Thank you Toyota and RIP 4Runner....

shawn474

Got hit by a guy blowing through a red light at about 45-50mph last night around midnight. My truck was a 2014 Toyota 4Runner that I just paid off 2 days ago. His was a 2013 Jeep wrangle rubicon. He just didn’t see me - no braking, no opportunity to brace for collision, just full impact. He had two small kids in the car. Thankfully nobody was hurt and both cars can be replaced. After what happened to my mom, I think my family is somehow blessed. My wife and kids were supposed to be on this trip with me and would have been in the car driving home with me had they gone. Can’t imagine what would have happened to the passengers if there were any. Thankful to be relatively uninjured and able to walk away but we leave for vacation tomorrow and can’t tow our trailer now. It’s a big pain in the rear and I was looking forward to having no car payments, but better that being dead or injured!!! Every air bag in the car deployed and the frame was actually cut in half in the front. I think it’ll buff right out. 😉Counting my lucky stars....

Nightfall

On his phone? It makes my blood boil every time I see someone staring at their phone while driving. WTF is the matter with you? At least try and pretend you're driving around a 3,000 pound death machine ffs.

shawn474

Nightfall wrote: »

On his phone? It makes my blood boil every time I see someone staring at their phone while driving. WTF is the matter with you? At least try and pretend you're driving around a 3,000 pound death machine ffs.

That’s what I suspect since no braking or anything was attempted. Three witnesses stopped, helped me, waited for the cops and gave a statement. He was yelling at his kids to stop crying......I felt bad for them but very thankful that they were not hurt. He never asked if I was ok or apologized. In fact he insisted to the cops that his light was green.....which is impossible. He hit me after I was already over 40 feet into the intersection.

charley95

Nightfall wrote: »

On his phone? It makes my blood boil every time I see someone staring at their phone while driving. WTF is the matter with you? At least try and pretend you're driving around a 3,000 pound death machine ffs.

Glad everyone is ok. Phone drivers need the same penalty as a DUI!!!! It makes my blood boil too. I've been rear ended 4 times by cell phone drivers.

jeremymarcinko

I’m glad everyone is okay and there were witnesses to attest the right of way.

I was in a very similar accident many years ago but I was driving a borrowed Kia Sephia and was hit by a Rodeo at about the same speeds you were.. Thank goodness for the witnesses. This guy was also not owning his mistake.

Good luck on the settlement, I’m sure you can get your 4Runner replacement and still avoid a payment.

Mike Reeter

Dang, Glad you are O.K. Never ceases to amaze me just how effin' stupid people can be. Driving like that, with two children in the car, he should be brought up on charges.

verb

Sorry about your accident, but happy you're ok!

jflail2

Sorry about your truck but it sounds like it did a great job of keeping you safe. Good 4Runner. Hope the rest of this is hassle free, but the most important part is you walked away from that mess.

Tony M

I'm glad you're OK too!

Yea, charges should be made against that guy! They'll throw the book at a person who's had a little too much to drink...and is driving fine. This idiot almost kills his 2 kids, you and maybe himself and NOTHING?

Tony M

I regress.
The guy will get a running a red light ticket for sure.

simm

That’s rough. Saw your post on the 4runner forum. Glad no one was seriously injured

codycatalist

Happy everyone was alright. Blessings indeed.

gmcman

Wow man....that could have been far worse. Glad nobody was hurt. That's a hard one to take since you just paid it off, but the end result takes precedence.

I started through a green light one night a few years ago, guy in an Explorer coming down the hill from the left had to get out of the lane that had stopped traffic, into the empty lane, and continued through the red light at about 30 MPH. I stopped and thought he will see me and swerve.

He tore the nose off my Envoy, another 6" forward and my vehicle would have been totaled.

Scary stuff, that sound of impacting steel never goes away. Looking at your 4Runner really paints a grim picture how quick things can go bad, always have to be on your A-game since others cannot seem to put their priorities in order.

shawn474

Yeah today was bad; woke up last night in a lot of discomfort. Ribs and back are really tender. I have had two previous back surgeries so wanted to get checked out to make sure no damage was done. Preliminary reports are positive but hoping it stays that way.

mrloren

WOW! Glad you're ok and could walk away from that one.

I don't know if it's something in the air or what. I've been seeing a lot of these stupid cell phone accidents lately. Put the darn cell phone down.

jdjohn

Thankful you are okay, but still sucks.

My son's 2000 4Runner is well over 300K miles now. Sad that yours will not enjoy its full life.

shawn474

DSkip wrote: »

I assume you are getting a checkup? It'll be tougher to get reimbursement if something is wrong if you don't. I'm sure you'll start feeling better after several days.

Yeah I went to the ER today at the request of my family. I have a history of two lumbar spine surgeries including a fusion. My wife insisted I get checked out as my back has been getting worse over the course of time since the accident. The doctor said that it could be gradually getting worse over the course of the next week or two before it starts to feel better. If not, I have to follow up with a specialist. Not a fun way to start off vacation (we leave for outer banks tomorrow).

Milito

Glad you won't hurt bad. Just continue to get checked out and don't sign any release with the insurance company for a few months. I've had 6 back operations so I understand you concerns. I would see a specialist anyway just to make sure you won't have any issues in the future.

mdaudioguy

Glad you're ok Shawn! Hope that doctor's wrong and it just plain gets better. Chilling in OBX seems like a good thing right now!

mcknzAlex

Yikes, good thing you are safe.

verb

As mentioned in my post above, glad you're ok!

It's always shocking to see the aftermath, the results of the vehicles after an accident, but actually they are designed that way today. To absorb the energy from an impact, before it gets to the occupants.

Looking at the pics, notice how the door openings are relatively unaffected, again by design. To ensure the occupants can exit the vehicle easily after a crash.

You mentioned the frame, or sub frame, cut in half. Again, I would venture to say by design. After the components have reached their maximum safe deflection, they are designed to release from the body, instead of intruding inside the passenger compartment.

We do at my work many many simulations, both structural and airbag simulations, followed by physical testing, to ensure the occupants are safe as possible during many crash scenarios. Heck, even roll over simulations!

Of course, grace has a lot to do with it, always does, but thank those engineers too at Toyota for designing a safe vehicle!

aprazer402

Shawn, Glad you're okay. Enjoy your vacation! Like others have said, don't settle quickly or at all, Consult a lawyer.

@mdaudioguy I had to lookup "OBX". Which reminded me of some BBQ sauce I ordered online from a highly acclaimed OBX BBQ sauce company some 15-20 years ago. I had to call them as I thought it was spoiled. I told the owner it tasted like vinegar! The guy laughed for a minute or more and then attempted to tell this Nebraskan, this is what BBQ sauce is "supposed" to taste like. We agreed to disagree! I mixed it with some KC BBQ sauce to cut the vinegar and all was well. I would be willing to try it again some time in the Carolinas.

K_M

Glad you are okay! What a jerk in the other vehicle!!

Did you get pics of his after crash damage also?