Be Careful!

[Pat_McCrotch 0]

I know this is thread is going to sound like me teaching people how to suck eggs, but trust me I've been unfortunate enough to know what it's like to be stupid. This is what the consequences are of not being aware and not doing something as simple as loosing a few MPH off your speed when the roads or conditions aren't perfect...

 

I'm in a reflective mood today hence this post but tomorrow it will be 3 years to the day that I had a rather serious accident in which I hit/skimmed an Oak Tree at around 50mph. I seriously think that had I been a foot closer to the tree or not been in the Audi I would've been allot more seriously injured or worse not here today. As it was I spent two nights in hospital (Christmas eve & Christmas Day 2006) being strapped to spinal boards and going through brain scans etc. At the time I was too concussed to really care what was going on but I now feel physically sick when I think of what I put my Parents (especially my Mum) through.

 

I don't remember much about the accident at all, all I remember is driving down the road, glancing at my speedo and the next thing I know I was being strapped to a spinal board by Paramedics. Whats worse is I had my best friend in the passenger seat who thankfully walked away from it. We're still good friends but he's clearly not comfortable when I drive nowadays :lol:

 

Luckily many of the injuries were temporary; I walked away with concussion, cuts, bruises, nosebleeds, whiplash, numbness in my left hand & arm and I couldn't turn my head fully to the left for about 12 months. I also found it difficult to stand for the first 3 weeks as I would loose balance and fall over and in the end I was off work for nearly a month. The only permanent injury was a slightly (barely noticable) drooping left eyelid but it's just a constant reminder of my stupidity and driving too fast for the conditions.

 

...and if you thought all that was bad...it was then 3 months of grief with the Nazi Insurance Company :censored:

 

So, this is just a post really to say that these things do happen; they aren't just stories you read about in the news and just think of your family and friends when you do decide to push your car :salute:

At the end of the day I was lucky because of what I was driving, I hate to think what the Corrado would've held up like So basically...

 

...Be Safe!!

[corozin 0]

Interesting post and some sobering pictures. Again without wishing to patronise you at all, you were very lucky you weren't more seriously injured.

[farrantino 0]

BLOODY HELL :nuts: , so lucky htere matey

[davidwort 0]

blinkin-flip

that's like the opposite of some pics I've seen,

it's like you only smashed in the bit of the car you were in, very lucky man indeed...

[Slimg60 0]

Looks like you had a luck escape :pale:

[mic_VR 3]

Trees are the worst things to hit, but you look like you had a very lucky escape. Can I ask what the road conditions/speed limit were when the accident happened? I'm guessing from the tone of your tale excessive speed was a contributing factor?

 

Glad you're all ok though, seem like a top guy when I met you the other week at the RR day.

 

Must admit in this whether I'm glad I'm in a brand new works car with about 7 airbags and more safety stars than bhp whilst the 'rado is tucked up at home, looking at your pics at least there is something good from advances in modern technology even if the cars themselves are becoming duller.

[Matt DDK 0]

Glad to hear you were relatively unscathed. I also hit a tree in my Audi about 10 years ago, I can vouch for them being very strong cars. I hit 'my' tree having gone sideways , full oposite lock for about 30 metres until I finally clipped the curb which push me head on into the tree, it didn't move!! I cracked the engine block and gearbox casing which wedged into the bulk head, I walked away with only a stiff neck, I was very lucky.

The moral of the story is, be careful on icy roads, non of us are Walter Rhorl :(

 

Matt

[Kevin Bacon 5]

The only permanent injury was a slightly (barely noticable) drooping left eyelid

 

Ah that explains it, I thought you were winking at me all those times. I was starting to get worried :lol:

[John-M 0]

And in this weather / road conditions you have to hope and pray that everybody else is driving sensibly ! Not always the case :(

[Slimg60 0]

And in this weather / road conditions you have to hope and pray that everybody else is driving sensibly ! Not always the case :(

 

Thats the problem, no matter how carefully you drive, some moron without the same consideration can always get you.

[Supercharged 2]

The only permanent injury was a slightly (barely noticable) drooping left eyelid

 

Ah that explains it, I thought you were winking at me all those times. I was starting to get worried :lol:

 

That explains it - thank fook for that! :camp:

 

As I said back then it's lucky you are only 4 ft tall :)

 

Good post though - I think we all need a reminder from time to time of how dangerous our roads and machines can be.

[jaded2882 0]

Good post- I don't think there can be enough of these at this time of year, especially on a forum with so much discussion about upping the power of our motors :D

 

Fair play to you for admitting being silly too- that's the most important thing to stop you doing it again. I have freinds who have had several accidents like this and they never really say 'ye I was being a bit of a d*ck', hence the reason they keeping crashing :cuckoo: I know they won't get away with it forever.

 

On the subject of trees- they are one of the worse things to hit but I was a bit annoyed at the ideas some people had near me. There's a dangerous stretch of road near Kidderminster that a few people have died on in the last few years. I don't know the details of all the accidents but some were in icy conditions and some appear to be a result of people taking corners too fast. Although I have great sympathy with the families that lost people in these accidents I couldn't believe it when I read in the paper that they were campaigning to cut all the hedges and trees down along the edge of this road. Considering some of them are vetran Oak trees several hundred years old isn't this a bit much? Wouldn't it be a better idea to try and prevent people driving dangerously on this stretch? I don't know what the outcome of it was but seemed mad to me.

[Yandards 0]

Interesting post and some sobering pictures. Again without wishing to patronise you at all, you were very lucky you weren't more seriously injured.

 

Indeed and I completely agree, I suspect a Paxo or similar would have resulted in this post not even being made today, very sobering indeed.

[Pat_McCrotch 0]

Trees are the worst things to hit, but you look like you had a very lucky escape. Can I ask what the road conditions/speed limit were when the accident happened? I'm guessing from the tone of your tale excessive speed was a contributing factor?

 

The roads were damp as it had rained the previous evening, this caused stones etc to was on and settle on a fairly sharp bend. That, meant the car just went straight into the corner, down the enbankment and skimmed the tree at the same time :shrug: I was basically driving how anyone else would consider as 'normal', without remembering that every road is different everytime you drive it :nono:

[Toad 0]

It does amaze me how lucky some people are. Came across a Feista the other day that hit a tree after losing control (The kid was going too fast, there was a tree down partly blocking the road, and it was wet) the passenger door was stoved in by 18 inches, and the drivers roof was caved in so the window was about 6 incches high. The young guy walked away with 2 small scratches on him, and didn't realise how lightly he had gotten off.