One Seriously Nasty Accident In My HCH
#11
07-06-2004, 11:11 PM
Hi all, I'm the guy who went deer hunting with his new 04 prius...
Here's the story:
Eager to "break in" my 3-week old Prius, I ran into a 150 lb. deer over Thanksgiving vacation last year driving on a rural country road in Missouri. It was around 11 AM when it hit me (really, it was running full tilt). It sprinted out of the ditch with precision timing. I had just enough time to slow from 50 MPH to about 40MPH before it bounced off the hood over the other ditch. The airbags didn't deploy, and nobody was hurt, except the deer.
After a few minutes some hunters (that spooked the deer out of the woods) came by and quickly put it out of it's misery.
The radiator was pushed back a couple inches. The back (but not front) of the headlight was broken. The hood and fender were crumpled and pushed back a few inches. Because of the plastic coverings in the engine compartment, I couldn't really tell if there was any major structural damage, but the engine was still running and no strange noises or fluids were noticed.
It was towed back to a rural dealer who thought it was still drivable (I wanted a dealer to say that before I was going to drive it). A mechanic jumped on the hood so I could tie it down and duct tape the headlight in place and I was able to drive it back to MN.
Once I got it back home I chose a good body shop that I thought might be able to get the car back to near-new condition. They had to have it towed back to the dealer to have the HV battery disconnected so they could weld on the car. Since the car was so new, I knew getting parts was going to be a problem. It was. At one point they had the entire front of the car stripped of sheetmetal. But luckily, after a bit over 2 months, the car finally looked new again. And also luckily, I haven't had any new problems since the repair job!
Note that (at least in MN) deer collisions are covered under comprehensive, not collision insurance. Total bill was a bit over $6,000...
That was the first large animal I hit, and hopefully the last! Some pics are here: http://s91566376.onlinehome.us/deerme/
-Tim
Here's the story:
Eager to "break in" my 3-week old Prius, I ran into a 150 lb. deer over Thanksgiving vacation last year driving on a rural country road in Missouri. It was around 11 AM when it hit me (really, it was running full tilt). It sprinted out of the ditch with precision timing. I had just enough time to slow from 50 MPH to about 40MPH before it bounced off the hood over the other ditch. The airbags didn't deploy, and nobody was hurt, except the deer.
After a few minutes some hunters (that spooked the deer out of the woods) came by and quickly put it out of it's misery.
The radiator was pushed back a couple inches. The back (but not front) of the headlight was broken. The hood and fender were crumpled and pushed back a few inches. Because of the plastic coverings in the engine compartment, I couldn't really tell if there was any major structural damage, but the engine was still running and no strange noises or fluids were noticed.
It was towed back to a rural dealer who thought it was still drivable (I wanted a dealer to say that before I was going to drive it). A mechanic jumped on the hood so I could tie it down and duct tape the headlight in place and I was able to drive it back to MN.
Once I got it back home I chose a good body shop that I thought might be able to get the car back to near-new condition. They had to have it towed back to the dealer to have the HV battery disconnected so they could weld on the car. Since the car was so new, I knew getting parts was going to be a problem. It was. At one point they had the entire front of the car stripped of sheetmetal. But luckily, after a bit over 2 months, the car finally looked new again. And also luckily, I haven't had any new problems since the repair job!
Note that (at least in MN) deer collisions are covered under comprehensive, not collision insurance. Total bill was a bit over $6,000...
That was the first large animal I hit, and hopefully the last! Some pics are here: http://s91566376.onlinehome.us/deerme/
-Tim
#12
07-07-2004, 05:56 AM
poor prius! and stupid deer. even though i like animals.. i have no sympathy for stoopid ones that crash prius >=(
its a good thing you didnt get any internal damage!
i live in missouri and i hope i dont hit any deer >_<
its also a good thing you didnt get any deer chunks in your car... like that idontlikemoose lady
its a good thing you didnt get any internal damage!
i live in missouri and i hope i dont hit any deer >_<
its also a good thing you didnt get any deer chunks in your car... like that idontlikemoose lady
#14
07-07-2004, 06:01 PM
Bunnie:
Totaled HCH: Bad
No Insurance problems and already in new HCH: Good
No serious injuries: Very, Very Good
First off, since nobody was hurt seriously, the HCH's overall safety systems apparently worked in this particular accident.
I am kind of curious about the side-airbag non-deployment though. Safety is always an issue when disscussing the car with people. I also haven't done a lot of research on this subject, but of course that won't stop me from making a couple of educated guesses.
On the question of whether the dealer is giving you a line, it makes sense to me that the impact sensor would cover a limited area. The physics are going to be different depending on exactly where the center of the impact is. In other words, a body will get thrown one way when the car gets hit in the left front corner and will get thrown another way if the car is hit in the left rear corner. Which brings me to my second point:
When I think of getting T-boned, I see the car getting hit right in the middle, at the doorpost that separates the front and rear doors. It seems to me this type of hit would push the car straight forward. But you were thrown into a 360, which kind of makes me think you were hit at least somewhat off-center. I'm guessing somewhere on the rear door.
At the risk of causing you to relive the horror of your HCH being crushed, is there anyway you can give us more specifics? Do you have access to the accident report? I'm wondering about speeds.
Well congratulations on the brand new HCH. At least you have that silver lining.
MC
Totaled HCH: Bad
No Insurance problems and already in new HCH: Good
No serious injuries: Very, Very Good
First off, since nobody was hurt seriously, the HCH's overall safety systems apparently worked in this particular accident.
I am kind of curious about the side-airbag non-deployment though. Safety is always an issue when disscussing the car with people. I also haven't done a lot of research on this subject, but of course that won't stop me from making a couple of educated guesses.
On the question of whether the dealer is giving you a line, it makes sense to me that the impact sensor would cover a limited area. The physics are going to be different depending on exactly where the center of the impact is. In other words, a body will get thrown one way when the car gets hit in the left front corner and will get thrown another way if the car is hit in the left rear corner. Which brings me to my second point:
When I think of getting T-boned, I see the car getting hit right in the middle, at the doorpost that separates the front and rear doors. It seems to me this type of hit would push the car straight forward. But you were thrown into a 360, which kind of makes me think you were hit at least somewhat off-center. I'm guessing somewhere on the rear door.
At the risk of causing you to relive the horror of your HCH being crushed, is there anyway you can give us more specifics? Do you have access to the accident report? I'm wondering about speeds.
Well congratulations on the brand new HCH. At least you have that silver lining.
MC
#15
07-07-2004, 06:19 PM
Originally posted by mrkcohen@Jul 7th 2004 @ 8:01 PM
When I think of getting T-boned, I see the car getting hit right in the middle, at the doorpost that separates the front and rear doors. It seems to me this type of hit would push the car straight forward. But you were thrown into a 360, which kind of makes me think you were hit at least somewhat off-center. I'm guessing somewhere on the rear door.
At the risk of causing you to relive the horror of your HCH being crushed, is there anyway you can give us more specifics? Do you have access to the accident report? I'm wondering about speeds.
When I think of getting T-boned, I see the car getting hit right in the middle, at the doorpost that separates the front and rear doors. It seems to me this type of hit would push the car straight forward. But you were thrown into a 360, which kind of makes me think you were hit at least somewhat off-center. I'm guessing somewhere on the rear door.
At the risk of causing you to relive the horror of your HCH being crushed, is there anyway you can give us more specifics? Do you have access to the accident report? I'm wondering about speeds.
Without getting in the physics, you are correct in thinking that I was hit off-center. The primary impact wasn't on a rear door, tho, it was on my driver side door. More than that, I can't really say, since I don't have a copy of the accident report on hand. I can tell you, tho, that the speed limit on both of the streets involved is 35mph. Go figure, I don't know how fast Light Runner was going, I would just assume that she prolly did what most of us do when we are rushing to make it through a changing light - we step on the gas.
I know that I was no more than halfway thru the intersection, and with my poor driving techniques, I couldn't have been going more than 30 mph. In any case, I'll be talking to the insurance companies again this week, so I'll see if I can get copies of those reports, maybe scan them in. I'll do what I can!PLURR>
Bunnie
#16
07-07-2004, 08:03 PM
Take a pen and a book
Put the book on a table in front of you.
Ram the pen into the left side of the book, right in the center of the left side.
The book will move to the right without rotating.
Now ram the pen from left to right into the far left corner of the book.
Notice the book rotates?
Imagine the car is that book and visualize where the driver sits.
In the first case the driver's side airbag, which is behind the driver's left elbow, would help.
But when the pen (or a car running a red light) hits the front left corner, the side airbag behind the drivers ebow would serve no purpose.
Airbags can break your arm but save your life.
It is good that they deploy only when the lifesaving benefit outweighs the injury potential.
Put the book on a table in front of you.
Ram the pen into the left side of the book, right in the center of the left side.
The book will move to the right without rotating.
Now ram the pen from left to right into the far left corner of the book.
Notice the book rotates?
Imagine the car is that book and visualize where the driver sits.
In the first case the driver's side airbag, which is behind the driver's left elbow, would help.
But when the pen (or a car running a red light) hits the front left corner, the side airbag behind the drivers ebow would serve no purpose.
Airbags can break your arm but save your life.
It is good that they deploy only when the lifesaving benefit outweighs the injury potential.
#18
07-24-2004, 09:52 PM
I hate to tell everyone this, and you prolly won't believe it, but I got in ANOTHER accident this afternoon! I'm starting to think that me and HCH's are doomed...or at least I've got a little raincloud hanging over me and mine. 
This one was at another downtown Indy intersection, afternoon, and basically the oncoming driver "didn't see me there" and turned into me...and instead of hitting his brakes he hit the gas.
Just my luck, I guess. Again, no major injuries other than some bruising and a stiff neck...I dunno, tho. Can someone please convince me that my HCH isn't cursed and that I shouldn't sell? Also, could someone please tell me why the 2004 HCH only comes in 4 SERIOUSLY LIGHT (read: hard to see in the sunny-hazy glare of Indy) colors? ARGH!
-- A Frustrated Bunnie
This one was at another downtown Indy intersection, afternoon, and basically the oncoming driver "didn't see me there" and turned into me...and instead of hitting his brakes he hit the gas.
Just my luck, I guess. Again, no major injuries other than some bruising and a stiff neck...I dunno, tho. Can someone please convince me that my HCH isn't cursed and that I shouldn't sell? Also, could someone please tell me why the 2004 HCH only comes in 4 SERIOUSLY LIGHT (read: hard to see in the sunny-hazy glare of Indy) colors? ARGH!-- A Frustrated Bunnie
#20
07-25-2004, 06:54 PM
Ouch!!! :blink:
That is some seriously bad luck your cars are having. Thank goodness you are o.k..
I just saw my first HCH in white the other day. It seemed to stand out quite well.
How long will the car be in the shop this time. Or is it totalled?
That is some seriously bad luck your cars are having. Thank goodness you are o.k..
I just saw my first HCH in white the other day. It seemed to stand out quite well.
How long will the car be in the shop this time. Or is it totalled?
