Whoa....first crash.

[BlackTigers]

I was driving at about 30, and I see a ball roll out in front of a car parked on the right. I start slowing down, but the car behind me (at this point approximately 2 inches from my bumper) doesn't, and a kid runs out into the street.

I get nervous usually when people follow me that close, but all I could do was jam my wheel to the left and try to avoid this kid. The car behind me apparently had ABS or something, because he made the corner fine.

I however, did not. Jumped the curb, hit a wall of railroad ties. I am soo lucky, only the bottom right of my front bumper sustained any damage (I went high enough, that I clear it with everything else). That and I destroyed my rims when I hit the curb.

I was going slow enough that I didn't get jolted forward (my seat belt was on, anyway). No damage to anything other than my car, and the little fuckhead that ran out into the street ran off and I was way too shaken up to follow him.

Completely a numbing experience. It wasn't even that bad, but I just feel like...completely lost right now. I don't know. Pics later.

pic 1
pic 2
pic 3

 

[StageLeft]

it sucks, I've been in several !

 

[Arkaign]

Sucks to hear that, happy that you're okay. Sounds like you did the best anyone could have done in that situation. Good thing you probably weren't cruising in something dangerous like an Explorer or Trailblazer, those things tip over pretty easy with stuff like that.

 

[Mermaidman]

Just remember it's more dangerous to swerve & avoid than to simply run over a

 

[Colt45]

Hit the kid next time, would have done less damage.

 

[NaOH]

whew, when you said rims, I thought you meant actual wheels. Not heavy fugly steelies. That and bumper should be cheap to fix. Hope you didn't mess up your axle.

 

[bruceb]

The bumper can be buffed out. It looks like just a scuff mark and the paint doesn't seem to be really damaged.
Not sure if the bumper moved or not, can't really tell how the body gaps should be, so it may need a new
mounting clip. And since the wheel hit the curb, I would suggest getting the front end alignment checked.

 

[BlackTigers]

Originally posted by: bruceb
The bumper can be buffed out. It looks like just a scuff mark and the paint doesn't seem to be really damaged.
Not sure if the bumper moved or not, can't really tell how the body gaps should be, so it may need a new
mounting clip. And since the wheel hit the curb, I would suggest getting the front end alignment checked.

Going in tomorrow for a new rim, two new tires, and an alignment. Just to be on the safe side.

And the bumper needs a mounting clip of some sort, it snapped off and moved down about a quarter inch.

As for the bottom of the bumper. you can hardly tell right now that anything happened. I'll need a little bondo some paint and I'll never be able to tell.

 

[JulesMaximus]

That'll buff right out.

 

[vshah]

you didn't have ABS?

 

[BW86]

at least you didn't hit the kid

 

[Baked]

Around my neighborhood that kid would be a darwin award candidate. People around here drive hella fast and if you don't off the street, that's your problem. Threw your ball out on the street? Wait for traffic to clear before you go out and get it.

 

[Xyclone]

Swerving is dangerous but people, especially kids, are worth infinitely more than property (your car/parked cars). But, at the same time, you will have to pay in insurance premiums for swerving and hitting a car. You got off pretty lucky with relatively minor damage. :thumbsup:

 

[Bignate603]

You did the right thing. Your reaction and minor inconvenience may have saved a kid.

 

[BlackTigers]

The thing that really got me, is that I missed a telephone pole by a foot. I could hardly open my door because the pole was right there. Totally leveled me, that could have been so much worse.

And no, I don't think I have ABS, lol. I can only afford so much in a car.

 

[thomsbrain]

Good job, asshole. Now that stupid kid will live long enough to pass on his damaged genes to another generation, thus further polluting the purity of our species.



Sounds like you did the right thing in a panicked situation. You probably sustained the least possible damage in terms of possible things to hit or get hit by, and no one got hurt.

 

[jagec]

Did you catch up to the kid and beat him until your insurance deductible fell out?

 

[BlackTigers]

Whew, just got back from NTB. New tires were $140 installed. The guy there gave me a free steelie (yay!), so in actuality the only damage to my car will be the bumper clip I need to buy. He threw it up on the rack and re-aligned it for me too (I don't know why, but I'm not complaining).

He did tell me that I have a blown tie rod end, and two lower ball joints that are bad. He wanted $500 to replace these, and I passed. How tedious would it be to replace these by hand? It's like $100 in parts to do them myself.

 

[MustangSVT]

sue the kid!

 

[onza]

sue the company for making the ball roll out into the road!