I'm glad you are OK. What a hit you & your MINI took. Your MINI did it's job well. As you already know your MINI is toast.

 

Good to hear you are alright, sad to see a smashed MINI. Amazed at how the rear window is intact.

 

I've seen what kind of damage a 60mph hit can do to cars. Glad to know the Mini can take it really well. If those pics don't sell you on getting back into a mini then I don't know what would.

 

I am so sorry to see that you lost your car...and so glad that you are OK.

 

Glad you are okay.

 

From looking at those pics I'm glad to know that your safe. This is why texting on the phone while driving is dangerous, I'm sorry that you had to be on the receiving end of the result. What are your plans with the car if its totaled?

 

wow, that is impressive. good to hear all is well.I had a accident like that years ago and i was stiff and sore for quite some time. Off subject but i was wondering....
does the second gen hold up as well as the first generation? i haven't seen too many second gen accident posts.

 

Sorry about your accident looks like you took a pretty hard hit. Have been hit in the rear end 4 times always at a dead stop. The slowest about 35 mph the fastest 65 mph. All of them hurt!! Good luck, have a doctor check you out, backs are difficult to diagnose.

 

I would make sure and go to hospital to make sure no hairline fractures or internal bleeding. That looks serious. I would have proly punched the guy in the green Honda and shoved his cell phone where the sun don't shine.

 

Total bummer. Heed all the earlier advice, and let us know what happens.

 

Best of luck recovering from your accident and hope you make out well with the insurance. I, too, can't believe that the trooper left before you rejoined traffic - he really failed to do his job.

 

Wow! After seeing all those pictures, I'm glad that I chose the MINI. I hope that you truly are ok. I second the opinion that you should go see a doctor. Your car held up beautifully. Even thought it's callous, any plans for your next one?

PS: I hope that your rims weren't hurt since they are awesome!

 

Whoa, just saw this thread!
I'm glad you walked away from this *accident* (text+drive=stupid). +1 on seeing your Dr and getting a thorough check up.
Too bad about your MINI ... it's gotta be tough seeing your little friend all bunged up.
Hope everything works out OK in the long run.

 

THAT'S IRONIC that i have both of those cars >_<, civic is same color and year too!

 

I'm glad 2 see u were able 2 walk away from something like that and alive 2 tell about it. I agree that MD Trooper was negligent, as others have stated. Our MINIs are tough little buggers, aren't they? I look 4ward 2 a post from u and pics of a new MINI soon.

 

I've had 2 accidents where I broke more bones than I can count.......but as bad as my luck was...........I've still never gotten a ticket in the same day (you better just start staying home on Monday's ).

Glad you're here to tell the story

 

chaseabryant, I am truly glad to hear you are okay and I am very sorry about your MINI. It is a shame something like that happens with people not paying attention to road while driving. I hope things works out for you with getting your MINI fixed or replaced. I know you had some bad things happen that day but I might advocate that Monday was your day in that you have your health.

Cheers

 

Wow sometimes I have my kids in the back seat. I'm relieved to see the back seat still in place at 60mph.

 

The trooper leaving before you left bothers me. I would make sure you tell an officer that. I hope you are recovering well. I'm so sorry to hear about your loss (your Mini).

Just out of curiousity, if the guy hit you 60+ MPH, with no seatbelt, did he die? I mean, you said that he went into the windshield. I'm curious what happened to him (even though he's the one who was stupid and at fault).

Honestly though, it's the trooper's fault. The boy would have been more cautious if he saw the red and blue lights flashing, and probably wouldn't have let himself be so distracted.

 

Wow, thank you everybody! I am really happy to still be here and to have walked away. I am also bummed that I didn't stop for that cup of coffee that I was craving that morning. But, Coulda, shoulda, woulda doesn't change anything :D

I do need to ask around about officers/troopers hanging around until those who were ticketed leave the shoulder. I have had a lot of people thinking it was very odd. He was the first one back on the scene (he just backed down the shoulder as he wasn't too far away). When my dad showed up to pick me up, the trooper told him that he had been hit in a similar manner while on the side of the road (in his patrol car) a couple of months back. I'm guessing that he was a bit skittish about being on the side of the road still (he got the ticket issued and everything done with faster than I have ever experienced before).

Soreness-wise I am all better now. Full range of movement is back, nothing hurts, and I can run, so I figure I'll close out the precautionary injury claim that I opened with my insurance company the day of the accident. Don't really feel like screwing anybody or dealing with this whole thing any longer. I just want to get back in another vehicle of my own

Interestingly, I wound up adding up all of the things that I added to my vehicle or had changed about it, as well as the maintenance items I had done in the last two months (new oil pan gasket a couple of weeks ago, and a new catalytic converter two months ago) and everything came out to a grand total of about 10,000.00 I now need to fight as hard as I can to recoup as much of that as possible. Trim-wise inside and out my car was closer to a 2005/2006 than it was to the 2002-2004 models. Heed this as a warning folks, the obsession with modifying your MINI can sneak up on you It truly is an illness lol.

Basically, if I am to replace my car as it was (2003 Cooper S) I would still need to invest that amount if not more to make it as it was. It isn't my fault that this guy hit a MINI whose owner never intended on selling it...

The car is officially totaled now, the adjuster got to it on wednesday and declared it a total loss. As for some of the parts, I don't think I'm able to get anything off of it as they keys have already been claimed and I believe that the car has alredy been trucked off. I did get a close look at the driver's side rear wheel, and the guy hit it so hard it actually shattered. There were actually loose pieces of rim pinned up against the rotor. I did wind up nearly shedding a tear when I went back up to the body shop that my car was dropped off at to turn in the keys. Probably the most attached to a vehicle that I have ever been.

As to the guy hitting the windshield, I honestly think that his airbag saved his life. He hit it hard enough to shatter it, if you look towards the upper center of his windshield, you can see where his head hit.

I do need to ask around about officers/troopers hanging around until those who were ticketed leave the shoulder. I have had a lot of people thinking it was very odd. He was the first one back on the scene (he just backed down the shoulder as he wasn't too far away). When my dad showed up to pick me up, the trooper told him that he had been hit in a similar manner while on the side of the road (in his patrol car) a couple of months back. I'm guessing that he was a bit skittish about being on the side of the road (he got the ticket issued and everything done with faster than I have ever experienced before).

Again, thank you everybody, this just proves what an excellent community MINI ownership creates.

-Chase

 

Chase, I hadn't posted until now, I wanted to see how you were. We (Molly & I) want to send you our Best Wishes. I know what you mean when you say "a MINI whose owner never intended on selling it..." that is how I feel about Molly!!

Best of Luck to you, I certainly don't envy you having to deal with all of the Insurance stuff, but in the end you will WIN!!

Here's hoping that another MINI will be gracing your Driveway!!

Cheers

 

If you know where your car is, the collision/auto yards will usually allow access to your car. You can pull off a lot of the upgrades. When my Altima was totalled, I showed up and pulled out the aftermarket stereo and speakers and still got full market value...

 

Glad to hear you're okay; that's the most important thing!

I agree it is odd that the trooper left before you; that seems like a safety issue to me. If he got hit recently, it may well be that he's skittish, but that does not absolve his actions.

As for %#$! idiots texting while driving, every time I see that, I want to pull them over and lay a Gomer Pyle "citizens arr-ay-est" on 'em. There's never a cop around when you need one:-) Seriously, you should be able to report that and let the cops do cellphone forensics to verify the claim. We have a $100 fine now in Mass, which is nowhere near enough. It has been established to be worse than DWI, and IMO should be treated at least as severely.

Hope there's a new MINI in your future.

 

First, please see a doctor if you haven't already to make sure it is nothing more then just a little back and neck pain. These things have a habit of getting worse over time after an accident. Now I will stop being a mommy.

I am so glad that you weren't hurt severely. I am glad that the other driver wasn't hurt worse. But I honestly have trouble feeling sympathy for people doing stupid things that could a) easily be avoided and b) could have killed themselves and/or others.

I am just amazed that he hit you going 60MPH and that your Mini wasn't just mushed. I am also surprised at the amount of damage on his car. I am sending this link to my father and brother because I have a Civic and because they are afraid me getting such a small car. This has proved to me how Minis take care of us when we take care of them.

Feel better!

 

Did they charge you anything for taking those items? I heard once it is in their possession they can sell it out for how much they choose.