A special dedication to my
Benz. First, we can get all the criticism crap aside by me acknowledging the following:
1) I am a foolish metal lover
2) I am a brand or typical Asian (not typical, Asian yes) stereo type with a Mercedes Benz
3) I am materialistic
4) I am vain, and needy
5) I value metal more than life.
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I am not any of the above, what I am is a loyal, frugal person. I take care of my cars, and I run them until they give up on me. I officially have nothing valuable on me the minute this car got plowed! Between the burglary and this car crash, I can say that I have been stripped off of all my accessories. My Mercedes
Benz was my dream car. I had worked very hard and saved for it. A dream that I had to train my brain for years to rid the guilt to get. It was the only place I could have any control over in terms of cleanliness since kids. It was the PREFERRED car that our family always rode in. It was the one that took the most abuse from our family too. And with god's will this
Mercedes Benz saved my life!
Last Friday while on my way to the dentist after dropping off my kids. All the cars were in stop and go traffic on HWY 85, more stop than go. At the time the crash happened, I was at a complete stop. I glanced in my rear view mirror and saw a truck coming at me. It wasn't stopping. It kept plowing my
Benz into the car in front of me, then I heard my car crunched and the metal crushing. What ran through my head was, does this mean my car is totaled? Am I alive? Is this what people see and feel before their souls take-off?
No. Thank god. I am alive, and wide awake. No blood was shed. I have a lot of pain and bruises on my right hip, and all along the left side, but no broken bones and no hospital required. Besides God, the
Mercedes Benz saved my life!
I called 911. I believe the four cars involved did too. The truck had rammed into my
Benz so hard its front was stuck to my back bumper. The CHP came. We were ordered to stay in our vehicles. He asked me to floored the gas pedal to pull my
Benz away from the truck, so that I can get it to the shoulder. This was the most unusual crash ever for me, I didn't exchange info with the person who hit me, the CHP officer and the Police Officer took all our info and gave us a report number.
I love my car, still love it very much even though it is all crumbled. I always thought I would be 60 / 70 and still have this car. If I could fix it, I would, and I want to, but the repairs are way beyond what the car is actually worth right now. I've had it since 2003. It's been really great, low mileage, and no major problems except for the regular up keep and maintenance. It is not finicky like our Volkswagen.
It was my perfect car, it had everything I wanted on it, but still modestly humble. My panorama sunroof, the only car that ever has this feature. My sports edition package, my black birch wood console. The saddest and most regrettable part is that I would never run out and buy another brand new, special order car like this ever again. It is once in a lifetime experience and it will never be the same the second time.
LET ME WEEP! Please let me weep about my car. I know all about that other stuff. I am lucky I am alive, I am lucky that no blood was shed. I am lucky that I was not hurt. I am lucky god didn't take me in the process. As a matter of fact, he was so good to me that I just came out of it with some bruises, a stiff neck, pain in my shoulders, collar bone, and hip. But damn it! Because someone decided not pay attention to the road while he was driving, he took away the most important thing to me. The only thing that can comfort me when I am pissed at the world, or that made me feel great about all my hard work and sweat. I always thought that having someone buy you something extraordinary would make you feel very special, but no - having to come up with it yourself, by being able to resist everything else that isn't it to save for what you love and use, and be with for so long is so much more gratifying. You will feel a tremendous lost, something that could never be explained. The meals you starved yourself, the fun you pass up, the nice clothes you have to turn away. Everything.
But yes, at least I had it for nine years, at least I still have my one piece body. I could even say it loved me back - a lot- because it has helped save my life! It was only a few years ago, that I went through another great lost. Again, my life was not in endanger, had it been any other way, a twist of faith, I would not be sitting here. So with all these lost, there is my luck. The luck that none of my family is hurt, nor I. The luck that we still have each other. The pain of this material lost will fade in time.
My car in the shop. Eventually the mechanics had to saw my trunk open, while I looked away. I couldn't watch a beautiful thing being saw in pieces like that. You know how you love your pets? I love my car that same way, or much more. It took me around, it helped me make money to feed my family, it help me get my kids to the doctors so that they can be well again. It does so much for me. It loved me too.
Then there is the other vehicle. I am better today, five days after the crash, but I can't even sympathized with someone who never even tried to step on the brakes! He was so involved in what he was doing that he should not have been behind the wheels.
I will see my Benz once again, before it goes to the junk jar. Even though it is so totaled, it is still a gorgeous car. Just beautiful in every way. It's beautiful because it was practical too. The black leather seats with air vents was perfect for the kids, and easy for me to clean. The light blue tints on the windows were just enough to shield the sun from their faces without blinding me. But life goes on, and now, I have to go fight the battles.
Here are Self Sagacity's Thursday Two Questions #106
1) Have you ever been in a crash that your car or the other totaled?
2) Were you or anyone else hurt in the crash ?
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A special dedication to my Benz. First, we can get all the criticism crap aside by me acknowledging the following:
1) I am a foolish metal lover
2) I am a brand or typical Asian (not typical, Asian yes) stereo type with a Mercedes Benz
3) I am materialistic
4) I am vain, and needy
5) I value metal more than life.
31 Comments
Oh My God, Amanda thank God you are okay. A stiff neck and shoulder pain however, can be serious so you should see a doctor.
ReplyDeleteLooking at the damage has me cringing. The truck driver must have been going at a high rate of speed to cause all of that damage. Watching the video was even hard for me.
Yes, your Benz is gone but it did save your life and that's the legacy and memory it will leave with you.
I am so sorry this happened to you, Amanda. God was with you.
Now for your ?'s
1. I was a passenger in a car decades ago that was hit broadside on the passenger side where I was sitting. There were four of us in the car and though we has some bruises and scrapes, no one went to the hospital except for the driver of the other car.
Please take care of yourself, Amanda.
The truck driver was going at least 45 mph, but I was at at stop so the hit was beyond belief. I think it actually made me feel better when I think of my Benz that way. That it was a tool that god used to save my life. Because without it, I would have been a mess. Thank you Jo for your visit and comfort.
Delete45 mph when everyone was stopped? That is horrible. He must have been texting or doing something that he was not paying attention. This story could have been so much worse so I'm thankful for your Benz and God on this one. I'll say an extra prayer of thanks that you are okay :)
Deletewe just got the police report and the driver stated that he was going about 65-70 miles per hour! Now I know why his car and my car was totaled! prayers are grateful. This story could have been untold by SelfSagacity given the speed he was going.
DeleteFirst of all, I am glad you are safe! From the look of the mess, you're loved and protected by the Mighty hand above.
ReplyDeleteSecondly, you're entitled to what you like, what you can afford, and personal preferences..Again, thank God you are safe!!!
Thanks sis. I was indeed. God was so good to me, like I said, I couldn't believe that he left me in such great condition, both body and mind. I couldn't believe that I was walking out of my car- almost like nothing had happened.
DeleteI don't think any of the accessories that are considered valuable to me are worth trying to get back the second time. I am quite content with just the one time experience.
I'm so glad that you are OK. Everything else can be replaced, except you and your loved ones. When I win the lottery, I'll buy you two Mercedes to make up for the loss of this one!
ReplyDeleteI’ve had two major accidents, and gotten lucky both times.
DeleteThe first one was about 25 years ago when I was living in New York City. I was a student and didn’t have a car, but I had rented one to go visit my parents who lived about 50 miles north of NYC. I had stayed the weekend and was heading back to school on a Monday morning in heavy rush hour traffic.
There’s a bridge across the Hudson just north of NYC called the Tappan Zee Bridge (photo: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tappan_Zee_Bridge). It’s pretty long and rises up in the middle so boats can pass under it. There are tool booths at the eastern end of the bridge (heading towards NYC) and during morning rush hour, traffic usually backs up along the bridge as people are waiting to get through the toll booths.
On this morning, the traffic had backed up all the way close to the top of the rise in the middle of the bridge. As I came over the rise, I saw the cars stopped ahead of me, so I slowed down and came to a stop. I knew I was in a dangerous position because I had stopped near the top of the rise and anyone coming after me would probably not have enough time to stop if they were going too fast. I was looking in the rear view mirror, and sure enough, the guy coming over the top behind me was not anticipating that traffic had stopped and was going too fast to stop in time. He hit the brakes, but too late. I knew he was going to hit me, but there was nothing I could do. I just held on to the wheel and braced for the impact. He plowed into me probably doing close to 60 mph and sent my car crashing into the car in front of me. The second car behind me also did not stop in time and so there was a chain collision of 4 cars.
By some miracle no-one was killed. The guy who hit me was injured pretty badly, but survived. He had two broken legs, broken ribs, numerous cuts and bruises. The whole engine from his car was pushed into the passenger section. Luckily he did not get his legs cut off. They had to cut his car in half to pull him out. I was lucky that his car was a compact, not a big SUV or truck. If it had been a bigger car that hit mine at that speed, or if he had reacted a half-second later, I definitely would have been crushed to death. This was in old days, before cars had airbags, so there was very little protection. It was also fortunate that I knew he was going to hit me and was prepared for the impact. The rental car was completely totalled (good thing I got insurance from Hertz!), but I walked away without major injury – just sore for a few days.
One funny note – my mom had given me a tupperware full of fresh strawberries to take back with me. In the accident, they got splattered all over the front windshield of the car, making it look like blood. Too bad I did not have a camera to take a photo. Gross!
The second time was in California. I remember the date vividly: May 13, 2004 (yes, “unlucky 13”, but maybe it was lucky after all). It was late at night and I was driving home from San Francisco, in my old red Mazda (you remember it?). I was on Hwy 101 near the University Ave exit in Palo Alto, doing around 65-70mph, when a large 18-wheeler suddenly cut into my lane. There was no way I could stop in time. I had to swerve onto the shoulder. If I did not swerve, I would get sucked under the truck and crushed like a pancake. I hit a road sign which smashed the front of my car, then went over the island divider which damaged my axle and wheels, then took out the traffic metering light at the end of the ramp, which crashed onto the top of my car and took off most of the roof. I somehow managed to control the car and stop it before it crashed into the wall along the side of the highway. It was just like one of those race car crashes you see on TV. I don’t know if the truck driver didn’t realize what had happened, or if he was just trying to escape, but it any case he just kept going.
DeleteI stumbled out of the car and got away as fast as I could. There was smoke coming out, radiator fluid and gasoline spilled on the road, and I was just afraid the whole thing was going to explode. The cops and fire truck were there in a few minutes to take care of everything. The tow truck driver asked me where the driver of the car was, and when I told him it was me, he could not believe it. The car had basically been cut in half and I had walked out without a scratch. This was also an older car without airbags. He told me he had not seen anything like it in all the years he had been doing the job. He said anytime he had seen a crash like that, the people had either been killed or seriously injured. He told me, “Somebody up there must like you”! So I guess it was Lucky 13 after all. To this day, every time I drive past that exit (about once a week), I remember exactly what happened that night as if it was yesterday. It took them about 6 months to replace that metering light, but it’s there now and I always wave to it as I go past.
The basic moral of the story is that life is short, and we should enjoy and appreciate it while we can, because it can be taken away from us in an instant. I feel blessed to have escaped death twice, and I hope nothing like this ever happens to anyone. Now that I know I’m lucky, maybe I should play the lottery more often, and then buy you those two Mercedes I promised!
Thank you. Glad you could stop by even though you're busy on the other side of the world. Sweet of you to leave me this note. Even if it never happens, which I have very little faith in the lottery :-), you saying that you would just warms my heart.
DeleteI am so sorry Self Sagacity. I am glad you are okay. The accident sounds horrible. It's terrible to lose something you love.
ReplyDeleteI was not in the car, but I lost my old car in a similar, but less bad, accident. My car was parked and a woman hit my car from behind and rammed it into the car parked in front of it. The damage was declared higher than the value of my vehicle...
I loved that silly little car. It was not as dear to me as your car was to you, but I hated to lose it, and I certainly can see where you're coming from.
Hi Lisa. I've been in many hits and accidents. My Honda was rammed into at least three times in the back, but it was all repairable. Then my son took over and the front of it while was already rammed into by someone in the neighborhood, it was hit twice more. The front bumper took a lot of beating but we decided to repair it anyways. It is another car that is very sentimental to me. I guess once in my possession, they all are.
DeleteAmanda, so sorry. That is devastating! I am so glad you are all right. I had a car once that was nicknamed Crash Chrysler because of how often it was in an accident. I LOVED that car. It was the first car I drove. It started each and every time I put the key in the ignition. I wish it had not been my first because it would have lasted far longer. lol I even recovered the ceiling in that car.
ReplyDeleteAmanda, I am so grateful to your car. It was your body guard! Blessings!
Judy. It broke my heart like no man ever did to leave this Mercedes Benz. It went through so much with me, I haven't even touched on the emotions that it has rescued me from, but again, I could be overly mellow dramatic. Certain things in my life, I don't want to do twice, and this would be one of them.
DeleteI am so sorry Amanda, I am so glad and thankful you are okay. Your post reminded me of a painful similar experience I had several years back. Both cars in head on collision were totaled, thankfully, no one was hurt or injured. I looked at the cars, and could not believe everyone was okay.
ReplyDeleteYes. It is so unbelievable that we were all safe and okay. I was still so shook up with the fact that I was standing there, and talking that I didn't know what is what. It took a while to finally adjust to and downloaded the event. I am very thankful we didn't need to call an ambulance.
DeleteAmanda, I am so relieved to hear that you weren't badly injured. That could have been a really serious accident. I am so sorry about your car, I know how easy it is to become attached to one. Even though your car can't be replaced at least it protected you.
ReplyDeleteI have never been involved in a serious car crash, only fender benders with minor damage.
It could have been serious yes. Do you know sometimes people die from accidents and the cars were not even this badly totaled. It is a protector, and knowing that does help me move on easier. Thank god you have never experience anything like this.
DeleteSorry to hear about you crash.. glad that you are okay. What a horrid experience. I too had my bumper hit last week while on a highway..and under similar situtation- JAM - start and stop. The annoying taxi hit my bumper from behind. Luckily the kids were not in the car and it wasn't too badly damaged. Am claiming against the person for the repair and will only be able to bring it into for repair next week when the spare parts for a new bumper come in. Luckily the car is still drivable as I depend on it heavily to transport the kids to school and back.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know you were in an accident. It is an inconvenience that we all can live without. Everyday is a new agenda, and we don't need fires to put out. I am out of a car. I am also having a longer period to wait, two weeks for the report. I wish they could speed it up!
DeleteI have no idea that you're connected to your car this way, and which make me sad that you now lost it.
ReplyDeleteMost of all, I thank God for your safety.
I was in an accident before when someone behind ramped into me at a stop sign too, but not this bad or totaled. It was just a big mess with many other problems followed it. No one was hurt..
I am connected to my cars like this. I really believe that if I love a car, it loves me back, weird huh? I don't like going out to by new cars, or cars period. I ride it until the day it isn't reasonable for me to ride it anymore. I am glad to say, this accident has taught me a few more things. I have to find more ways to protect my children. It is a scary thing when you can't even help what is coming to you.
Delete:) Oh Amanda, I feel for you!! BIG TIME!!!
ReplyDelete1. Yes, five weeks ago we had an accident very similar to yours. There wasn't any front end damage except the wrecker messed it up a bit pulling it. Our car saved our lives too. It was a 2006 Cad DTS, big car. Had it have been my Mustange the back seat would have been pushed into the front seat and we would have needed jaws of life to get us out.
Ours was a Ford 250 truck too. It was coming fast, I could see it coming. We were stopped in traffic and he didn't even slow. I was stopped waiting for the cars ahead of me to enter the Freeway, I-45 north of Houston in a construction area. A local city police came as a witness talked to us to make sure we were okay and then called 911. The ambulance people talked with us and took my BP and ran an EKG but we passed those tests showing being shaken up and a little ... Mrs. Jim had a stiff neck for a bit and my back has a new hurt. But those have passed or are passing.
The police did the accident report and got all the numbers, etc, ecxept he didn't give them a home phone number and I took their word that they had all the info.
His insurance is paying for our car and a new child seat. But we haven't agreeent to a settlement number yet although we are fairly close now. WORD OF CAUTION, DO NOT RELEASE THE CAR FROM THE HOLDING LOT UNTIL YOU AGREE ON ITS WORTH. Let them pay for storage fees higher than their lot until you do. I have not idea where my car is but they are claiming some pior damage that I didn't know we had.
We did buy another car like it, but a 2011 model this time. Mrs. Jim likes it like she liked the other one. So IF MAMA IS HAPPY THEN WE ALL ARE HAPPY.
Hope your aches are not permanent and that you will be like new. Well, like your age before the accident allowed ou to be.
..
Yes. This sounds like my accident. I was stopped in traffic, I saw him coming but what could I have done? Nothing. I had to sit there and watch him crash into me. There was just no time to realize what to do when you're stuck on a freeway and the truck coming so fast.
DeleteThank god you both checked out okay, it is really frightening. You can be a safe driver, but it isn't much about you when someone else hits you. I am glad that I was in a sedan too, had it been my Honda, I might have been somewhere else.
Gee, Amanda I'm sorry to hear the news and yet thankful you are ok. Hopefully the guy who hit you has excellent insurance. I've been blessed to have never been in a serious accident. My involvement has been limited to fender benders with no injuries at all. I hope your soreness eases up soon.
ReplyDeleteThanks friend. I am glad to be alive and well to tell. It's a good thing that your accidents haven't been serious. There is nothing more devastating then getting ripped off of your things, but now, I don't have any to worry about anymore. :-)
DeleteI'm so glad you are here and healthy and talking about this. Thank God!
ReplyDelete*HUG*
Weep all you want. It was hard work gain.
*HUG*
1 yes I was in a crash a few weeks ago.
2. No, no one was hurt or sprained or anything. But my car face fell on the ground and my lights were knocked askew and out etc. Dh fixed it.
The kids were in the car.
It was so odd this accident that I know God intervened.
*HUG*
So out of a handful of our participants, three others besides me have been in car accidents recently. That is a lot.
DeleteGlad your car was repairable. It's a bitch that someone could be so irresponsible. I guess I have very little tolerance for incompetent, irresponsible people.
Sorry for the loss of your beloved car. I also run mine into the ground before I get a new one.
ReplyDeleteThat's me, I still have my old 1995 Honda, that I love too - so much.
DeleteOhh my!That's really terrible. Yes of course you can weep all you want and release everything you feel because of the accident but good thing and what matters most now is, you're well.
ReplyDeletenever been involved in a car crash before so can't answer both questions. though when I was still learning how to drive, I had a lot of oooops like I almost fell off a high road because instead of stepping on the brakes, I was pulling the steering wheel.. :)
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