I just got the 2007 Jeep Wrangler washed and was waiting at a red light waiting to turn down the street to our offices in Santa Monica when I felt a shove from behind. You've gotta be kidding me! Rear-ended? With no thought to traffic, I immediately jumped out of the car (dumb move I know but I was in shock at this person's recklessness) and ran to the back of the Jeep...
The car that hit me was a first-gen Nissan 240SX. I had glimpsed him in my rearview mirror when I first pulled to a stop and he wasn't going that fast. It looked like he was slowing down as well he should have been. That's why I was really surprised he ended up hitting me anyway.
When I went to check out the damage and looked at the driver, he threw up his hands and apologized profusely from his seat and said that it was OK. But I looked at his front bumper that had a big gouge in it where it had met the Jeep's tow hook. "But you hurt your car," was all I could think to say. But he continued to insist that everything was all right saying that he just bumped me. So I jumped back in my car deciding that I would complete the turn and pull over to the side of the road so I could assess the damage to the Jeep and take down his information.
But when I had pulled over, he kept on driving and didn't even look back at me. I took down his license plate number and then returned to the back of the Jeep to see if there was any damage. Fortunately there didn't appear to be any. Even the hook that left the gouge on his bumper appeared untouched. No paint transfer at all, no bent metal. Oh well, at least the Jeep emerged unscathed.
Caroline Pardilla, Deputy Managing Editor @ 13,703 miles
When I went to check out the damage and looked at the driver, he threw up his hands and apologized profusely from his seat and said that it was OK. But I looked at his front bumper that had a big gouge in it where it had met the Jeep's tow hook. "But you hurt your car," was all I could think to say. But he continued to insist that everything was all right saying that he just bumped me. So I jumped back in my car deciding that I would complete the turn and pull over to the side of the road so I could assess the damage to the Jeep and take down his information.
But when I had pulled over, he kept on driving and didn't even look back at me. I took down his license plate number and then returned to the back of the Jeep to see if there was any damage. Fortunately there didn't appear to be any. Even the hook that left the gouge on his bumper appeared untouched. No paint transfer at all, no bent metal. Oh well, at least the Jeep emerged unscathed.
Caroline Pardilla, Deputy Managing Editor @ 13,703 miles
ahightower says:
01:53 PM, 03/24/08
Probably uninsured. I'd file a report, regardless of whether you have any damages or injuries. He needs to be cited for fleeing the scene and being uninsured.
Or worse, stolen or "borrowed" car.
estreka says:
02:27 PM, 03/24/08
If nothing else, the individual needs new brakes. I'm assuming the brakes went out on him.
tlcruz says:
03:27 PM, 03/24/08
I'd hafta to agree w/ ahightower. Regardless of being insured or not, Fleeing the scene doesn't sound good.
desmolicious says:
03:40 PM, 03/24/08
uninsured motorist...
jr1m90 says:
05:03 PM, 03/24/08
Agreed with the uninsured speculation.
This does remind me of my boss though, as he keeps a big pintle style tow hook on the back of his F-250, so that if anyone 'taps' him, they get a nice hole in their radiator. Not a bad idea when you think about it...
stovt001 says:
05:57 PM, 03/24/08
Makes me want to attach tow hooks and trailer hitches to the bumper of my Cobalt. I will also bet on uninsured. Report him for fleeing the scene.
zjev says:
06:35 PM, 03/24/08
Yeah, those tow hooks can do some damage. I accidentally bumped into somebody a few years back and my front tow hook acted like a claw and ripped through this Honda's bumper and deck lid. His car was in bad shape but nothing happened to my Jeep. Of course I had to pay for the damaged Honda:-(
ahightower says:
06:39 PM, 03/24/08
Yeah, I accidentally rear-ended a Chevy pickup last year (pretty low speed collision, freeway traffic came to an abrupt stop and I didn't quite make it). Anyway, my front clip (Dodge Stratus - no I did not actually spend MY money on that dog, it was a company car) was all busted up, and not a scratch on the pickup. My first thought was, boy am I glad my wife's Yukon has one of those!
dldave says:
06:52 PM, 03/24/08
My G35 got rear ended two weeks ago under similar circumstances. The driver had no license and no insurance, but he did have a federal id card. Once I knew he had no insurance, I did not move my car and did not let him get away. At least I got lots of pics and got whatever info I could out of him. Also, only 1k in damage which is not much for a G. Just a few days ago I thought about getting rid of it for a vehicle that can take the hit. Glad to know a Jeep can take it. I am tired of getting hit by other vehicles. After 4 accidents in 4 years (none my fault) I'm getting tired of owning a nice vehicle.
stovt001 says:
11:16 PM, 03/24/08
As I've said many times, your brakes are only as good as the brakes on the car behind you.
firstwagon says:
11:21 AM, 03/25/08
50% of not having an accident is avoiding the other car. Just because it wasn't your fault doesn't mean you couldn't have avoided it.
My dad used to be a cop and I remember him telling me that in 90% of the accidents he attended, both parties claimed it wasn't their fault.
greenpony says:
12:54 PM, 03/25/08
firstwagon, I take strong exception to your first comments. When you are stopped with other cars in front of you/around you, there is nothing you can do to avoid a collision, if a collision is going to happen. You are not responsible for the actions of the drivers around you. In cases where one car rear-ends another, 99% of the time it is the rear car's fault. The assumption is that they are facing forward and can presumably see better in front of them than the other driver can see behind them. If they can't stop quickly enough, they were obviously following too close. If you were rear-ended, would you like to be held 50% responsible?
skierx420 says:
01:22 PM, 03/25/08
This reminds me. Does anyone remember the Pontiac? commercial where the guy hits the bumper with a huge metal bar (i think it was a crow bar or a breaker bar) ???? I know it was from the 70's and the 5 mph bumper era.
firstwagon says:
05:07 PM, 03/25/08
greenpony
a couple points
1st - I agree there are a handful of situations where there is little you can do to avoid a crash. The minor accident that started this blog is a good example.
2nd - when I used the terms 50% and fault, I was not speaking from a legal or insurance perspective. I was speaking terms of personal safety, that's all that actually matters.
As much as we would like to, there is nothing we can do about the incompentent, reckless, drunk or distracted drivers on the road.
The only thing you have the power to change is yourself. By paying attention (put down the cell phone and stop playing with the stupid nav system) and by learning to drive better, you can avoid the vast majority of accidents.
You can drive for decades (or a lifetime) and never dent a fender or you can be like too many people and have an accident every year or so that "is never your fault".
caroscuro says:
10:24 AM, 03/26/08
I just don't see how I could have avoided being hit. I was stopped at the light and glimpsed the driver behind me in the mirror and at the moment he looked like he was slowing down.