A grown Man crying inside
02-12-2012, 02:40 PM
#1
2nd Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: MD
Posts: 445
A grown Man crying inside
As many, I thought, "it couldn't/wouldn't happen to me", and yet, it did. In the early hours of Feb 6th, I was involved in an accident with my '12 GT.
As I was dropping a friend off (me DDing) and heading home, I was crossing a bridge in a small near-by town and the Pirelli Summer-Only tires let loose traction while shifting into 2nd. I'm assuming that I was on some water or other fluid that had frozen as it was 25 degrees at the time. The DS rear end kicked out and I was sideways. I ended up plowing the front passenger side into a concrete wall on the side of my lane. The airbag deployed and just about knocked me out. I was doing about 20-30 mph at the time of the impact.
I DO have some pictures taken on Wednesday of the carnage. Carnage is about all I can call it, though it looks worse than it is I think. Upon inspection, the frame is not bent. ALL of the sheet-metal forward of the firewall is toast though. The suspension on the passenger side is completely worthless as well. AND, the hood cannot be opened w/ out either tearing it up more or tearing up the fenders. (I'll post some pics soon.)
I have already talked to the insurance company and they are coming out to look at the car this coming week. I had to goto the DR to get my head looked at. After the accident I was (and still am a little bit) having issues with concentrating, having intermitant dizziness, lightheadedness and slight nausious feelings. Also, my legs have been hurting more than normal. DR said that I might have suffered a slight concussion. We're working on getting futher tests scheduled.
And the kicker! I called 911 to report the accident and maybe 5 mins later the entire County police force showed up. I don't recall a lot of what happened after the accident but I DO remember taking a Field Sobriety Test. (Remember, I just had an air bag blow up in my face and can't walk/stand and I'm holding my face where the bag forced my glasses into my face giving me a pretty mean cut.) Of course, I fail the test and I am arrested. After that, I do not remember a lot. I do know that I was in the police station for about an hour. I don't remember a lot of what I signed or was told. When I got back to a friend's house, I had a chance to look over the paperwork. Apparently I refused a breath test, and received 5 DUI charges as well as a "Failure to control a vehicle to avoid a collision" ticket, all while being the DD. I also had my drivers license confiscated due to the failure to blow.
Not to worry though. I have already retained the services of a Law Team. They are friends of mine and have a very good history fighting cases such as mine. It's total BS, but I'm trying to stay positive.
Just wanted to let everyone out there know that just because it HASN'T happened to you, it could. I'm just thankful that I am OK, no one else was w/ me, and that the INS company is going to take care of the car either way they go with it. (Pay off my loan or fix it.)
As I was dropping a friend off (me DDing) and heading home, I was crossing a bridge in a small near-by town and the Pirelli Summer-Only tires let loose traction while shifting into 2nd. I'm assuming that I was on some water or other fluid that had frozen as it was 25 degrees at the time. The DS rear end kicked out and I was sideways. I ended up plowing the front passenger side into a concrete wall on the side of my lane. The airbag deployed and just about knocked me out. I was doing about 20-30 mph at the time of the impact.
I DO have some pictures taken on Wednesday of the carnage. Carnage is about all I can call it, though it looks worse than it is I think. Upon inspection, the frame is not bent. ALL of the sheet-metal forward of the firewall is toast though. The suspension on the passenger side is completely worthless as well. AND, the hood cannot be opened w/ out either tearing it up more or tearing up the fenders. (I'll post some pics soon.)
I have already talked to the insurance company and they are coming out to look at the car this coming week. I had to goto the DR to get my head looked at. After the accident I was (and still am a little bit) having issues with concentrating, having intermitant dizziness, lightheadedness and slight nausious feelings. Also, my legs have been hurting more than normal. DR said that I might have suffered a slight concussion. We're working on getting futher tests scheduled.
And the kicker! I called 911 to report the accident and maybe 5 mins later the entire County police force showed up. I don't recall a lot of what happened after the accident but I DO remember taking a Field Sobriety Test. (Remember, I just had an air bag blow up in my face and can't walk/stand and I'm holding my face where the bag forced my glasses into my face giving me a pretty mean cut.) Of course, I fail the test and I am arrested. After that, I do not remember a lot. I do know that I was in the police station for about an hour. I don't remember a lot of what I signed or was told. When I got back to a friend's house, I had a chance to look over the paperwork. Apparently I refused a breath test, and received 5 DUI charges as well as a "Failure to control a vehicle to avoid a collision" ticket, all while being the DD. I also had my drivers license confiscated due to the failure to blow.
Not to worry though. I have already retained the services of a Law Team. They are friends of mine and have a very good history fighting cases such as mine. It's total BS, but I'm trying to stay positive.
Just wanted to let everyone out there know that just because it HASN'T happened to you, it could. I'm just thankful that I am OK, no one else was w/ me, and that the INS company is going to take care of the car either way they go with it. (Pay off my loan or fix it.)
02-12-2012, 03:05 PM
#2
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: United States
Posts: 17
Having a hard time understanding.
They slapped you with DUI, etc, and you were the DD?
Did you drink that night?
And they can arrest you because you fail the test?
Is the test legal grounds for being inebriated?
I'm not a lawyer, by ANY means.
But from what I understand, the burden of proof is on the prosecutor. There are way too many excuses / reasons that could be brought up to cause reasonable doubt to a number of accusatory statements the state might make against you if you took this to court.
Your lawyers have an easy job.
(lulz)
But on another note, I've driven my car while I've had a few drinks in my system, and I'll not do it again. Fact of the matter is, is that I can't EVER tell when I've had too much, and I don't want to risk mine, or someone else's life.
I drive like sh- anyway, lol.
I don't wanna put more risk on by having even 2 beers at dinner in my system.
That's why we have DD's!
.... oh wait...
They slapped you with DUI, etc, and you were the DD?
Did you drink that night?
And they can arrest you because you fail the test?
Is the test legal grounds for being inebriated?
I'm not a lawyer, by ANY means.
But from what I understand, the burden of proof is on the prosecutor. There are way too many excuses / reasons that could be brought up to cause reasonable doubt to a number of accusatory statements the state might make against you if you took this to court.
Your lawyers have an easy job.
(lulz)
But on another note, I've driven my car while I've had a few drinks in my system, and I'll not do it again. Fact of the matter is, is that I can't EVER tell when I've had too much, and I don't want to risk mine, or someone else's life.
I drive like sh- anyway, lol.
I don't wanna put more risk on by having even 2 beers at dinner in my system.
That's why we have DD's!
.... oh wait...
02-12-2012, 03:24 PM
#3
3rd Gear Member
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Illinois
Posts: 879
Sorry about your ride, I've driven in my summer only tires at low temps also but I stay out of the throttle. As far as the DUI goes maybe you'll have better luck then some of my friends, some of the people I know that refuesed a breath test got great lawyers and were still convicted....... Really the best way to prove you weren't drinking is to just blow.
Last edited by REDBOSS1; 02-12-2012 at 03:27 PM.
02-12-2012, 04:46 PM
#5
3rd Gear Member
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: NW AR
Posts: 705
God that sucks. Good thing you're alright. Hopefully insurance will replace it with a new one. This kind of HP and summer tires don't mix well with the temps we're having lately. The temp here was about 15F this morning and I was making about a 45° left hand turn, wasn't really getting on it too hard but the rear end still broke loose. The stability control fixed the problem quickly though. Happened to be right in front of a cop too. I don't know if he didn't see my little mini drift or maybe there was too much cross traffic for him to get thru the red light to come after me.
02-12-2012, 05:14 PM
#6
3rd Gear Member
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Va
Posts: 820
Sorry to hear about your accident. I'm surprised that with all the police that was there they didn't have any EMT's called to the scene; obviously you were hurt and needed medical assistance.
When you get your bell rung like that people will act like they are under the influence of something. Not trying to offend any of the police officers who are on the Forum, but maybe the police in your case were more interested in a dui bust and may have been negligent in not getting you medical attention at the scene. That's what you got the lawyers for they'll figure it out.
When you get your bell rung like that people will act like they are under the influence of something. Not trying to offend any of the police officers who are on the Forum, but maybe the police in your case were more interested in a dui bust and may have been negligent in not getting you medical attention at the scene. That's what you got the lawyers for they'll figure it out.
Last edited by vbstang13; 02-12-2012 at 05:15 PM. Reason: sp
02-12-2012, 05:36 PM
#7
Resident Ginger
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Cali
Posts: 4,624
Sorry about the car but like Soldier said glad your ok. Would love to hear the outcome of the case. From a LEO point of view when ever the airbags deploy we always call 902R (fire, rescue) is cash there is internal injuries. GL.
Matthew
Matthew
02-13-2012, 03:32 PM
#8
Mish-ogynist
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Helena, MT
Posts: 3,780
That is insane, even if you admit to drinking and driving they have to call you an ambulance if it appears you were injured in the accident. I was hit by a drunk driver once, she admitted to the cops she drank, and she looked fine but complained about her neck so the cops called her an ambulance right away, no sobriety test, she was still charged with a DUI, i'm not sure if they took a blood sample at the hospital or had her do a breathalyzer.
In my mind the police department opened up themselves to a huge lawsuit from you.
In my mind the police department opened up themselves to a huge lawsuit from you.
02-13-2012, 05:30 PM
#10
2nd Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: MD
Posts: 445
Thing is, I don't remember whether I was asked to blow or not. I do remember taking a field test on the bridge, b/c I asked the officer if it was safe for me to be taking it so close to the car and so soon after the accident, and with traffic passing in the other lane. I DID have a drink spilled on me earlier in the evening and the officer's statement said, "smell of alcohol from driver". I don't remember a lot from post-accident, just a few details here and there.
What I am most concerned w/ is not the total outcome of the DUI stuff. (I'm pretty confident that it'll be the lesser of the DWI charges.) I think I'll get the "driving with .01 or higher" if anything. (There are actually 4 alcohol related charges they gave me. Even one stating "Driving under the influence of a controled substance.") I've NEVER, not once, done drugs like pot or coke etc. There is NO way they can pin that one on me. W/ out my blow-test, all of the other ones go out the window too. I'm concerned w/ the fact that apparently I didn't blow (don't remember being asked) and in MD, that carries at least 180 suspension of my license. They are not willing to give anyone a Provisional DL unless I can prove that I did not know it would be suspended if I didn't blow. Of course, we can alway use the "Air Bag blew up in his face and his DR says he probably suffered a mild concussion resulting in him not knowing what he was doing" defense. But, then they could just turn around and say that I was too drunk to remember, as there is no PROOF either way since I didn't blow.
I don't even remember the mile and a half walk to a friend's house after other than talking to my parents. I don't remember what we talked about.
I have until Wed to deside whether to spend the $125 to request a Maryland Vehicle Admin. hearing about my DL or to get a blow-and-go installed. MVA can do one of three things: Suspend my DL for 6 months, order a blow-and-go installed, or issue a PDL (Work, School, Daughter). I wouldn't be pissed if I got a PDL as that is about all of the driving I do anyway. But, it's maybe a 10% chance I'll get one.
I'm trying to get pushed to the front of the line for an MRI or CAT-Scan. What ever the DR suggests, if not both. And, work health insurance can't help me on those! (Same for car ins.) Ugg. I'll try to get pics up tonight when I get home. Maybe an hour from now.
Tell you what. When I screw up, I REALLY screw up! LOL.
What I am most concerned w/ is not the total outcome of the DUI stuff. (I'm pretty confident that it'll be the lesser of the DWI charges.) I think I'll get the "driving with .01 or higher" if anything. (There are actually 4 alcohol related charges they gave me. Even one stating "Driving under the influence of a controled substance.") I've NEVER, not once, done drugs like pot or coke etc. There is NO way they can pin that one on me. W/ out my blow-test, all of the other ones go out the window too. I'm concerned w/ the fact that apparently I didn't blow (don't remember being asked) and in MD, that carries at least 180 suspension of my license. They are not willing to give anyone a Provisional DL unless I can prove that I did not know it would be suspended if I didn't blow. Of course, we can alway use the "Air Bag blew up in his face and his DR says he probably suffered a mild concussion resulting in him not knowing what he was doing" defense. But, then they could just turn around and say that I was too drunk to remember, as there is no PROOF either way since I didn't blow.
I don't even remember the mile and a half walk to a friend's house after other than talking to my parents. I don't remember what we talked about.
I have until Wed to deside whether to spend the $125 to request a Maryland Vehicle Admin. hearing about my DL or to get a blow-and-go installed. MVA can do one of three things: Suspend my DL for 6 months, order a blow-and-go installed, or issue a PDL (Work, School, Daughter). I wouldn't be pissed if I got a PDL as that is about all of the driving I do anyway. But, it's maybe a 10% chance I'll get one.
I'm trying to get pushed to the front of the line for an MRI or CAT-Scan. What ever the DR suggests, if not both. And, work health insurance can't help me on those! (Same for car ins.) Ugg. I'll try to get pics up tonight when I get home. Maybe an hour from now.
Tell you what. When I screw up, I REALLY screw up! LOL.