I had a state trooper run into the back of my Ranger. No kidding. He hit me so hard the bed smashed into the back of the cab, my radio came out of the dash, knocked the truck into gear and caused me to hit the person in front of me. Here's a couple pictures.


I guess the point is, I laughed at it....what can you do? It's done now, it was an accident. Sure it was frustrating for about 10 minutes for me, but I guess its different for everyone. You'll look back on it someday and laugh with your friends. Your friends are more important then your bumper.

When he got out of the car, I told him, "Well I guess I don't need to call you cause you're already here." .........He wasn't amused...but I got a kick out of it lol

 

You'll realize incidences like these are very trivial later on. Let her know you were upset and apologize for leaving. Be a man and break the awkward tension. There are always two sides to a story and an accident is an accident. I'm sure it wasn't intentional. She did offer to pay for the damages. I'm sure she feels horrible about it. So let it go. Enjoy the holidays.

98TypeR said it best.

 

You could kill her, but then who would pay for the damages?

Do you know yet how many dollars you're talking about? Is she going to be able to afford to pay for it without getting insurance involved?

Don't let it ruin a friendship. Cars don't stay new forever, unfortunately. Call her up or go see her (preferably when nobody else is around), and work it out.

 

She should take responsibility for her mistake, one way (insurance) or another (pay it herself).

If she doesn't, she's not much of a friend. And if your friends side with her, same there.

Stop acting like she's the victim and you're the one being the asshole.

Don't overreact of course, keep it business like. I just really hate people who don't take personal responsibility for their actions.

 

I appreciate everyone's feedback, some very good insights that everyone should keep in mind for future situations such as this. Some of you have asked for updates, so here it is...

The day after the accident, I tried to call her several times, but she didn't answer. That's probably good, because my tactfulness is quite lacking when I'm talking. So I apologized for how I acted in an email. No reply yet from her. But i've fallen on rough times with my gf, who's pretty good friends with the Fit-hitter. She thinks I made her feel like an idiot when she already felt stupid for hitting me. Believe me, she would've felt alot stupider if I'd actually said half of what was on my mind. She also thinks that that's how I'd treat all my friends, including her, if they'd hit me. And there's not really anything I can say to make her believe that it'd be different if it was her. So, what a mess...

Moral of the story: if you're going to get in a wreck, get hit by someone you don't know.

 

Bottom line...you're screwed. Too late to get the PD or her insurance (actually an assumption she has it) involved?

Steeldog was close.....it's fork, neck, curb

 

Wow yeah, gotta say turning it into a "How you'd treat your gf" thing by your girl is pretty low.

Just steal your friends credit car and buy what you need to repair it. Then plant the car on one of your other friends that sided with her and make it look like that person is a theif. Might take the attention off of you. jk


I agree with weave, if she isn't gonna man up and take responsibility than is that the kind a friend you want around????? Same goes for the other friends that are siding with her when she is the one who screwed up.


maybe this is why I'm so lonely and my "friends" never call me?

 

You need to talk to your insurance agent/company ASAP even if you decide not to make an insurance claim for the accident. Find out if there is a deadline to report the accident, what not calling the police means to you, etc. It is wise to know your options in the (likely) event your friend doesn't pay.

When you talk to your friend, even if you agree to work something out, exchange insurance & license information anyways. As part of any agreement get her to sign a statement acknowledging her fault in the accident and her willingness to pay for the damages. If she refuses I'd report the accident immediately.

Personally I would have just gone straight to the insurance companies. Trying to work something out rarely works out.

 

what ended up happening with that?

 

It sucks but if she pays for it then there should be no problem.

 

so i got a quote this weekend for the damages, the way the bumper got hit, right of the curve at the top, they wouldn't be able to use body filler and make it look right, so i have to get a new bumper, have it resprayed and such. but the part that i didn't see before, there is a tiny (and when i say tiny, i really mean almost microscopic) ding in the hatch. the repair place called it an "outtie," which i'm not really sure how that happened, but it did and cracked the paint. so the hatch has to come off for a complete sanding, repairs and respray.

total damage: $1,042 for a 2 mph impact...at least she's paid for it, now maybe things can go back to normal... thanks again for all the insights and such guys, you helped me keep my sanity and offered a neutral perspective that i couldn't get from my friends!

 

thanks for the update...I think some of us were wondering what would happen...

Nice to hear things being steadily resolved, good luck with whatever else...

I always forget to ask for the damaged part back (I have only remembered a few times) so I can mess with it or incorporate it into some art releated dealy thingy...

 

^^ +1 good to hear.

your friend will be okay. it's only money. it can be replaced.

 

very true.

 

I'll start by saying I am not a big Ford fan, even though I just bought a new E150 for my business, but I have to know...

Was this some bad aftermarket installation job, or did a factory radio actually fall out of the dash from the impact?

I have seen Camrys and Accords that have been hit so hard in the rear that the back part of the rear seat is touching the back of the front seats, yet the radios are still firmly in the dash!

I am just curious as to whether I should tether the E150's radio.

 

^-- Best friend who also drives a Fit.

This story would be better appreciated if you understood KotA's passion for automobiles. This wasn't a friend hitting his car ... this was someone punching his new born baby in the neck. He was smart for leaving because he would have just been visibly pissed the entire night. She's also very smart for paying up.

Weekend drivers will not find the point in his posts, but those of you who truly love your cars will fully understand. Friend or not, she wasn't paying attention and her negligence caused damages to his prized possession. Everything will be fine, but it's ok to be pissed for a few days!

 

Haha, this may be a little extreme, but it's probably the best analogy for describing how protective I am of my cars, especially new ones.