Excitement in the Wee Hours
Excitement in the wee hours - depending on how you're defining "excitement" - seems to be either bad or good, no in between. Last night was the bad (but could have been worse) kind. I never did go to bed when I said I was going to because I got way too wrapped up looking at videos on YouTube. About 3:30 or so this morning, I was thinking that it really was time to get to bed (since S. was picking me up around 9:45) when I heard three or four tremendous bangs right outside our living room window, which overlooks the street. Irish was just beginning to fall asleep and I woke him, asking if he'd heard the noise, which he had. We looked out the window and there was a van angled, halfway up the sidewalk, between our downstairs neighbor's pickup truck and our next door neighbor's pickup. There were also about six police cars with lights going and a man spread-eageled on the hood of the crashed van, with several cops holding him down. We could see that he had damaged the downstairs neighbor's truck and likely his girlfriend's SUV and the next door neighbor's truck. Since we park behind the three (all on the street), Irish got dressed and went downstairs to check on the car. Of course then I had to get dressed and go out to join the party (the other three were already out there with him) and as I was headed down the stairs, he was headed back up to tell me I needed to get the registration out of the car and talk with the police. Turns out the van driver was drunk and was trying to elude the police, who were trying to pull him over. He sideswiped our car (cracked the rear panel a bit, scraped the paint off, and knocked the sideview mirror loose - that's it, amazingly), caused some scraping and denting to the SUV, pushed the first pickup truck up onto the sidewalk, destroying the front left tire and rim, and dented up the 2nd pickup a bit, coming to rest on the sidewalk at an angle between the two trucks. The van had a crumpled front, the fender was completely knocked off, part of the axle was in the yard, a huge spring was lying in the road, and its front right wheel was entirely off, still connected to whatever that part is that connects it to the vehicle. The good news is no one was hurt - no ambulances called; even the van driver was just taken into custody in a police car. Also he, supposedly, has insurance - amazing, since a lot of people picked up for DUIs don't. It remains to be seen whether his insurance is current, but here's hoping.... The police took all our information and we'll each be contacting our insurance agents just to advise them of the damage and so they can file with the driver's insurance. I don't know exactly how much trouble he's in, but I'm guessing it's quite a bit.
Just to add all kinds of irony to the situation: the next door neighbor is the same one who's truck was damaged by a deer a few weeks ago and the repair shop had just called him yesterday to say all the parts and paint were ready for him to bring his truck in next week. The woman downstairs had just agreed to sell her (rather old) SUV to a man at work this Monday. And last Friday, Irish and I switched car insurance because we were able to get both car and renter's insurance for $20/month less what we were being charged auto insurance alone. The new policy takes effect today. Boy, our new agent is going to love us! Fortunately, we shouldn't have to file a claim with them.
The car still runs fine - it's beginning to look its age, though! - and since no one was hurt, I'm thinking that everything's basically ok.
And I want to wait a long time before my next bout of excitement in the wee hours (unless it's the good kind *g*)!
Just to add all kinds of irony to the situation: the next door neighbor is the same one who's truck was damaged by a deer a few weeks ago and the repair shop had just called him yesterday to say all the parts and paint were ready for him to bring his truck in next week. The woman downstairs had just agreed to sell her (rather old) SUV to a man at work this Monday. And last Friday, Irish and I switched car insurance because we were able to get both car and renter's insurance for $20/month less what we were being charged auto insurance alone. The new policy takes effect today. Boy, our new agent is going to love us! Fortunately, we shouldn't have to file a claim with them.
The car still runs fine - it's beginning to look its age, though! - and since no one was hurt, I'm thinking that everything's basically ok.
And I want to wait a long time before my next bout of excitement in the wee hours (unless it's the good kind *g*)!