rant whine 'splain espouse: scriiiiisshhCRASH!

Sunday, February 24, 2008

scriiiiisshhCRASH!

This is never a sound you want to hear in the street out front of your home at night.

We live right at a slight bend in the road where people who are driving waaay too fast (and are probably impaired) tend to not realize the bend's there, and side-swipe a car or two on the other side of the street. It's happened at least once while we've lived here, and according to our neighbors it happens a lot.

Last night they didn't side-swipe any cars on the other side of the street. They smashed right into the back end of the one parked right in front of our place. Unfortunately, it was Velma's car.

I heard it because I was up late working, and I went right out to see if everyone was alright. It sounded like a helluva smash so I knew someone's car was gonna be fucked.

I didn't know Velma had parked on the street that day.

I was right pissed when I walked down to the smashed car to see that it was hers. I almost couldn't believe our luck.

The driver and her boyfriend were not agreeable at first when I went up to them demanding to know who the driver was (they'd already stepped out of their Chevy Tahoe by the time I got outside). I wanted their license right then and there, in case they tried to drive off. The driver — the woman — was shook up. The guy was lighting a cigarette and refusing to answer me. I went back inside to call the cops.

Velma was asleep and hadn't even heard the impact. I didn't want to wake her up but I knew I was going to have to, since I didn't know whether our insurance company had any recommended towing company. And the Honda was certainly going to have to be towed.

The SUV (loathe loathe loathe) had been going very fast. On a 25 MPH residential street. *Grrr* I heard the skid and the impact, plus the damn thing had launched our Honda a full two and-a-half car-lengths away from where it had been parked, shoving it into another car, and shoving that one under the back end of a truck. Two witnesses who had been walking down the street came and told me the SUV had torn away at high speed from the corner.

The cops came and took all the info. As usual, they were varying degrees of helpful and unhelpful, depending on which officer you dealt with. The neighbors came out and gave their condolences, and I eventually went in to wake Velma with the terrific news that her car was totaled.

The entire back end had been munched in, so we presume it's a lost cause (pictures on Velma's blog). Did I mention that the SUV had barely any damage by comparison? Loathe. Loathe. Loathe.

The tow trucks finally came and took the SUV away, then our poor Honda. Even with a totally tweaked rear wheel, the damn car was able to limp backwards off the curb and into the road. I couldn't believe the two truck guy was even gonna try, but it miraculously moved under its own power! Albeit very slowly, and with a lot of noise. *Groan*

Our tow truck guy was way nicer and better than the other person's. They loaded up and sped off, while our guy took the time to sweep up broken glass and pieces of plastic that had been splashed in a 20-foot radius.

Poor little Hondog. We emptied it out as best we could, and waved goodbye. Hours after this nightmare had begun, the little green car disappeared into the dark.

Now begins the wonderful part of dealing with insurance companies and the like. *Groan*