Lucky
Alright, so here’s what happened with my car! (I wanted to share it with a few people first, before I posted about it here.)
On Wednesday April 18th, I went to Iowa to visit family. I knew it was supposed to snow, and had stuff with me to spend the night, if the weather looked too bad to travel.
But, I decided to go home that night. I wanted to spend time with Steven and the kitties before I left early Friday for my trip to Dallas. So I left Iowa just before 8:45 pm to make the four hour trip home.
I felt alert and awake. The drive through Iowa was rainy, but easy, and I was glad there weren’t many people on the road.
A bit after I got in to Illinois, the rain turned to slush. I was actually grateful to be driving through lots of construction on the highway – we all had to slow down anyway, might as well slow down to drive in that crap.
But I was relieved when I got to the edge of the Chicago suburbs and the roads were obviously treated differently and felt less slick. The previous part of the drive had been draining. Just an hour left to home!
Yeah, you know where this is headed.
I was a half hour from home, on our eight lane highway (four lanes each side) when I went in to the left lane to pass someone. Note: I was NOT driving like an ass (ha, I feel like I need to say that – I drive aggressively out here, like everyone else, but I am not an idiot in bad weather).
And my car started swerving. To the right, to the left, then all the way in a right circle, having me face traffic.
YAY!
I was surprisingly HELLA calm during all this. Saying things to myself like “don’t overcorrect the steering,” “don’t slam on the brakes,” and also, “Oh! There goes a semi. Phew, he didn’t hit me. Oh good, that car didn’t hit me either.”
I could tell my back right corner was going to slam in to the median. “Okay Kim, maybe try the brakes now, to minimize the impact.”
CRUNCH.
Ugh.
I ended up facing traffic in the left shoulder. Hey, good thing that all happened near the shoulder, because my car wouldn’t move. The engine would turn over, but I’d press the gas pedal, and nothing. While I couldn’t tell how bad the damage was, I thought for sure I should at least be able to drive it a bit or get more in to the shoulder.
But I couldn’t.
So the actual scariest part of all this was sitting on the highway, facing traffic, hoping someone didn’t hit the same slush/ice as me, and run in to me.
I called Steven right away (he had left his phone on since I was driving so late, thankfully!) then 911. Then I realized I told 911 the wrong highway (94 instead of 294 DUH KIM) so I called them back.
And waited for the police to show up. Hoping no one would hit me, as my windows started to fog over and I couldn’t see out of them because the electronics were failing in my car.
THANKFULLY, a plow came by, stopped on the other shoulder, then drove over and blocked me. THANK HEAVENS FOR HIM.
Then the cop showed up. And we were all confused as to why my car wouldn’t do anything when I pressed the gas pedal. Ugh. So I continued to sit in my car, waiting for the tow. The plow left, but the cop stayed there, and I hoped with his lights on, people would give him space, and not hit either of us!
After what felt like an eternity (maybe forty minutes?) the tow arrived. He took my car, and the cop took me to an oasis, where Steven met me.
Funny thing: I had a zillion bags in my car, because I thought I might spend the night. So I asked the cop if I could bring all that stuff with me, and he said yes, but he didn’t have much room, so I was sitting in the back of his car, cramped in with all my crap, ha! Note: use a suitcase next time, Kim, geesh.
The cop was great. The plow guy was a LIFESAVER (maybe literally?). I was so glad Steven had his phone on, and could come get me.
Steven and I got home after 2:00 am and fell asleep around 3:00. Then were up in a few hours. Yay! I called Geico immediately and they’ve been AWESOME! While I was on the phone reporting the incident, the rental car and inspector people were already calling me. Top notch service from them. [not sponsored]
We were shocked when Geico told us they were gonna try to fix the car. We knew, as a 2005, it wasn’t worth much anymore. But hey, yeah, please fix it.
Oh! I almost forgot to mention – the day before this trip to Iowa? We had just put $1000 in the car for maintenance stuff. Ha!
I went on my trip to Dallas, and came back, and got a call from the body shop that they found a lot more damage. We were not surprised. Then we got a call last Tuesday that yes, they were declaring it a total loss.
Ugh.
Geico made everything super easy for us. We picked up the check for our car on Thursday, then visited it to get stuff out of it.
My poor baby. We weren’t supposed to part this way.
This was my first “new” car after college. We treated her well and she took care of us (obviously). She had just hit 200,000 miles and I knew she had a lot more in her. Since my new car is basically a replacement of what I had, I expect the same.
So yeah, long arse story about an accident! Oh, and I was fine! My neck was sore for four to five days, but it feels better now!
Emotionally though, the effect was a longer. It was a roller coaster ride, not thinking they would fix it, then them saying they would, then them saying they wouldn’t, then the rush to get a new car, when we weren’t in a position to. And there was some guilt for not telling some people until things were all worked out.
But yeah. All better now!
And I was extremely lucky I walked out of this fine and no one else hit me. It’s a good thing it was late at night and there weren’t that many vehicles on the highway.
F*cking April snowstorms.
Themocracy
This gave me chills reading it. You are so lucky it wasn’t worse. And so thankful for the plow and the police who stopped. Glad you are ok!
I am VERY lucky. I think beyond hitting the median, this is the best turnout I could have had.
Oh my gosh!! I am so thankful that you are ok and were not hit or hurt!! Reading this gave me chills as well. Kudos to the plow driver and the cop that came to your rescue!! And of course, Steven too!! How very frightening that must have been! So sorry about Kimbot. Hopefully the new Kimbot treats you well and you have many years together, trouble free.
I am so thankful for all the help I had! (during and after!)
I hope she does too!!!!!
Whew! Glad you came through physically unscathed.
Did they figure out why the car wouldn’t move?
Thank you!
It just needed a jump! I think the hit did something to the electronics… which is odd (unless there is a kill switch in the back left corner?!)!
That’s so scary- especially being stuck facing the wrong way and not able to move! I’m glad you are okay, but sorry your car isn’t!
Yes! That was scarier to me than the actual spinning. I was worried someone else would do the same as me!
Thank you! I am glad I got to upgrade my car, at least!
Wow you kept calm I’d be a mess! Thank goodness for the plow.
Thats such a bummer that you’d put that money into the car right before but I guess you can’t think like that.
So glad you are ok x
Yes! I think my heart rate went down 50% when he came over to help me 🙂
Yeah, just have to laugh about it!!!!!
Thank you! xo
Wow i got chills just reading that. I am so glad you were able to keep your wits about you as it was all happening – I always wonder how i’d react in such a situation – I guess now you know! Sorry about losing your car but now you’ve got many years ahead of you now in a new car with updated/current safety equipment.
I hope you never have to find out! 🙂
Yeah, this one even has a button for something to do with the front air bags – maybe for turning them off for a child? Ha, anyway, lots of new features!
Yikes! That’s a lot worse than you had let on when we chatted, I had no idea 🙁 You can always get another car (and you did). I’m just so glad that you’re okay!
Yeah. I was trying to make light of it because just thinking about it was wearing me out, you know? Ha.
Exactly! Another pretty car! Ha! Thank you! :-*
That sounds so scary! I’m glad everyone was so helpful and they you’re ok physically. Good job staying calm while it was happening!
Me too. Especially that plow guy. There’s a special place for him in my heart. Thanks!
Glad you’re okay!
Thanks!
Oh, wow – yeah, you were really lucky not to have been hit by another car with the way you spun out and got stuck on the left there! That must have been so scary! I’m so glad everything worked out okay in the end – well, besides the total loss of you car – but otherwise it sounds like you have an angel watching over you or a lot of really good karma!
I really do have someone watching over me. As it was happening I was thinking “this could be REALLY bad.” Thank heavens it was NOT!
Oh, Kim! I’m so glad you’re okay. That sounds like a scary experience, and I’m glad it’s behind you now.
Thank you! I am glad it is behind me now too, and I have a new ride, and it will hopefully soon be a distant memory (hoping I am not scared to drive in the snow next winter, but I doubt I will be!).
Ugh, sliding on the ice is so scary, and I’m so glad you were okay! (The same thing happened to me in college–I know that weird calm feeling that you describe while it’s happening.) I’m also so glad that snow plow driver shielded you on that busy highway; reading about you sitting there like a sitting duck at night on an icy road made me very tense (even though I obviously know you’re okay!).
I hope neither of us EVER have to experience it again!!! Gawd, you just don’t know what’s going to happen! I wonder if that is the sense of calm – cause you know what you do in the car has no effect on the outcome. Ugh.
Hee hee, I didn’t mean to write this so tense… but I am kind of glad I portrayed how freaky it was!
First, so glad to hear you are okay. This sounds hella scary. I’m glad the plow driver was able to come to your rescue.
Bummer to hear that the car is totaled. I know you previously mentioned that you were hoping it would run for a few more years!
Thanks! I was so grateful for him!
Ugh, yeah. It would have, it was doing really well. Ugh.
I’m glad you are ok! That sounds scary. I hit a snowbank once and a plow stopped to help me. A lot of plow drivers must be good people.
Thanks! Gosh, they must be! I am glad he helped you!
Oh my gosh! This is such a scary story! I’ve slid out a couple of times (not quite this bad, thankfully, but my little Chevy Prizm was not very fond of rural Michigan roads in the winter!), and I have not been cool under pressure in those situations, to put it lightly. I’m really glad you made it through the whole ordeal safely, though that is definitely a bummer about your car 🙁 Did you every find out why it wouldn’t move after you hit the median?
I’m sorry you had to experience sliding in the snow too. It’s horrible, no matter how bad it turns out!
I suspect the impact did something to the electrical that shorted it and killed the battery. Our mechanic got it running the next day, after a jump, I think!
Dang, Kim. I’m so glad you were OK; I can’t imagine having your car spin out of control like that, and to end up facing traffic had to have been so terrifying! Really impressed that you kept your wits about you as this was happening – pretty sure I would have just broken my steering wheel with a death grip of paralyzed fear. I know how much you loved your car…and it loved you back by protecting you.
Thank you! It really did love me back. Man. It could have been so much worse!!!
That is SO scary and I am so glad you are okay after all of that!! It had to be so terrifying after the fact, thinking of what might have happened.
Not sponsored, either, (ha) but I’m with Geico too and I LOVE them. Their customers service is soooo wonderful.
Thank you! It is scary to think what could have been! 🙁
Their customer service is AMAZING! They even called last week to see if I needed anything else. And it was so easy to get new car insurance (I used the app)!