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Minding my own business when all broke loose-my poor SVT Focus


1 tuff z

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Minding my own business while returning home after taking my sis & bro-in-law to the airport so they could spend a few days in the big apple together. We watched their 3 kids [3, 5 & 8 while they were gone] along with our 2 kids-15 & 17. Anyway, driving about 60mph Sunday 2/17 at 3:15pm I move to the left lane on the highway to take the left exit into the city and head home. As the highway transitions into where it threads through the city it slows to 40mph. I see the 40 sign, lift off the throttle to gradually comply with the new posted speed. Glance in my rearview [keep in mind it's sunny, sparse traffic & about 35 degrees, road dry] and see this car closing pretty quickly and make a mental note of it's make/color/model-mid 2000's chevy impala-white. As it gets closer it appears I'm going to get rear ended-quick thought-if I move right he'll likely do the same and get rear ended, I can't accelerate quickly enough to avoid it with my whopping n/a 2.0 Focus SVT so I relax, tap my brakes [hoping it will get his attention] and prepare for impact. At the last possible moment he violently swerves right to avoid the rear end hit and I'm thankful - that is until I look to the right and see his car next to me at a 45 degree angle sliding - tail away, nose toward my car. Flash to my track experience [as this is now all running in slow motion] and I know shortly he'll gain traction then shoot the direction his car is poining - at ME!

 

So I nail the brakes and move as close as I can toward the concrete barrier [see pics] as I do he, gains traction, hits my R rear quarter then R front fender driving me into the barier and finally gets past my nose, hitting the barrier at the same time my nose hits his L front fender. Together we slide about 100' along the concrete and come to rest. He then backs up and pulls away in front of me [me now fearing he'll bolt - but, thankfully does not].

 

Sitting there, hands still on the wheel my brain flashes to the small rust bubbles I noticed in the hood last week and think. "perfect, I can get that hood replaced and maybe paint the whole car - hey, this isn't so bad...". I call 911, tell them what happened and they dispatch a NY state trooper [who takes our statements and writes the accident report as well tickets other driver] and Rochester city cop [he keeps traffic hitting from us - as you can see the pics there is a narrow shoulder].

 

While awaiting the cops arrival my engine dies and won't start - great I think but still don't think it all too bad and take a few notes about what just happened. Get out of the car, take a few pics and see it's worse that than I thought.

 

Cops arrive, take our statement, other insured tells trooper the roads were slippery. Trooper looks over his shoulder [from where we came] and says, "no, the roads are dry, it's sunny, no traffic to speak of and you were going too fast and not paying attention!". I breathe a sigh of relief, cop finished report, other car drives away and my Focus is flatbedded. I get home, call my insurance company and report the accident.

 

Monday-first thing call the insurance co. and politely tell the guy that the Focus isn't a base model but an SVT. Also tell him I've pulled comps within 250mi of my home and give him a price range of what I feel it to be worth. Speak with another rep to give a recorded statement as well as shoot her the pics I took and map links to the accident site. Fun stuff...

 

Thursday, finally hear from the insurance company, car is totalled and they're sending me a check for everything but my deductible-which I'm told will come after they get paid by the other company - which is now delayed until the police report is available as the other driver has recanted and now says I pulled in front of him. I do get them to cough up for the tinted windows and new battery I put in only 3 weeks ago - every litte bit helps.

 

Pics - no one hurt, car will be replaced! Pic 1, right side damage, 2 left side, 3 shot from rear, 4 what she looked like.

 

After much searching and since I really enjoy this car found another. Same year, make, model & color - heading to Mass next week to get it. Bonus is this one has HID's, sunroof and only 51k miles!

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Edited by 1 tuff z
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Also glad to hear you're ok, cars are precious but can be replaced while the occupants can't be.

You also sound like an awesome insurance company customer. My close friends family owns an insurance company and I hear so many stories of how people don't have their paperwork or in general their sh*t together... 

Well said LanceVance the other driver seems like a real piece of work...

What part of Mass will you be in? If you're close to Boston let me know I'll buy a round!

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Thanks for all the well wishes and comments. I do feel blessed that it's only bent metal and both of us [myself-solo and other driver-also solo] walked away. Actually he drove away while had to be flat bedded but still ok...

 

Will post pics of the replacement once it's home safe and sound. Found new one; North Dartmouth, MA 02747 [about 20 min S, SE of Providence RI]. sito, I think that would put it about an hour south of you. We're planning on driving in and turning right around to head home after signing/forms/etc-I really appreciate the offer though!

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Your stall most likely was the Ford Impact Switch, either on the drivers floorboard (like the ranger pickups) or in an accessible compartment in the trunk like Escort/Tempo/Topaz.

 

We would play "bumper cars" with rentals when several engineers came into town. Rap the back of the car hard enough to set his switch off but not yours.

 

The reset instructions are in your manual...tsk tsk tsk! read your manual on the next one! ;p

 

Good to hear you're no worse for the wear.

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Thanks for all the well wishes and comments. I do feel blessed that it's only bent metal and both of us [myself-solo and other driver-also solo] walked away. Actually he drove away while had to be flat bedded but still ok...

 

Will post pics of the replacement once it's home safe and sound. Found new one; North Dartmouth, MA 02747 [about 20 min S, SE of Providence RI]. sito, I think that would put it about an hour south of you. We're planning on driving in and turning right around to head home after signing/forms/etc-I really appreciate the offer though!

No worries Tuff next time... although this might have turned out for the best as I have some bad news of my own to share. Bit of a tangent nothing happened to my Z but I just got laid off which will defnitely impact my plans for my Z...

Hopefully I'll be able to find another job soon but the state of the economy still worries me :(

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No worries Tuff next time... although this might have turned out for the best as I have some bad news of my own to share. Bit of a tangent nothing happened to my Z but I just got laid off which will defnitely impact my plans for my Z...

Hopefully I'll be able to find another job soon but the state of the economy still worries me :(

What is your career? Sorry to hear about your layoff.

 

David

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  • 2 weeks later...

Neck still sore and limited 'range of motion' so back to the doc.  Picked up the replacement focus or what i now call SVTF II. Pics...

 

Same year, make, model, color + factory HID's and sunroof.

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Edited by 1 tuff z
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