thursday evening, anticipating a relaxing fourth of july weekend vacation, i set out for western pennsylvania. though i am starting a relatively long drive late in the day (or early in the evening), i am alert, excited and prepared for the journey.
a mere 50minutes into the drive, still on two-lane highway, i am following a mid-sized pickup through a green-lit intersection. this pickup proceeds to stop after crossing the intersection and is awaiting a left-hand turn into a gas station.
i, of course, stop (an ample distance) behind this truck.
moments later, BAM-cuh-RUNCH!
my trusty white (somewhat rusty) toyota pickup is slammed from behind.
luckily, i did not slide into the truck in front of me. pulling off the road and onto the shoulder, i get out and peruse the situation. yes, the rear end of old whitey is bent, rumpled, twisted, and downright knackered. the vehicle that impacted mine was a newish metallic green ford F250. its grill and front-end were pushed in and bits of plastic were now laying in my deformed truck bed.
admittedly i was in a bit of a daze, and the woman who got out of the offending vehicle was overly apologetic, crying, and guilt ridden. ”I knew something like this was going to happen.” she was evidently a nurse whose grandfather was quite ill and her mind was elsewhere while driving.
the state policeman was on the scene almost immediately and took both our information to complete his report.
to stay sane while the distraught woman had a shouting match with her husband on the state trooper’s cell phone, i started removing my bumper’s ball hitch and tailgate because they appeared dangerously low to the ground and i was preparing to finish (restart) my trip to PA.
everything would have been fine, but with all the drama and my own disorientation, i forgot to get the woman’s information. (any of it). the trooper had handed me a lengthy form to fill out (my side of the story to send to the DMV) and a shorter one that had to do with obtaining a copy of the police report and i later realized that i didn’t have enought info to adequately complete the first within the required 10 days. (the police report could take up to 14 days to recieve, but i could get a misdemeanor for not sending the DMV form in 10).
i am completely enamored with the regulations surrounding motor vehicles.
whitey is still running like a champ, even with a rumpled rear-end.
at very least, everyone drove away with no bodily injuries.