Distracted Driver Seriously Hurt My Baby!

[BAD DAB]

I don't get it. Make me understand why we have seatbelt laws in place (which is a good thing) but handheld cellphones and texting are loosely inforced. Sorry about your car and I know this does not help any but the white with the silver stripe is beautiful. Don't see many of those, I hope they can fix you up just like new.

[melody301]

I really felt sad reading your story. Nothing frustrates me more than to see these drivers on cellphones. I drove past a young girl today texting who was at a stop light but in the middle of two lanes which made me have to squeeze to get by. As I pulled up next to her I could not contain myself and had to give her a few choice words. As the light turned green she didn't even realize it until about 3 cars blew at her. What an idiot.

[Shift]

Am I reading the same story as everyone else?? I'm sorry this happened to you but the moment you saw multiple cars in the other lane while yours was open should have set off an alarm and you should have been more cautious. Anyone with a reasonable amount of road experience would have expected this to happen. This might have saved your life, you may have been creamed by a red light runner had this not happened. Count your blessings and treat this as lesson learned.

[2010 SS RS]

Susan, I like the ideas of Kirk and Pepper about showing up in force and letting this gal that seems to have no remorse know that Spirit was more than just a car to you...I think that now that Don is back we can just stage a large parking event for a photo shoot in front of her house. An hour and a half later after we are finally lined up correctly she might just think the next time she pulls in front of a Camaro.

What kind of POS was she driving? Looks like it was pretty high up the way it ripped into your fender.

Call if you need anything. Larry

[BlueDragonVT]

Originally Posted by Ruffian118

Coming back from lunch today, cruising along in righthand lane. Slowing down as I approached traffic light, light turns green when I'm about 150 yards back. Start to accelerate again, up to about 35-40 mph. No one ahead of me in lane.

Woman in center lane, 3 cars back from light, at a dead stop. When light turns, she starts to accelerate, then out of nowhere decides to turn into my lane. At this point I'm about 25-30 feet back. I can see her silhouette and she's talking on the f---ing phone!!! As I'm about to hit her, she finally looks over her shoulder to see me coming. Not enough room for the brakes - I hit her right rear quarter panel.

She gets out of her car, comes to my passenger window and asks if I'm ok. "OKAY!!!??! Look at my car! And you were on the f---ing PHONE!!!" Her response: "yeah, I know." And walks back to her car. Are you kidding me??! She gets cited, and my car is wrecked.

My car? Well you can see the damage below. I'm just heartbroken! This car is more than just metal - litho, signatures from Team Camaro on the shock towers, and I was going to drive it to Oshawa in 3 WEEKS!! Shop will have it for at least 3 weeks, more like 4. They want to put it back together right. I've been looking forward to taking my car on this trip since December.

I just had the CAI installed at C5Fest. Scott Settlemire had selected her as his favorite. I keep going from tears of heartbreak to thoughts of going to this bitch's house and taking a sledgehammer to her MDX (or worse) .

I just need a place to vent and some shoulders to cry on . Physically, I'm ok, but emotionally I'm a mess. Positive: the airbag didn't go off so the interior was spared.

Take her to court and gut the bitch. People who talk or text and drive, then cause an accident because of it should lose their license for a year and have to take a basic driving skills class. I mean remedial level. This is the gas, this is the brake, this is what mirrors are for, stay out of blind spots, and PAY ATTENTION TO WHAT YOU ARE DOING. What a flipping idiot. Hope you told the responding officer she was on her phone.

[pumpkinrancho]

Sorry Susan. Post when you get it back and we will come down and give your camaro a good CCOTR welcome home.

[Suskam]

That really sucks.

[AnnaBear@SpartaChevy]

Sorry Susan!

Hope the car is back together before Oshawa!!

[BAD DAB]

Originally Posted by melody301

I really felt sad reading your story. Nothing frustrates me more than to see these drivers on cellphones. I drove past a young girl today texting who was at a stop light but in the middle of two lanes which made me have to squeeze to get by. As I pulled up next to her I could not contain myself and had to give her a few choice words. As the light turned green she didn't even realize it until about 3 cars blew at her. What an idiot.

You better behave yourself melody301. People are crazy out there.

[BlueDragonVT]

Originally Posted by Shift

Am I reading the same story as everyone else?? I'm sorry this happened to you but the moment you saw multiple cars in the other lane while yours was open should have set off an alarm and you should have been more cautious. Anyone with a reasonable amount of road experience would have expected this to happen. This might have saved your life, you may have been creamed by a red light runner had this not happened. Count your blessings and treat this as lesson learned.

You sir, are an ass. Yeah, I expect people to be responsible for driving their own car, and yes, I expect people to make sure a lane is clear before they switch. Yes, you should always be alert on the road, but that does NOT make this accident her fault. What the hell is wrong with you? You are getting on here yelling at someone about not being psychic enough to predict the stupidity of the driver in the next lane, right after an accident? You should be ashamed of yourself. This is the same faulty logic that people use to blame someone who kills or injures an assailant for attacking them. "Well, you just shoulda know it was gonna happen, then you wouldna been there in the first place." Just disgusting. :mad02 60:

[Ruffian118]

Originally Posted by fbodfather

Susan -

Most importantly - you were not seriously hurt in this accident.

I understand your heartbreak as some of us see these wonderful machines as 'more than just a car' --

What I DO know: "Spirit" is a tough Camaro - and will be 'good as new' soon.

If your body shop is a dealership -- ask them to put a rush on the parts - and open a 'SPAC' case if anything's on backorder......and hopefully Spirit will be back together and we'll see you in Oshawa!

Meanwhile - a message to everyone:

Please don't talk on your cell and attempt to drive at the same time. Study after study proves that the distraction of doing so is worse than a couple of drinks.

ohoh - I feel a 'rant' coming on.....

For some reason, the world existed just fine without cellphones in the car (or on the plane -- or in restaurants) for eons.........so unless you're negotiating a nuclear war - nothing is that important that you can't either pull over (driving) wait 'til you get off the plane (flying) or you're done with dinner -

And -- as a politeness pointer: if you ARE in a restaurant - have some class and get up and walk outside to finish the conversation.............

Thanks, Scott - your advice is very much appreciated. And I was wearing my seatbelt (as I always do).

Originally Posted by Shift

Am I reading the same story as everyone else?? I'm sorry this happened to you but the moment you saw multiple cars in the other lane while yours was open should have set off an alarm and you should have been more cautious. Anyone with a reasonable amount of road experience would have expected this to happen. This might have saved your life, you may have been creamed by a red light runner had this not happened. Count your blessings and treat this as lesson learned.

So, I should've kept my lane open for the 4 cars in the lane next to me just in case they wanted to change lanes AFTER the light turned green? She entered my lane with no turn signal on until AFTER she came into my lane. She also admitted to the police officer that she was on the phone and turned in front of me. This particular section of road had no shoulder (raised curb on my right, cars on my left), so there was nowhere for me to go. And I always approach intersections where the light has just turned green for me with a reasonable amount of caution for the cross traffic because I do see a lot of red-light runners. As for a "reasonable amount of road experience", this is my first accident since I was 19 years old. That was a very long time ago.

Originally Posted by 2010 SS RS

Susan, I like the ideas of Kirk and Pepper about showing up in force and letting this gal that seems to have no remorse know that Spirit was more than just a car to you...I think that now that Don is back we can just stage a large parking event for a photo shoot in front of her house. An hour and a half later after we are finally lined up correctly she might just think the next time she pulls in front of a Camaro.

What kind of POS was she driving? Looks like it was pretty high up the way it ripped into your fender.

Call if you need anything. Larry

2010 Acura MDX - she got to drive her's home. She lives in Highlands Ranch, 63 years old. I also have her name & phone number.

[Sir Nuke]

I just got to say.....it should be a FEDERAL LAW, talking on a cell phone while driving should be a SHOOTING OFFENCE.... sorry. but that is how I feel about, my wife almost lost her life becasue of this very thing, her car got totalled and so did the SEMI !!!

[melody301]

Originally Posted by Jus1dab

You better behave yourself melody301. People are crazy out there.

I know I know may not have been the best thing to do but I felt better after I did it. She had her window down so I just told her "How about you NOT talk on the phone since doing so is enabling you to drive straight...if you haven't noticed you're splitting two lanes." Before she could respond back I drove off. I did see in my rearview that she gave me the finger.

[WadeWilson]

Originally Posted by BackinBlackSS/RS

Originally Posted by angie7

I wish they would make illegal everywhere to talk on the phone.

It's illegal here in Cali to talk or text while driving, but I still see many people doing both on a daily basis. People out here are horrible when it comes to their cell phones.