<b>Built Ford tough!</b>

I got in my first real car accident today... I've actually only been driving a couple of years, before that I wasn't comfortable driving because my bad vision in one eye makes it almost impossible for me to accurately estimate distance. I took driver's education (the class, but my school didn't do the behind-the-wheel part) and there were a lot of "x00 feet from..." references in it that I didn't like! I then got a car to go to and from work (all 3 miles of it) and to and from food. The first time I got on the freeway was to drive to San Diego, that was fun! (That's the first time I talked to Andy on the phone.) So it's not like I've logged tens of thousands of driving hours. =P In that time, I've had two accidents- one alone, and one with Charles in the passenger's seat, both of them in my mom's car. Both happened in the same month, for the same reason: hydroplaning on the freeway. The first one was in broad daylight (3pm) on a freeway that was otherwise dry, but I caught a puddle I hadn't seen. The second one was at night on an interchange, shortly after it rained. Today I had my first "real" accident, by which I mean that there was more than one car involved. I dropped by the UPS store after work to fax something to the bank, then to Kmart to pick up some pictures (more on that later), then I was heading back southward on a major street to go pay the car insurance. We were all in the left lane of a two-lane (each way) street, due to an accident in the right lane. I have to admit, I did glance at it, when it was in my frontal field of vision. I promise, I didn't turn my head. Then the next thing I know, I see brake lights- now, we're all driving slow because we're merging and such because of the accident, but at about this time is when the right lane opens up. I had put my foot on the gas a little bit because we were going slightly up hill, but I wasn't gassing it when I saw the brake lights. Anyhow, I saw brake lights, I was still close because we were driving slow, there were no other brake lights or slowing before... then I remember thinking that this guy's not just slowing down, he's not moving. So I floor my brake at that point, and have enough time to realize that I don't have enough time to stop. I hit the guy in front of me at what feels from the driver's seat like a good impact, then the lady behind me hits me more lightly. I obviously gave her more time to brake than the guy in front gave me. The lady behind her was able to stop, but I think the person behind them wasn't. I stayed in the car, on the brakes, until I saw the guy in front of me open his door. I thought that if we could move, we should move out of the way, but since he couldn't move we were staying... not for too long, since the police department was already at that intersection for the other accident. They did three passes- first they asked if everyone was alright, then they went back again (end of the line forward) asking for our statements and letting us know that they'd need our paperwork (license, registration, insurance), then a final pass to collect the documents and ask our stories again. (At least they asked me again, but I was car #2, so maybe my story was more of interest than the others'.) My car's front bumper seemed just a bit worse for wear- there's something loose where the bumper actually meets the car in the front left corner, but I can be convinced that it was pre-existing. The guy in front of me lost tail lights and got pretty smashed up. My rear bumper dented the lady behind me. My car, rock solid. I have to admit, I like my 15-year-old car better today than I did yesterday. So far as I can piece together: #1 - Brand new (no license plate) Toyota customer shuttle van driven by Toyota representative. His boss came on scene not long after and spoke to me. He said something along the lines of "were you one of the ones that was pushed into him." Interesting wording, not sure what it means. The driver never spoke to me. When the owner (or manager at least) gave me his contact information, I had to specifically ask him to write down the name of the driver. He sustained the most damage and was towed away. (I didn't think to look at the front of his car until much later, after he'd been towed away.) #2 - Me, 91 Ford Explorer. My car shut down as soon as we made impact, possibly due to automatic gas cut off feature. It wouldn't start, so we had it towed. No visible damage. Even the TV in the back seat that busted down my folding back seat and slid right up to the passenger seat was undamaged. I have pain and expect bruising from my seat belt. The car is now at the tow place's yard, where the driver says the insurance companies come to check cars out. #3 - White minivan, possibly 90s. Driven by a female driver who said it was her first accident too. Her front bumper area was dented by my rear bumper, and her car wouldn't start. The tow truck that came for me jump started her. #4 - Small passenger car, most likely 00's model, dark color, driven by a young female. She stopped in time to not hit the white van, but I think someone else rear-ended her. #5 - Car driven by an older couple. I was confined to my car through most of this, and this was the first car to leave, so I never saw it. I do remember an older couple asking the officer some questions while he was walking up to me. That would also explain why car #4 didn't leave. #0? - I have a suspicion that there was a car 0, a blue-toned vehicle in front of the Toyota. Here's why- 1) I could have sworn I heard "six car" when two officers were talking to each other not far from my door. 2) The Toyota manager picked up something from the ground that was that color and said something about that being "it." 3) It sure would explain why he stopped so fast. 4) It would also explain why the police (and the owner of car #1) didn't focus on me as much as I expected, if I was the third car instead of the second car... So, yeah, the cops forgot to give me a report number, but I got it from the lady behind me. We shall see then if my hunch is correct. Apparently, they're considering it two different accidents- the three (or four) cars in front, and the two cars in back (the break being where the cars didn't touch). So I got the information from just those two people. I called the number on my insurance papers, but they said I need to call some other number, which is only open during business hours... on the east coast. (She made sure to add that, because it was 4:45 when I called.) We shall see... I doubt that the car needs major repairs, but you know how those insurance places can be. I'm very, very curious to see the police report. My husband left work as soon as I called him and came to see me. He glared at people who were slowing down to stare, that made them look away, it was kind of funny. Then we went down to the other car (parked at the corner gas station) and went to pay our car insurance bill. =P We're back down to one car until I get the Explorer back from whatever the insurance company does to it, but I'm gunna feel a little safer when I do have him back.