A random Saturday night adventure...I mean accident... :P
So, Saturday night, some friends of mine were meeting up for some wine and hangout time. I had thought about joining up with them, but finding a babysitter isn't easy most times. I get a call around midnight telling me some of the details and it sounds like a lot of fun was being had. I decided, fuck it, I want to go out. So I track down one of the people I use for babysitting online. She agreed to come over even though it was 1230am or so (she works second shift so had only been home an hour and was still up-I'm not that big of an asshole as to have woken her up!). She shows up, and I head out around 100-115am.
I'm driving up Providence heading towards downtown. I'm in the right lane and passing in front of Hardee's through the intersection and in front of the Phillips 66. Given that it is pretty much 'Beer Thirty', I should have probably been on my top guard and in the *left* lane, but I've never had this happen before! So, this red Chevy Blazer decides to make a left turn out of Phillips 66 onto Providence (going south). He stops but like, two feet into my lane as I'm coming up at 35-40 mph. I swerve (thank God there wasn't anyone in the other lane) to the left and avoid a head-on collision. However, he hits my front right fender and all the way down the side of my car. I pull over into the Bloomers parking lot. I hear something rubbing my tire, so I stop and get out. I look up in time to see the red Chevy Blazer that had just pulled out in front of me, tear out of there like a bat out of hell and travel south.
My immediate reaction is fucker was drunk. That's the only reason I can see for pulling out like that. This black SUV pulls up and the guy tells me what he saw, apologizing that he didn't get the license plate number. I ask if he would give me his name and number for witness needs, etc. He politely declines saying he has to 'burn'...aka: "I'm drunk and prolly shouldn't be driving but thought I'd let you know what I saw-bye!" I walk up to another car and the guy says he saw it but again didn't get the license plate number. I again ask if he would give his name/number. He said, "Nah man, I'm not from around here, they wouldn't know me... But the cop inside saw it all." I politely thank him and go inside.
I go up to the cop and ask if he just saw the crazy car wreck shenanigans. Nope. You'd think that having a cop posted at that gas station would be to pay attention to what happened in the store as well as *outside* of it. *Shrugs* I can't be too annoyed, you can't keep an eye on everything all the time. Well he calls it in, and as he is doing so, I go look at the pieces of my car that are in the road/parking lot entrance. I toss them into the grass and whatnot and come across a big ole piece. I'm thinking, great what the fuck is broken off my car with this??
I turn it over and a wicked cackle consumed my heart. It wasnt from my car...it was the license plate holder AND license plate of his car. I walk back up to the cop and show him the present that was left. He just laughs and calls it back in. I go over to my car to look at the damage while another cop comes up to take my incident report. He even has a digital camera and takes pictures of all the damage. (I would use mine but it's currently in Iowa by mistake! Doh!) It turns out the plates are local and he was looking into it. I provided all the paperwork and information he needed from me. In the meantime, I tied up the broken/loose wheelwell that had fallen against my tire with a piece of coat hanger. My car is still drivable thank goodness as far as I know (I've driven it since), but the damage looks bad.
My guess is the damage is at least $2,000. Given I only paid $4,000 for the car almost two years ago, I worry this might be a 'totaled out' deal. The damage:
- Front bumper/fender - knocked loose and probably damage inside of it from the impact
- Front right quarterpanel - cracked
- Front right wheelwell - broken loose, held on by a single screw (and now my coat hanger piece)
- Front right hubcap - non-existent
- Front passenger door - Bent and scratched
- Back passenger door - Scratched and some broken pieces
- Back right quarterpanel - cracked
- Back right hubcap - Shattered but some of it still attached
I went ahead onto the hangout I had been on my way to. I had fun, chilled, relaxed, vented, and had a good time. I then went home and thanked the babysitter. On my way to bed, I got a call from the officer with an update. He tracked down the owner (some girl) and upon finding she moved, went to the new place. There he found the vehicle in question and that the girls boyfriend had been the one driving. The officer stated that he smelled alcohol on the guys breath, but that they couldn't do anything as it took 2 hours to find the guy and they have a 90 minute window by law to test him. On a pleasant note, the guy was driving with a revoked license. The guy that hit me was arrested for 1) driving with a revoked license 2) failure to yield and 3) leaving the scene of an accident (felony). I will update this post later today when I find his arrest report in the Tribune!
The owner did not have insurance on hand, but said she had it. The officer is giving her till today to get it to him, or else he will cite her for no insurance (which has a LOT of teeth to it). So, I am waiting till tomorrow to figure out whether or not to file with my insurance or hers.
Anyway...that is my random adventure accident.
Edit: From the Tribune - David Anthony Pease, 23, of 4313 Glen Eagle Drive, leaving the scene of an accident, $4,500 bond. He is the only listing for one of the three charges during the time frame, so I assume it is him. If you know him, tell him to have his girlfriend get her insurance info over to the police today, or else she will be cited too.
I will be taking my car in tonight or tomorrow for an estimate. Joy. :P