The rear-ended Achieva reminded me of a very similar sight I shot not a month or two ago. But this one happened a bit closer to home: right around the corner from our house and down a block. Friendly Street (yes) is hardly very busy either, but someone must have been coming home late at night a bit impaired.
Paul, you’re going to have to start a complimentary website, “Curbside Crashes”.
Or, “Bumper Crop.”
Why I try to never park a nice car on the street and always park the ones I’d rather have the insurance money for there instead.
Doesn’t seem to work that way.
I once bet a friend who lived near a ghetto area in Cleveland, that I could park my beater with the keys in it – and nobody’d take it.
I was right. Nobody took the car….
…but someone did steal the KEYS…
Dirtbags have a sixth sense. They KNOW which car you’d LIKE them to take, or trash, or hit…and it never happens. Only the nice stuff.
+1 what Volvoguy said. That’s why when visiting crowded places like Hollywood or Santa Monica, I’d rather pay the lousy 5 bucks to park in a stack instead of risking some drunk or reckless idiot on the street plowing my ride.
There was a BMW/Jag collector close to where I lived in Reston, VA. He lived on the right side of a T intersection. Not far away were a couple of bars. One morning, on my way to work, was his 740 drastically shortened by percussive massage-not just the rear end, but but front as well. So the drunk was able to take out two two of this guy’s cars with one hit.
A couple of weeks later another one of his “collectible” BMWs was similarly compressed. Apparently he hadn’t learned anything from the first incident. The second time apparently learned him something. Almost a lead pipe-cinch that he didn’t have agreed-value insurance. So he probably only got scrap value for the three cars drunks trashed. Which was zippo.
Ouch! That poor Acura TL! Looks like a Type-S too.
This happened in my old neighborhood once when one neighbor (texting while driving) veered to the side and rammed another neighbor’s Passat.
I’d say considering the value that “A” on the front adds that it will live to see another day. The insurance company, if there is one involved, will likely total it but it is highly likely that it will be hacked together and someone will be foolish enough to buy it.
Around my way the council has a nasty habit of narrowing the suburban streets to slow traffic, cars parked both sides on the curb create a bottle neck and cars get hit lots of drivers lack the spacial awareness required to negotiate narrow spaces, demonstrated admirably by Jeremy Clarkson during his race through NZ against an Americas cup boat. he couldnt get across a single lane bridge without hitting it or steer around a tractor without hitting a wall twice I park my cars in the driveway less dents that way.
Seeing this car, and the poor Achieva from the other post, brings back childhood memories of a very unique hit-and-run situation involving a very dear family friend. In 1977, one of my mother’s close friends, Mrs. K, bought a brand new Cadillac Sedan DeVille. I was a huge fan of the downsized GM biggies that year, and with Caddy being at the top of the heap, I was especially enamored with that car. Whenever Mrs. K came over to our house, I’d run to see the DeVille and literally spent hours checking it out. It was light blue with a white top and blue leather, pretty standard array of Cadillac features and a normal option mix, but by no means loaded. It was a nice car.
Also in 1977, a rather controversial movie was being filmed in my home town of New Orleans. Pretty Baby, featuring 12-year-old Brooke Shields, naked in a brothel, was generating much buzz (not positive, regarding child exploitation and bad taste). I am only a year younger than Brooke, so I remember the maternal clucking about “how could anyone do such a thing,” especially with a girl right around my age. Mrs. K of course would have been a part of these conversations.
Being the devoted churchwoman, Mrs. K had gone to a weekday meeting at her church, no doubt to discuss good works or plan services. She had found a prime parking spot right in front of the church, which is on St. Charles Avenue, a major artery in New Orleans. Meanwhile, further down St. Charles, at the mansion where scenes from Pretty Baby were being filmed, Brooke Shields’ mother, Teri (rather notorious for her behavior and how she managed Brooke’s career), just had to get off the set. Seems she’d been drinking heavily (yes, it was morning) and decided to go for a drive. So she simply took one of the cars from the set, and set out at high speed, fully inebriated, down St. Charles. Movie security men, and also the New Orleans Police, took off after her.
Back in the Church, as good works were busily being planned, Mrs. K heard a horrendous crash out front. She and the group rushed to the main church doors to go outside and see what happened. Oddly, something was blocking the doors and they were barely able to open them. Yep, it was the Cadillac, which had been hit so hard, and at such an angle, that it was sent flying right up the steps of the church where it lodged against the doors. Adding to the drama of the scene was the fact that Teri Shields had jumped out of her wrecked (and stolen) car, tried to run, and was throwing punches at the movie security men and the cops as she screamed obscenities at them while they chased her on foot.
Had this happened in the present day, with the prevalence of camera phones and Twitter feeds, this incident would have been blasted into the public consciousness within seconds. News cameras would have arrived shortly thereafter, and Mrs. K might have even landed an appearance on Good Morning America where she could have shared her “trauma.” But in 1977, the order of business was to quietly take care of situations like this. Teri was subdued and carted off (not even sure if she was arrested). There was no media coverage. Things were just handled.
The car part of the handling was my favorite. I can only imagine the call that went out from some studio honcho: “find me the best new blue Cadillac sedan in the Southeast and get it to New Orleans NOW!” Within 24 hours, delivered to Mrs. K’s door, was a brand new Fleetwood Brougham, equipped with essentially every option available, including the astroroof. It was even painted an extra cost Firemist color: Cerulean Blue. So, all in all, a rather better replacement for the DeVille. And a source of great enjoyment for me, as it was my first opportunity to spend quality time in a Fleetwood.
As for the church, the steps and main doors were quickly repaired, and a sizable donation was made. No doubt many more good works were achieved, ironically thanks to the producers of Pretty Baby.
That is an incredible story: WOW.
+1. Reality is so much crazier than fiction.
+2. Wow.
+3!
A “victim” is born everyday…
Of course over the course of my job I have come across all sorts of stories like this involving untimely deaths to cars, some of which were attempted warranty claims…
This makes me think of all of the Ray Stevens songs including this my favorite which isn’t tied to the car but does provide a little humorous foil to set up the story:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K16fG1sDagU
I read that Teri Shields died last year of “dementia.” While most of us strive to keep the social commentary to a minimum on this site, I will say that reading this behavior makes me feel fortunate that despite my meager beginnings I have done well in life with no major disruptions as have my children so far and I am very fortunate for that, and most of that was due to the generosity of many in the car business.
I’ve always liked Ray Stevens but had not heard this particular song. Sounds like he influenced present day stand-up/songwriter Tim Wilson. Thanks for the enlightenment.
I am quite happy that I dont have to street park on the street that I live on. With the fequency of cars that pass by my house at high speed Im sure a car on the street would not last the night. While the posted speed limit is 50 km/h one in three cars is usually at least double that and at least once a night tripple the posted speed. The worst of it is I live three houses from an elemantary school and during school hours this crap does not change and the law seems uninterested as they have yet to do much. They once set up a radar controlled speed sign which was more than useless.
Our car was hit like that Acura, just not as severely, when parked overnight on a “quiet” Altadena, CA street (near LA) in December 2005. My son had the car with him and went to visit a friend. He said the thought crossed his mind to park in the driveway but ultimately decided to leave it on the street.
The trunk of our car was unscathed, but the quarter panel was badly damaged almost up to the fuel filler door. The bumper cover was pretty torn up, but not completely dislodged. The taillamp lens was completely shattered, and none of the bulbs worked.
My wife and I were to arrive the following week by air to pick him up and drive back east cross-country. I told him to pick up as many of the taillight fragments as possible, buy replacement bulbs, and put it back together.
We had the car appraised in LA, but knowing of no body shops’ reputations there, decided to drive it back home to VA following our original schedule. We made it back without getting stopped by the police, and we thanked our lucky stars that the frame, rear wheel/suspension, and trunk lid were undamaged (although a little water leaked inside). The packing tape keeping the taillamp together, along with new bulbs, held up remarkably well.
Total repair cost ended being over $4000. We still have the car, and you cannot tell it was hit.