More on the Accident
Sep. 20th, 2007 04:49 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ste_noniSince I ate almost nothing for dinner last night, I woke up starving this morning and then I couldn't stop thinking about the accident. Here'a few things I didn't mention last night.
1. The other car and I were both going at least 40 just before the accident. I didn't hit the brakes because my only shot at avoiding the accident was to get past him. I'm sure he slowed down some when he bounced off the guardrail. Stiil, the front end of his car destroyed and I doubt it will drive again. The bumper and other pieces from the front were falling off as they moved the car. My car? Well, I drove it home.
2. Okay, I did drive it home, but now that I'm home and it's out of waist high, mosquito infected grass, I'm not sure that was such a great idea. I drove home very slowly and Ellie was in my friend's car, so I was the only one at risk. Anyway, the rear driver's side tire does not look lined up with the front tire - it looks like it's out farther. Also, the door doesn't totally close properly and all sort of lights I've never seen kept flashing as I was driving home.
3. Despite all that, I love my Honda and I'm so happy with how it performed. If we had been in a smaller or not as well constructed car, I think that Ellie and I both could have been really hurt. As it was, the body of the car seemed to absorb the vast majority of the impact. Ellie didn't even seem scared. She's been watching this owl on Sesame Street say "Oh, man!" and that's exactly what she said once the car stopped moving. Totally made me laugh - right before I started shaking.
4. Speaking of shaking, after calling C to come get us, I called Joe and basically said, "We are fine, but we were in an accident. Tell me what to do." I think I'm normally pretty good in a scary situation, but I was shaking and I couldn't seem to work my phone properly the first two times I tried to call.
5. I am so grateful to C who kept two two year olds entertained in a car for two hours with just what she happened to have with her. She said they did a lot of singing and ate two chocolate bars that her parents had just sent from Sweden.
6. I'm also surprised that I wasn't more angry with the guy. I mean, he was driving too fast. I get angry with drivers here on a daily basis because of the really dangerous driving I see all the time. Still, this guy was so apologetic and Ellie and I and the baby were all fine. His wife and FIL showed up and held umbrellas over me and asked me a million times about the baby. (Perhaps worried about son's liability, but it seemed sincere.) This really nice and professional tow truck driver showed up and changed my flat tire. Honestly, as angry/frustrated as I get with Puerto Rican culture, except for the accident part, people were a big help and very nice. Random strangers got out and helped the guy push his car out of traffic - again, it was in their interest, but they seemed really happy to help.
7. Finally, USAA, my insurance company, has been so great. Yeah, we pay them a ton every month, but now that we need it, they seem to be very cool. I'll get a rental car when Joe comes home on Friday. (In the mean time, I'll be driving his F150. Practically a tank, it is.) The adjuster is supposed to come see the car today or maybe tomorrow. I have some concerns because PR has this island-wide insurance thing because so many people don't have their own insurance. I think your claim has to go through them at some point. But, I'm pretty sure that is not my problem right now and I'm hoping that USAA is big enough and has enough clients here that they know the process. Plus, Joe knows a guy who knows a guy and the accident-dude's wife has an uncle who works in the Dept. of Transit, or something. It sounds just like Puerto Rico, but you gotta know the system if you are going to make it work. The only major concern I have is that if my car is not totaled, we have to be very careful about replaced parts because they are very very strict here about exporting carss
1. The other car and I were both going at least 40 just before the accident. I didn't hit the brakes because my only shot at avoiding the accident was to get past him. I'm sure he slowed down some when he bounced off the guardrail. Stiil, the front end of his car destroyed and I doubt it will drive again. The bumper and other pieces from the front were falling off as they moved the car. My car? Well, I drove it home.
2. Okay, I did drive it home, but now that I'm home and it's out of waist high, mosquito infected grass, I'm not sure that was such a great idea. I drove home very slowly and Ellie was in my friend's car, so I was the only one at risk. Anyway, the rear driver's side tire does not look lined up with the front tire - it looks like it's out farther. Also, the door doesn't totally close properly and all sort of lights I've never seen kept flashing as I was driving home.
3. Despite all that, I love my Honda and I'm so happy with how it performed. If we had been in a smaller or not as well constructed car, I think that Ellie and I both could have been really hurt. As it was, the body of the car seemed to absorb the vast majority of the impact. Ellie didn't even seem scared. She's been watching this owl on Sesame Street say "Oh, man!" and that's exactly what she said once the car stopped moving. Totally made me laugh - right before I started shaking.
4. Speaking of shaking, after calling C to come get us, I called Joe and basically said, "We are fine, but we were in an accident. Tell me what to do." I think I'm normally pretty good in a scary situation, but I was shaking and I couldn't seem to work my phone properly the first two times I tried to call.
5. I am so grateful to C who kept two two year olds entertained in a car for two hours with just what she happened to have with her. She said they did a lot of singing and ate two chocolate bars that her parents had just sent from Sweden.
6. I'm also surprised that I wasn't more angry with the guy. I mean, he was driving too fast. I get angry with drivers here on a daily basis because of the really dangerous driving I see all the time. Still, this guy was so apologetic and Ellie and I and the baby were all fine. His wife and FIL showed up and held umbrellas over me and asked me a million times about the baby. (Perhaps worried about son's liability, but it seemed sincere.) This really nice and professional tow truck driver showed up and changed my flat tire. Honestly, as angry/frustrated as I get with Puerto Rican culture, except for the accident part, people were a big help and very nice. Random strangers got out and helped the guy push his car out of traffic - again, it was in their interest, but they seemed really happy to help.
7. Finally, USAA, my insurance company, has been so great. Yeah, we pay them a ton every month, but now that we need it, they seem to be very cool. I'll get a rental car when Joe comes home on Friday. (In the mean time, I'll be driving his F150. Practically a tank, it is.) The adjuster is supposed to come see the car today or maybe tomorrow. I have some concerns because PR has this island-wide insurance thing because so many people don't have their own insurance. I think your claim has to go through them at some point. But, I'm pretty sure that is not my problem right now and I'm hoping that USAA is big enough and has enough clients here that they know the process. Plus, Joe knows a guy who knows a guy and the accident-dude's wife has an uncle who works in the Dept. of Transit, or something. It sounds just like Puerto Rico, but you gotta know the system if you are going to make it work. The only major concern I have is that if my car is not totaled, we have to be very careful about replaced parts because they are very very strict here about exporting carss
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Date: 2007-09-20 12:32 pm (UTC)