So I was at work tonight (Starbucks), and a salesman from a nearby MINI dealership came into the store. I didn't get a chance to talk to him but my boss was telling me that he said a woman had crashed her MINI. Apparently (keep in mind this is second hand info.) she hit a tree head-on doing about 55mph and supposedly walked away with merely a scratch!!!!

I don't know how accurate this story is, but I have to say that I'm really not that surprised. The MINI appears to be a very safe car especially since the recent crash testing results came out. I'm also not surprised because MINI designed the engine to break away from the chassis in the event of a head-on collision. I guess their efforts to design a safe car have really paid off.

 

I can very much believe that. I was going about the same speed when I went round a slight bend in the road. The bend was in the shade and I hit some ice (this was in January). I couldn't regain control and I hit the verge, thus making me flip the car in the air before landing in a ditch. I then rolled several times before exiting the ditch and hitting a telegraph pole 10ft in the air. Three minutes before I came round the corner another person had crashed in the same spot and was walking away from his wrecked car when he saw me crash. He told me how high I went and I could see the spot where I hit the pole (which was now lying on the floor). I got out as I was lucky enough to land on my wheels and looked back at the car. It was ****** up. I had a cut about 5mm long on my left index finger. The Paramedic said that he has never seen anything like it and reminded me how lucky I was. The other guys crash wasn't as bad and he was on a stretcher wearing a neck brace the last time I saw him. The seat belt, along with the Mini's rigid structure saved my life.
I have a picture of my car after the crash on microsoft word if any one wants it. Send me a message.

 

My Mini dealer had a news paper article with pictures of the car after the crash. The front of the car was demolished, but the dirver's compartment was in tact. This is a testiment to the strength of the vehicle.

Mini lovers in the DC area can see the article at Mini of Sterling. It is under the glass of the sales counter.

 

Holy guacamole Boyracer!!! Could you send me a picture of that to rwalker@harlandfs.com ? Thanks.

ANd it sounds like the MINI sales guy at Starbucks was refering to the Autoweek female employee that plowed into a tree and walked away with a broken nail. Or are that many people taking out trees in their MINI?

R

 

Trees suck. Breakaway lightpoles are great. I hit one with a Fiat
Brava(laugh here) after falling asleep at the wheel. I woke up to
see the light pole flying over the sunroof and to my surprise the
car wasn't totaled. I hope I never have any Mini accident stories
to tell. This one does sound like the one that has been posted
before though..... :???:

 

This is a relatively old story and has inspired several threads on this (and other) sites. But if you want the original source, read the Autoweek article.

No one should be driving into trees, but it's nice to know that at least one MINI driver did so and lived to tell the story.

 

Again, I got the story second hand. Sorry if this was an old story...

 

>>Again, I got the story second hand. Sorry if this was an old story...

Don't be sorry...there are lots of old stories floating around...

 

holy crap boyracer... that's quite an amazing story

im glad nothing serious happened...

(a 5mm cut... )

 

>>Trees suck. Breakaway lightpoles are great. I hit one with a Fiat
>>Brava(laugh here) after falling asleep at the wheel. I woke up to
>>see the light pole flying over the sunroof and to my surprise the
>>car wasn't totaled.

 

Trees can be breakaway, too....if you hit them hard enough.

Honestly....the stories that I have heard so far about the MINI being involved in accidents have made me feel much safer driving in my little car. I was going to go on the recent drive in Virginia where someone unfortunately lost control and went over a very steep enbankment and hit a tree on the way down....I ended up not attending but I knew many of the people that did. That guy luckily was able to walkaway from the accident, too.

BoyRacer.....I am so glad you came out of the accident all right!

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The other day as I was driving to school I almost had a serious accident. I was going on the freeway and I looked to my left to change lanes but when I looked ahead of me the car in front suddenly stopped. I braked hard but I knew I wouldnt stop in time so instinctivly I swerved to the right off the road but as I did I saw a Neon stalled on the side of the road. I had to swerve around this car too and all this time I was trying not to go off a 20 ft drop on the side of the freeway. There was about 10 ft between the neon and the ledge. If I had been driving my 67 mustang I woulda been dead for sure!! The great handling, brakes, suspension and design of the MINI saved my life!!!

 

>>I was going on the freeway and I looked to my left to change lanes but when I looked ahead of me the car in front suddenly stopped.

i abso-freakin-lutely HATE when people do that!! (who doesnt????)

ugh, how annoying... some people out there seriously need to learn how to operate a motor vehicle, it ticks me off just reading about your little story rfibanez... i know exactly how you felt when you noticed he slammed his breaks

i can see if there was a deer or something that flew into the road out of nowhere, then it's fine, go ahead and slam on the breaks... but theres no reason to be stopping in an ACCELERATION lane, especially if it's because you cant merge or something (see where the name came from?) i guess something could have happened to the driver, like a medical problem... :evil: :evil: :evil: :evil:



on a lighter note (heh)... im pretty sure this is my 100th post... yay!!

 

Gerbs 100th post. Congrats...
I almost had a Mini accident. I was stopped at a light
and a woman was in a minvan next to me. She was on
her cellphone with 2 kids in the back. She yelled at the kids,
'Can't you see I'm on the phone. Turn that TV down.'
Yeah. Mini accident. I almost wet my pants.

 

>>Gerbs 100th post. Congrats...
>>I almost had a Mini accident. I was stopped at a light
>>and a woman was in a minvan next to me. She was on
>>her cellphone with 2 kids in the back. She yelled at the kids,
>>'Can't you see I'm on the phone. Turn that TV down.'
>>Yeah. Mini accident. I almost wet my pants.
>>


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