Saturday night I was driving home from a friend's house after dinner and it started to rain, then the rain turned into freezing rain. I was in the right hand lane of the highway doing 60 MPH in a 65 MPH zone thinking that it was a safe speed since I was far form the fastest driver on the highway at the time and was getting passed by other cars. Also, I didn't have any issues with traction or changing lanes when needed.
Well just after the rain started to turn to freezing rain, my car spun sharply to the left. I attempted to regain control of it and get it straightened out and just as I got the car straightened out, I went over a short bridge on the highway. The car then spun sharply to the right. I guess all the rain that fell on the bridge froze. Since I was in the right hand lane and there was no guardrail after the bridge, my car went off the highway, down a dropoff and took out one of the two 12" wide poles holding up an exit sign. The airbag deployed when I hit the sign pole.
The first thing that ran through my mine when the airbag deployed was "Why the hell did that happen?" My face and chest came nowhere near hitting the steering wheel and by the time I hit the pole I lost a lot of speed. Now I have small burns on both hands from the airbag.
I exited the car and seem to be uninjured except for the burns on my hands and a bruise on my neck from the seat belt.
Another driver that was driving behind me call the the police and it took them a little while to show up. Apparently, there were a quite a few accidents that happened at about the same time that night. It took about an hour for the police to get a tow truck to the scene.
I tried calling Ford roadside assistance for a tow truck, but they were completely useless and the police officer said he could get one to the scene quicker. Apparently the people at Ford Roadside Assistance couldn't find my location when I gave them the state, interstate number, the exit number, and the direction on the highway I was traveling. The guy I was talking to at roadside assistance said he couldn't even find the interstate and he asked me where the highway starts and ends and what states it travels though.
I didn't see the full damage on the car until it was towed back up the embankment and was on the flatbed trailer. It looks like the hood, grill, front bumper, both front fenders, some parts on the side below the doors, and the rear bumper are all damaged. Also the driver's side airbag deployed. I couldn't see if there was any damage to the radiator and also couldn't see if there was damage under the car. It looks like I have at least one flat tire and possibly one damaged wheel too. Also there may be some suspension damage because the passenger side front wheel was turned left while the driver's side front wheel was pointed straight.
When the car was being pulled up the embankment, the cop said we should stand far away from the sign because it might fall over when the car is pulled away from it. In the back of my mind, I was hoping the sign would fall ont he car and crush it because my Mustang has only about 1700 miles on it and I have a feeling it will never be the same again. I had an inattentive woman nearly push me into the center divider in the highway about 8 years ago shortly after I bought a new car, and that car never seemed quite right after the accident even after several trips to the body shop and time on a frame straightener.
I looked up the costs of the parts I saw that were damaged and including the airbag, I'm guessing its at least $5,500 in damage to the car in parts alone, probably more. With parts, paint, supplies, and labor, it could get pretty costly. I'm guessing it won't be totaled though unless there is some major damage I couldn't see. I know different insurance companies have different policies on what cost of repairs comapred to the value of the car determines if the car is totaled. But I'm not sure my car has depreciated enough that they could consider totaling it. I've heard Some insurance companies total cars at 51% of their value while others total them at 80% of their value.
Over 10 years ago when I had my fox body mustang and an elderly and nearly blind man ran a stop sign and broadsided my car, the insurance company wanted to total the car when the damage got to be about 60% of the car's value. However I know some people who's repair bills came out to over 75% of the value of the car and their insurance companies paid to fix their cars. I'd just like an answer soon so I know if I'll have to start shopping for another 2008 GT. The dealers around here have some '08 GTs left in stock with the options I want and with the employee pricing and rebates currently available, I can get another good deal on a new one.
Well just after the rain started to turn to freezing rain, my car spun sharply to the left. I attempted to regain control of it and get it straightened out and just as I got the car straightened out, I went over a short bridge on the highway. The car then spun sharply to the right. I guess all the rain that fell on the bridge froze. Since I was in the right hand lane and there was no guardrail after the bridge, my car went off the highway, down a dropoff and took out one of the two 12" wide poles holding up an exit sign. The airbag deployed when I hit the sign pole.
The first thing that ran through my mine when the airbag deployed was "Why the hell did that happen?" My face and chest came nowhere near hitting the steering wheel and by the time I hit the pole I lost a lot of speed. Now I have small burns on both hands from the airbag.
I exited the car and seem to be uninjured except for the burns on my hands and a bruise on my neck from the seat belt.
Another driver that was driving behind me call the the police and it took them a little while to show up. Apparently, there were a quite a few accidents that happened at about the same time that night. It took about an hour for the police to get a tow truck to the scene.
I tried calling Ford roadside assistance for a tow truck, but they were completely useless and the police officer said he could get one to the scene quicker. Apparently the people at Ford Roadside Assistance couldn't find my location when I gave them the state, interstate number, the exit number, and the direction on the highway I was traveling. The guy I was talking to at roadside assistance said he couldn't even find the interstate and he asked me where the highway starts and ends and what states it travels though.
I didn't see the full damage on the car until it was towed back up the embankment and was on the flatbed trailer. It looks like the hood, grill, front bumper, both front fenders, some parts on the side below the doors, and the rear bumper are all damaged. Also the driver's side airbag deployed. I couldn't see if there was any damage to the radiator and also couldn't see if there was damage under the car. It looks like I have at least one flat tire and possibly one damaged wheel too. Also there may be some suspension damage because the passenger side front wheel was turned left while the driver's side front wheel was pointed straight.
When the car was being pulled up the embankment, the cop said we should stand far away from the sign because it might fall over when the car is pulled away from it. In the back of my mind, I was hoping the sign would fall ont he car and crush it because my Mustang has only about 1700 miles on it and I have a feeling it will never be the same again. I had an inattentive woman nearly push me into the center divider in the highway about 8 years ago shortly after I bought a new car, and that car never seemed quite right after the accident even after several trips to the body shop and time on a frame straightener.
I looked up the costs of the parts I saw that were damaged and including the airbag, I'm guessing its at least $5,500 in damage to the car in parts alone, probably more. With parts, paint, supplies, and labor, it could get pretty costly. I'm guessing it won't be totaled though unless there is some major damage I couldn't see. I know different insurance companies have different policies on what cost of repairs comapred to the value of the car determines if the car is totaled. But I'm not sure my car has depreciated enough that they could consider totaling it. I've heard Some insurance companies total cars at 51% of their value while others total them at 80% of their value.
Over 10 years ago when I had my fox body mustang and an elderly and nearly blind man ran a stop sign and broadsided my car, the insurance company wanted to total the car when the damage got to be about 60% of the car's value. However I know some people who's repair bills came out to over 75% of the value of the car and their insurance companies paid to fix their cars. I'd just like an answer soon so I know if I'll have to start shopping for another 2008 GT. The dealers around here have some '08 GTs left in stock with the options I want and with the employee pricing and rebates currently available, I can get another good deal on a new one.
