discussing how the Jeep Liberty would have taken the hit. Really the only advantage would be it sits above the impact. It probably would have landed on the roof, but the intrusion into the cabin area would have probably been less and the impact would have also been below the seat.
In reply to OHSCrifle:
Unfortunate, my wife made a left turn in front of the other driver.
one thing to keep in mind: if he had decided to go in that car, it would have left home a little earlier or a little later- or even made an extra stop for a candy bar or whatever it is that kids want these days- and not been at the place where the accident took place at the time that it took place and the accident would not have happened.. even if the difference was a few seconds, it's enough to have changed the outcome and this post would have never been made.
As everybody else said, it's best not to dwell on such things.
TRoglodyte wrote:
If that had been a Miata?
I'd think a Miata might have actually done better, at least in not caving in like that, smaller door (pillars closer together) and probably a stronger rocker on account of it being designed 100% as a convertible.
