black ice. totalled. next steps?
01-24-07, 01:21 PM
#18
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Some answers:
The chassis twist was from slapping both the center concrete divider and the water side concrete wall. Back and forth, corner to corner. Final position was T to the water side wall. Thankfully the solid construction stopped me from a 100ft fall at the end.
I was going dead straight. Suddenly I heard the traction control beep and the back end bounced off the wall in an instant. It's a high narrow 4-lane (2 each way) bridge. The back end only slid ~5ft before impact. That set off subsequent pinballing, glancing blows, until the abrupt T. ECUgs430's sense of helplessness is dead on.
We'll never know, but I think I might have made it with FWD (or 4WD). I was the first car in left lane, there was a FWD in the right lane and a 4WD in my lane, both right behind me. RWD factored in huge on the incline, and ECT/Snow wasn't going to save me, I bet (speculative hindsight).
Lesson learned: next time I'll recognize all the ingredients of this perfect storm, and won't be the lead car across a narrow high bridge with RWD.
I am now focussed on understanding how to get a fair shake at settlement. If anyone cares to comment on the citation, that's a bonus (albiet less important).
PMs or advice about what I should or should not do (research salvage values, meeting the adjuster, whatever) from here -- based on personal experience -- would be great.
I've heard a good tip already: take the license plate with me (wasn't obvious to me at all).
Thanks.
The chassis twist was from slapping both the center concrete divider and the water side concrete wall. Back and forth, corner to corner. Final position was T to the water side wall. Thankfully the solid construction stopped me from a 100ft fall at the end.
I was going dead straight. Suddenly I heard the traction control beep and the back end bounced off the wall in an instant. It's a high narrow 4-lane (2 each way) bridge. The back end only slid ~5ft before impact. That set off subsequent pinballing, glancing blows, until the abrupt T. ECUgs430's sense of helplessness is dead on.
We'll never know, but I think I might have made it with FWD (or 4WD). I was the first car in left lane, there was a FWD in the right lane and a 4WD in my lane, both right behind me. RWD factored in huge on the incline, and ECT/Snow wasn't going to save me, I bet (speculative hindsight).
Lesson learned: next time I'll recognize all the ingredients of this perfect storm, and won't be the lead car across a narrow high bridge with RWD.
I am now focussed on understanding how to get a fair shake at settlement. If anyone cares to comment on the citation, that's a bonus (albiet less important).
PMs or advice about what I should or should not do (research salvage values, meeting the adjuster, whatever) from here -- based on personal experience -- would be great.
I've heard a good tip already: take the license plate with me (wasn't obvious to me at all).
Thanks.
01-24-07, 01:22 PM
#19
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01-24-07, 01:28 PM
#20
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i doubt it wouldhave helped much. this past weekend i got STRANDED on a very small hill on a back road with a very sligh incline and maybe an inch of snow that turned into ice quickly. i kept sliding down the hill even with my foot on the brake and with the car in park. eventually, some guy came aorund in an explorer on monster truck wheel sand luckily had a chain that he hooked to the front of my car, and pulled me up the hill to the top. i had been driving with snow ECT mode and in low gears the whole time. sometimes it helps i guess, but dont count on it. even with all season pirelli's, my car SUCK in the snow and ice and almost had me starnded for hours this weekend - i don't know how comfortable i even feel driving my GS in icy conditions anymore. one point though, when i had 16's with 235/55/16 tires, i had many less problems in snow. i would still slip around a lot, but nowhere close to how much i felt this past saturday.
01-24-07, 03:06 PM
#23
Sorry for your loss man!!! Seems like you are from delaware, just by looking at your rear license plate, but anyways is this happened on Summit bridge on 896? My friend was driving a white GS430 and he told me that he saw another GS lost control on the bridge. But GS saved you!!!
01-24-07, 05:12 PM
#24
Damn, that is one tough pill to swallow. Just looking at that one picture of your right rear wheel bent outwards is tought to look at.
Hey I see that your in the first state. Where did your accident happen at and was it the county cops or the state police that gave you the ticket?
Hey I see that your in the first state. Where did your accident happen at and was it the county cops or the state police that gave you the ticket?
01-25-07, 07:54 AM
#29
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some responses:
I wondered about the airbags myself. I think the speed was sufficient but perhaps the angle wasn't? I also don't know if they would have made things better or worse.
Yes that was me on Summit. State trooper wrote the ticket, and mentioned it almost as an afterthought.
My car has not been modified in any way since I drove it off the lot. I have the 17" only b/c the sales people found me another new buyer who wanted nak/nav but not the big wheels; I wanted exactly the opposite.
Is it any benefit for me to be present when the adjuster comes to survey the car for the insurance company?
Anyone know the salvage value of these parts? I presume it will be far removed from me once they cut a check, but I'm still generally curious.
Thanks.
I wondered about the airbags myself. I think the speed was sufficient but perhaps the angle wasn't? I also don't know if they would have made things better or worse.
Yes that was me on Summit. State trooper wrote the ticket, and mentioned it almost as an afterthought.
My car has not been modified in any way since I drove it off the lot. I have the 17" only b/c the sales people found me another new buyer who wanted nak/nav but not the big wheels; I wanted exactly the opposite.
Is it any benefit for me to be present when the adjuster comes to survey the car for the insurance company?
Anyone know the salvage value of these parts? I presume it will be far removed from me once they cut a check, but I'm still generally curious.
Thanks.
01-31-07, 02:05 AM
#30
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Man, soooo sorry for the loss!! I just moved to Cali from Boston cause of the crappy weather. If you r tryin' to get rid of parts I would be glad to take that shift **** and driver's side windshield pillar panel off your hands. Name your price.