« Car Hunting | Main | Back to work »
December 29, 2006
Why We Were Looking For A New Car
Categories: Personal
Friday, December 22nd, Sarah and I were in a car accident. We were running errands in town, getting ready to head to Conway for Christmas. The last stop was my office, where I had kept Sarah's Christmas present. There's a light at the intersection my office sits on (Charlotte and Eden Terrace). We were turning left from Eden Terrace onto Charlotte. There were a bunch of cars turning left onto Eden Terrace, but the other direction (my right). Those cars were out in the intersection, so it was hard for me to see oncoming traffic. I thought it was clear, so I turned, but I was wrong. A car slammed into the passenger side of my Mazda, going 35 mph or so. It drove us back through the intersection onto the opposite curb; there was lots of sliding because it was wet.
Everyone was fine. The driver of the other car was okay. Her airbags deployed. I was just shaken up. Sarah's hip was bruised from her door bending inward and her shoulder was scratched from the seatbelt. Everyone involved was helpful and professional, if not nice. The other driver was as concerned about Sarah and I as she was her own car. The cops came, the tow trucks came, and everything was taken care of. I was charged with the accident.
After we got everything home, we decided to take Sarah to the hospital to get the baby checked out. Sarah had felt her moving around since the accident, but better safe than sorry. But when we went out to crank the Escape, it wouldn't start.
My cousin Robbie had picked us up from the accident and came back to get us to take us to the hospital. Big thanks to him. Sarah had talked to her doctor, who told her to go straight to Labor and Delivery where he was on call anyway. They admitted Sarah, strapped on a fetal monitor, and we hung out in the hospital for about five hours. It was a huge relief to hear baby girl Pope's heartbeat and to feel her kick against the monitor. The doctor checked Sarah out, they ran some blood tests, we ate dinner, and they let us out about 9:30 PM.
After Robbie took us home, he stayed around for a bit to make sure we were okay and help we with the Escape. We got it cranked, but it would only stay running as long as you gave it gas. As soon as you let your foot off that pedal, it would cut off. I vowed to take it to my mechanic in the morning, get it fixed, and get rid of it after Chirstmas. The accident was bad enough, but having your only working car not start when you have to take your wife to the hospital really made me upset and scared.
Saturday morning Robbie came over. We got the car started and he began to follow me to the mechanic. At stop signs, I would have to put it in neutral, keep my foot on the gas, then pop it back in drive when it was time to move. But about halfway to the garage, it started working fine again. I dropped it off at Palmetto Tire. They had done all the work on the Mazda since we moved here and I trusted them. They were always nice, fair, and didn't do work if it didn't need doing.
Later that afternoon, we stopped back by Palmetto Tire and they told me they couldn't find anything wrong. They hooked it up to the computer, looked at everything, and even drove it around. We concluded it was some bad gas and/or some piece of trash in the fuel system that temporarily clogged things up. The gas in it was from the Bel Air Exxon in Charlottesville. Damn you expensive gas and good sandwiches!!
So that's why we were looking for a new car. State Farm was certianly on top of things despite the holiday and they called me Wednesday, telling me the car was totalled. Everyone we have dealt with so far in this process has been nice and helpful. Even the trip to the DMV to get the title to the Mazda went smoothly, despite the crowd there yesterday morning.
Sarah and I have decided that the thing with the Escape was a freaky accident and we're going to stick it out with that car for awhile. Once school starts again, we will be on similar schedule and can share the car. We're taking the settlement from the Mazda, putting most of it in savings and using some to pay off some nagging credit card debt.
That's the saga. I am glad it's over. Most of all, I am glad and thankful no one was hurt in the whole thing. I am also really thankful for Robbie, who was a huge help. And I am also thankful for all the people who were just nice -- the people at State Farm, BB&T, the DMV, Palmetto Tire, and everyone else I interacted with in the process.
Posted by Nakia at December 29, 2006 03:44 PM