Wednesday, February 07, 2007

Whatever you need least, that's what you get

In my case, a car accident: I was rear-ended on the freeway coming home from work today, only about a mile and a half from my apartment.

Ironically, this part of the freeway was bone-dry--clear of the snow and shielded from the wind that had made most of the previous 18 miles pretty treacherous.

This is what happened: suddenly, on a sharp, dipping curve that forks into an exit, all the cars in front of me braked, hard. I braked, too, missing the car in front of me by perhaps six inches. The car behind me? Not so much with the braking. Must've hit me at 45 MPH.

No real injuries, although the other driver's car was totalled--both of her airbags deployed and she crumpled her entire front end and shattered her windshield in two places. My car's quite drivable, but she ain't pretty. And I can already tell that I'll be sore tomorrow.

Dammit to hell.

34 comments:

Dr. Crazy said...

Oh, how horrible! I'm glad you're (relatively) ok!

StyleyGeek said...

Wow, I'm glad there were no serious injuries. And that (from the sounds of it) getting insurance to pay out shouldn't be problematic.

It must have been pretty scary, though!

Horace said...

That's terrible...Willow's recovering from a not-her-fault accident before the holidays and the insurance is a pain in the tuchus. I am, however, terribly relieved to hear that there's no major physical harm to your person. Have a glass of wine for yourself tonight.

Mel said...

oh, I'm so sorry to hear this -- Glad you're OK -- I hope you won't feel too awful tomorrow.

dhawhee said...

Oh, my, Flavia. If you do have excessive soreness in your neck, you might want to seek treatment.

Sisyphus said...

Oh no! I hope you're well.

You may need to take a little something to get unwound and to sleep. Also a definite second to getting checked up on.

Will you be able to drive back to school for your next class, or is the car kaput?

Pamphilia said...

Oh, that's truly terrible, Flavia! My heart goes out to you. I was in an accident last term-- mostly all my fault. It was really frustrating dealing with those Insurance folks, though my insurance plan was really good so I guess I'd recomment GEICO over all. They gave me a rental vehicle for as long as I needed. I wish you and Zelda a speedy recovery in every way.

Anonymous said...

oh my! sorry to hear but glad that you are okay.

Anonymous said...

Oh man, that really sucks! Were you pushed into the car in front of you? Seems like if you got hit that hard you must have been...

My best advice is to try to deal with her insurance company first. Yours will generally tag you with a claim, whether you were at fault or not.. or at least that's what it seems like from most people I've talked to.

Hope you're not too sore in the morning...

-scr

Flavia said...

Thanks for all the sympathy, guys--it means a lot.

The car is still very drivable and will have to serve for at least the next few days (the rear bumper is really crunched and there's a dent in the middle of the hatchback; otherwise, the only damage is to the front bumper--the license-plate holder, frame, & license plate were torn off, and the bumper itself has some related minor dents and scratches). I guess there's never a good time for an accident, but in the midst of a ton of candidate visits, conferences, and immediately-due rec letters, this sure isn't it!

And Bro: yes, I hit the car in front of me after I was hit from behind, but the guy in front didn't stop or even pause. It was only a little, sporty coupe, so he must have felt the impact & have sustained at least some minor bumper damage. . . but, whatever.

timna said...

ouch. hope you have time to take a bath or something to relax.

(btw, it was the person I hit when I was rear-ended, standing still, who came back to us with insurance claims!).

life_of_a_fool said...

Yikes. I'm glad you're relatively o.k. (hopefully still feeling that way tomorrow) and hope that you can get things fixed (mechanically and insurance wise) with minimal hassle.

Nels P. Highberg said...

What?!?

Terminal Degree said...

Ugh. Why do people tailgate anyhow? (That's my biggest pet peeve among stupid drivers.)

Sorry you'll be sore, but glad you weren't hit worse.

BlueFox said...

Hells bells! So when she smashed into you, did your car ding into the car in front of you? Anyhows, what ever happened, you had better get your neck checked by a doctor or something - you never know. Injury is not always visible.
Cheers - Drive Safe!

Carin said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

Oh, that is just awful! PLEASE get yourself checked out-- my sister was in a similar accident and ended up having some wicked neck problems... get thee to a doctor, Flavia!-- MaggieMay

Pilgrim/Heretic said...

Ow.... much sympathy!!

MountainLaurel said...

So sorry to hear that, Flavia, but I'm glad you're not seriously hurt. I hope you (and the car) feel better soon. I'd also get the car checked out ASAP as sometimes damage isn't easily visible. Just to make sure you're safe in it for the next few weeks.

It's got to be great for the study of irony, though.

Mend well!
Laurel

P.S. Here's echoing urges for you to get to an M.D.

Bardiac said...

I'm glad to hear you weren't badly hurt, and neither was the other person. Most of us make driving mistakes and get away with them, but sometimes we get in accidents. Airbags, crumple zones, and seat belts really do make a difference!

Hilaire said...

Oh, I'm really sorry, Flavia! How awful. My sympathies.

Margo, darling said...

Oh, that's terrible! Getting hit from behind--a totally unavoidable on your part accident--terrifies me. Glad you're okay, but I'll bet you had a rough night sleeping last night, playing it back in your head, over and over, right?
Take care. xoxo

Anonymous said...

Awful news! I'm so sorry to hear about the accident.

Did you in fact wake up this morning with a stiff neck? I hope that both you and your car have a speedy recovery.

Wol said...

Oh, Flavia, I'm so sorry. That really sucks. Do go see a doctor and treat yourself to a massage if you can! It will help take some of the ache away.

Anonymous said...

Damn, girl! That sounds bad! I'm glad that your car is okay and that the other driver seems to be physically if not automotively all right.

She was fully insured, yes? :)

Professing Mama said...

So sorry to hear this, Flavia! What a pain (literally). Here's hoping the insurance company quickly sorts this out and that you have gotten yourself to the dr--you *really* should get checked out, just to be safe.

phd me said...

Yikes!! I'm so sorry about the car but very glad you're relatively unharmed. Hope you're doing okay today. Even little fender benders - which yours was not! - cause all sorts of aches and pains. Be good to yourself (and a doctor's visit isn't a bad idea)!

Tiruncula said...

What a pain! And your cute little car! Glad you're ok.

Dean Dad said...

Gawd, that sucks.

Glad you're okay.

BrightStar (B*) said...

oh no! I hope you do not have pain.

Anonymous said...

What a miserable experience! I hope everything gets sorted out rapidly and as painlessly as possible.

Another Damned Medievalist said...

Glad you're OK, but please go to the doctor. Soft tissue injuries can be a real pain, and sometimes take a few days to materialize.

Oso Raro said...

Wow, the tragedies really bring out the comments, don't they? It's like all of a sudden everyone who reads your blog in deep (or shallow) stealth comes out of the woodwork. So, I might as well join the parade and say, "Yes, that sucks," as well as "Glad you're alright," and finally, echoing some others here, "Go to the Doc!" Of course I feel like I'm a little late after 35 comments, but still, like Hallmark, it's the thought that counts. You really should have gone to the Doc str8 away afterwards, you are clearly NOT a hypochondriac, but hopefully everything is fully functioning, and now all you have to worry about is the insurance nightware coming down the pike with a big ol' target on your forehead! (sigh) Good luck with that!

Also, yes, other drivers generally do suck, and I stopped counting how defensive I have to be on the roads of Cold City, although, truth be told, I was driving with La Nena last weekend and she was all wrapped up in LaBeija, telling me some dish on her work, I was distracted listening to the drama (What is up with Latinos and drama I ask you?), and ended up partially running a red light (as in, slam on the brakes and ended up in the middle of the intersection). I looked for safety, and took off rather than backing up. We were lucky. Moral: Don't ride around with a blabbing La Nena! :-P

Glad you're OK :-))

Sfrajett said...

I'm going to add my two cents to the get well chimes. Sorry not to hear about this until now--feel better!