Ever been involved in a Car Accident?

[hotdogPi]

I thought Scott5114 was distinguishing "hit a deer" vs. "got hit by a deer".

[Scott5114]

When a car hits a deer, that is not news, because it happens so often. But if a deer hits a car, that is news.

[Max Rockatansky]

I ran over a deer on UT 95 departing Blanding in October 2016 with my 2014 Chevy Sonic LT.  The deer ran out in front of me with maybe 200 feet of room to spare.  The options I had to were either of run over the deer or drive off a steep bank on the shoulder, the former was lesser of two evils.  I took some major cosmetic damage to the front clip and pushed my drive belt pulley slightly, but wasn't anything that rendered my car unusable.  I did get some weird looks from San Juan County Sheriff as I was descending the Moki Dugway with a partially pushed in hood.

[Hot Rod Hootenanny]

I've hit a deer, some dirt, and the back of someone else's car.
I've also been hit by two other vehicles.
At this point in my life, I believe if you haven't been in a car accident, you're not a "real" roadgeek.

[NWI_Irish96]

When a car hits a deer, that is not news, because it happens so often. But if a deer hits a car, that is news.

We generally say, "the car hit a deer," but most of the time both objects are in motion so really the car and deer are hitting each other. I agree that a deer hitting a (stationary) car is pretty rare.

[kphoger]

That's what I was thinking too.

In baseball, does the batter hit the ball, or does the pitcher hit the bat?

[abefroman329]

Got hit by a deer.

Huh, that doesn't happen often.

I did, back in December 2020. I was on US 431 just north of Springfield, Tennessee and a lone deer stepped out onto the edge of the road. There was no shoulder, so I slowed down to 25-30, thinking I'd just stop for it or just verge slightly over the center line, if possible and necessary.

Just as I was in front of it, giving it a little room, the deer ran anyway! It butted up against the car between the passenger-side doors, giving it a good hollow crunch sound, which surprised the heck out of me! I slowed down, but without any shoulder to pull over for another 500 feet or so, I watched from the rear view as it sprang back up and limped back over to the shoulder. The car (a rental) suffered no damage, just a superficial mark or two.

Thus, the only time I've hit a deer was when it tried to T-bone me, or as some would say, "a racing incident".

Yep, I knew someone that had a deer run into the side of their car as well in northern WI.  Did some damage, too.

Happened to my parents in Door County.  When they filed a claim, the adjuster wanted to know if they knew who owned the deer.

[kphoger]

People do own deer.  When I was a little kid in New Lenox (IL), I used to go across the railroad tracks, through the woods, and feed the deer that were kept in a pen by a man who bought and sold animals at auction.  I'd feed them apples and carrots through the fence.

Interestingly, that land was approximately where Deerfield Lane is now.

[Henry]

The Explorer incident back in 2001 was a reason why I decided to get rid of it. It was a typical rainy day in Seattle, and some moron in an Acura was hydroplaning through the intersection where I had the right-of-way. I swerved just to avoid hitting him, but flipped over when I tried to correct the turn. I saw my life flash before my eyes and wondered how the hell I got rid of a perfectly fine first car for this. Anyway, it ended up being a total loss, and after hearing of the Ford recalls, I made a promise never to buy another one of its products. So I ended up buying a Tahoe, and ended up enjoying it for several years afterwards.

[kphoger]

Yesterday afternoon, my mom was in an accident (she's OK).  She was heading straight through a tight diamond interchange, on the cross-road under the highway, on a green light.  An oncoming vehicle turned left into the rear of my mom's car, smashing it in, then kept on going up the ramp and onto the highway.  My mom, sitting there in shock in the middle of the intersection, didn't know what to think or do next.  The driver next to her stopped, pulled the SD card out of her dashcam, and told her:  I got the whole thing on video, these things are only like twenty bucks, keep it.  Behind her was a police officer, who proceeded to swing out around her, head up the ramp, and pull the driver over on the highway.  No surprise:  they'd been drinking.

[Roadgeek Adam]

5 of them now. Some just bad luck. Some I'm just a lousy piece of shit driver who deserves to die in a 6th.

- Hit a deer on IL 116 in 2016
- flipped on an icy NY 41 on 11/28/18
- rear-ended a tow truck because I misinterpreted a light as being my lane in April 2021.
- hit a couple jaywalking pedestrians on 9/29/21 when I got blinded by the sun in East Aurora NY. (I still got blamed by insurance for that, even though the ones I hit told the cops they were jaywalking.) Also, rather than handle this like an adult, I pulled over immediately and started taking my car door and beating myself hard with the car door until they put me in handcuffs to stop hurting myself. Carted off to the psych ward for that. 
- Driving on US 250 approaching Cameron, WV, something broke in the undercarriage of my car, turned right and flipped over on 4/17/22.

Just a fucking loser am I.

[thspfc]

Nope. 🤞

[kphoger]

- hit a couple jaywalking pedestrians on 9/29/21 when I got blinded by the sun in East Aurora NY. (I still got blamed by insurance for that, even though the ones I hit told the cops they were jaywalking.)

Well, yeah, drivers still aren't allowed to just run jaywalkers down.  But in all fairness, they should have only assigned partial fault.

[MultiMillionMiler]

Been driving since 2015 and nope, zero so far. I technically had a fender bender in a parking lot in Riverhead, but since I was completely stopped when it happened so I don't even know if you can count that. (The other guy bumped me when he was backing up into a spot). Speaking of fender benders, when will people learn to pull over to the shoulder on the highway to exchange info? Blocking traffic with that shit should be a major ticketable offense. Half the time you pass them you can't even spot where the damage is, and there standing there in the middle lane chatting. That's even worse than the left lane daydreamers. Move over!

[Roadgeek Adam]

- hit a couple jaywalking pedestrians on 9/29/21 when I got blinded by the sun in East Aurora NY. (I still got blamed by insurance for that, even though the ones I hit told the cops they were jaywalking.)

Well, yeah, drivers still aren't allowed to just run jaywalkers down.  But in all fairness, they should have only assigned partial fault.

Cops were sympathetic to my view of things given it was freaking blinding sun in East Aurora. They couldn't see much either. Thankfully this jaywalking mess wasn't severe. I was making a right turn and they were trying to cross against the light. I only knocked them down.

[index]

My old car, a 2015 Mitsubishi Mirage, was totaled in August when someone in a Buick slammed into the back of me while I was waiting at a red light in South Carolina. I'm actually pretty glad that happened because it meant I wouldn't have to drive a dorky, lame, embarrassing shitbox anymore. Called the Highway Patrol, was declared not at fault, and in 14 days I had a less boring car that I can actually adjust the angle of the driver's seat in so I'm not straining my back, courtesy of Liberty Mutual. Oh, and I actually have a place to rest my arm now when I've got one hand on the wheel. And I have the latest advancements in modern technology such as cruise control, Bluetooth, power seats, and believe it or not, an engine with FOUR whole cylinders!

I will not miss that car.

[MATraveler128]

A month after I got my driver's license, I had a Toyota Matrix which was my grandmother's car and I t-boned someone who pulled out in front of me. Since then, I now have a Toyota RAV4.

[dvferyance]

A minor one last summer. It happened in a parking lot as we were both pulling out at the same time. Strangely the driver was not the owner. I gave her my insurance information politely as she had asked. Then low and behold the owner shows up on facebook sending me threats that I had to either make the insurance company pay or I had to pay myself or else he would take it to court. After the insurance company wouldn't pay due to a 50-50 tie at least I never heard from him again but wow all that for a tiny dent. I hate to see how he would have reacted if it had been much worse. You learn the hard way the dangers of having a facebook account people will just misuse it for anything they want.

[Hot Rod Hootenanny]

I got served papers, last week, for a traffic accident I had in Wisconsin, 3 years ago.

[epzik8]

Twice, both times my fault.

[JKRhodes]

Not too proud of my track record. some brushes with animals, some not my fault, several minor bumps because my head was up my ass but thankfully no one other than myself and a few animals have been hurt:

1999: a month after I got my license, a block from my house. I'm on the highway. A car pulls out from a stop sign in front of me and I slam on the brakes, avoid T-Boning her, and clip her rear quarter panel. Her son was in the back seat coming home from a camping trip and cushioned from impact by his rolled up sleeping bags and pads next to him in the back seat. Other driver got the ticket.

2006: motorcycle accident. Riding home late at night on a rural highway, at an intersection. pickup in the left turn lane, guardrail to my right. calf darted into my lane. Nowhere to swerve. 55-60 mph impact, I fly over the handlebars Animal died, bike was totaled, I got flown to L1 Trauma center for head injuries, evaluated, stitched up and sent home once my parents could get me. No ticket.

2007: waiting to turn left into my neighborhood, rush hour traffic, opposite direction in the #1 and #2 lanes leave a gap and wave me across. as I'm inching my way through, an SUV in lane #3 comes barreling down the road and tears off my front bumper. I got the ticket. I avoid uncontrolled lefts in heavy traffic to this day.

2008: Waiting at a stop light to turn left onto the freeway onramp, the car ahead of me (presumably driven by a drunk) backs into my bumper, puts it back in Drive and takes off when we get the green arrow. No police report, no interaction, no damage

2008: Turning right at a yield at a SPUI, I crane my neck over to the left to see that it's clear, roll ahead and bump the minivan ahead of me which was stopped for no reason and I failed to notice. No damage; no police. Pictures and insurance info exchanged, but no claims. She gave me a bible.

2011: coming home from work, road is freshly chip sealed with loose gravel. SUV ahead of me stops abruptly, 40 ft short of a stop sign. My wheels lock up and I bump her rear bumper. We get out, assess. she scolds me to pay attention and leaves.

2013: leaving a town, ascending into the hills, two deer dart in front of me. I brake, swerve and avoid one only to hit the other. Impact broke its neck and sent it flying to the shoulder of the road. I  pull it completely off the road and call local police to see if a report is needed. Dispatch advises me I'm good to go; unless I need a report number for my insurance, I don't need to stick around.

2017: My daughter is critically ill and gets flown to hospital in city two hours away, mom gets to ride in heli. Am told pilot will be battling winds of 50+ knots due to storm i follow in car, tired and a hot mess from several preceding 16 hour work days. For majority of trip I'm doing 100+ on interstate. Incidentally once I got news they landed, I calmed and slowed to speed limit (75). Ten minutes later a coyote darts onto the freeway in front of me and I hit it dead center in my front bumper, destroying the radiator and disabling the car. I limp to the next exit, call highway patrol. In my state I tell everyone who needs to know, that "I hit a wolf.(took many years to live that one down)" Trooper responds, super calming presence, helps me decide what to do with car. takes the accident report, calls the tow, and gives me a ride to the edge of the city. From there I take an Uber to the hospital, arriving almost 4 hours later than I originally would have.

2018: Late at night, jackrabbit darts into road, causes $2k in damage to the front of my car (same car in which I hit the coyote a year prior)

2018: Rush hour traffic, coming home from work, everyone's bumper to bumper. car in front of pack stops suddenly, with ripple effect of each car behind slamming progressively harder on their brakes, and unfortunately I bumped the car in front of me. We get out, verify we're ok and there's no damage, opt not to report, and go on our way.

[Roadgeekteen]

I've only been in one as a passenger, a minor collision in Boston. No injuries except the car got scrapped. Could have been fixed but it would be too expensive. Unless you count another very minor fender bender in Newton.

[XamotCGC]

Does rear ending someone count? 

[Chrysler375Freeway]

Three vehicles I have had or owned had insurance claims on them.

2002 Ford Taurus: Rear ended a lifted Toyota Tundra while trying to come to a stop on a heavily-traveled street (in a lane shared by passing drivers and turning drivers) before reaching an intersection in heavy traffic, totaling my car. (May 9, 2023) Hit by a truck in a roundabout. (March 2022) Minor bumper impact with the tow hitch hole on a Dodge Ram. (April 11, 2023)

1995 Saab 900 Convertible: Car turned out in front of me, and I also braked before impact, but still hit the side of that Hyundai Accent at 30 mph, totaling both cars.. (August 1, 2020)

2002 Lexus ES330: Headed home on an afternoon, and a Chrysler PT Cruiser driver ran a stop sign, and my vehicle went into the PT Cruiser at 45 mph, knocking my car and hers away from each other, and totaled both cars. (October 4, 2021)

None of these were injury crashes for me, or the Tundra driver, but the PT Cruiser and Accent drivers weren't too lucky, having to be taken to a hospital, and their cars cut to free them. I replaced the Taurus with a 2016 Ford Escape, the Saab with a 2003 Chevrolet Tahoe, and the Lexus with a 2009 Lincoln Town Car.

[ran4sh]

Yes. But not a major one. And not with me as the driver.