Car Accident!
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On June 24, 2003, at 20:10 I had my first car accident with my new car, a Subaru Impreza WRX in Rally Blue. I picked up my car on December 23, 2002 at about 20:00. The car was 6 months and one day old. Here is a recap of what happened.
At 20:10, I was heading westbound on Nicolls Road. I had just turned onto it from heading northbound on Commack Road. This is where the first intersecting street of Homer Ave is situated. As I was approaching the first stop sign, I was traveling about 25 mph, because I was slowing for the intersection. About 10-15 yards from the intersection, I noticed a dark blue or black Toyota Camry Solara, which was heading toward me, swerve into my lane after it had cleared the intersection. At first my thoughts were that the car was avoiding something on the road. However, after I realized that the car was not returning to its lane of traffic, I proceeded to beep my horn, and apply the brakes in an attempt to avoid a collision. Being a single lane road in each direction with trees on the north side, I did not have anywhere to go. The Toyota did not appear to have acknowledged my presence. I did not even notice the car attempt to brake. We collided head on, with my car bouncing back a few feet.
When I realized that I was ok, except a little pain in my chest from the seatbelt locking up on me, I exited my car. I made my way over to the Camry, which was now leaking some red fluid (I am supposing power steering or transmission fluid). I looked into the driver seat to find a woman, whom I estimate was somewhere in her 30-40 years of age. She seemed at first very shaken up, and I asked several times if she was ok. She exited her car, and looked at my car while mumbling a lot of things. She seemed as though she was spaced out, and she was blurting out a lot of half sentences. The car that was behind me, a Hyundai Santa Fe I believe, in a blue color, had stopped and the two ladies that were in the car approached me and asked if they should call the Police. My response was "Yes please, I would really appreciate if you can do that." At this point another woman had stopped, and also offered her assistance. She was the driver not directly behind the woman who hit me, but the car behind the car behind her. I asked the lady who was calling the Police if I could use her cel phone as I had left mine home. When se was done she called her house to inform them of what was happening, and then she allowed me to call my parents who live about half a mile from that intersection.
At this point, the woman who hit me was clearly displaying behavior typical of someone under the influence of something. A fire truck crossed over Commack Road, and was heading westbound on Nicolls Road, and they stopped and asked if we were ok. I said not really. Two fire men jumped out of the truck, and they radioed in the accident, which apparently had the effect of speeding up the arrival of the Police Officer. My parents showed up, and my mother being a nurse went to the woman who had just hit me, and asked if she was ok. My mother also concluded that the woman was not quite all there. At this point a Police officer showed up. He gave me a sheet of paper to write my statement down. I asked if the three ladies who had pulled over would be my witnesses, and they all agreed.
The paramedics showed up, and I was asked if I wanted to go to the hospital. I refused onsite treatment, even after the paramedic lady listened to my heart. She did inform me that I could still go to the hospital at a later time.
During all this, the Police officer confided in me that the woman had blown the breath test, and that she was apparently on prescription medication, which advises the taker not to operate heavy machinery. He mentioned something that he thought she might also have been drinking, and was therefore trying to figure out a way to arrest her.
Before I collected my witnesses statements, the officer placed the woman driver of the Toyota Camry under arrest. Her father had also shown up. Apparently when I was collecting the statements from my witnesses, the father of the other driver tried to bribe the officer in letting the woman go. The officer politely refused. This was told to me by my mother who was standing 6 ft from the Police vehicle. Once I got the statements, I handed the material to the officer, and then he gave me back my license, registration, and insurance card, with his field copy of the accident report. After this I drove home, still shaken up. It was about 21:00 or so.
The next day I observed that my car had sustained mostly cosmetic damage. Driving the car did not feel any different. I will probably have an estimate of the damage in a few days.