Accidents Will Happen

Before I could honk my horn, our car was plowed into the driver's side in a most violent way. I must say that the first thing that I thought of was not Elvis Costello's song, "Accidents Will Happen." I totally lost my composure and I was jolted very badly and already was hurting. 

Sometimes you don't have a clue as to why another driver does what "stupid things they do when behind a two ton machine." People do crazy things, either because they may be distracted or just plain not thinking. It has really taken me 6 days to let it go and get some of my kind of therapy for my feelings which is writing about what happened and my emotions.

Starting from the beginning, my husband and I decided to leave a little early to pick up our dogs from Doggie Day Care. It was a beautiful day and on the way in to where our furbabies were we passed by an early voting location. So off we went to happily do our civic duty. We were on a usual route where nothing majorly happens, except today. I was going to make a left turn in to a side street, had my blinker light on while waiting for on-coming traffic to clear for me to turn. There was a car at the stop sign to my left waiting for traffic to clear also. Once there was a clear spot to turn, I began to make my turn and this car at the stop sign accelerated with great speed to turn left, except I was right in front of her. I can only assume that she was watching for the traffic to clear out and somehow our car was not in her thought process. Whatever...this is what was next -

She rolled down her window to ask if we were ok. All I could do was shake my head no. Steve got out of the car to determine damages and injuries. The woman who hit us was ok. Actually her car did not look to be majorly damaged. Her's was driveable, at least. Ours was not by what the warning signs were on the dash. The back door was smashed in on to the tire, thus causing it to not be safe to drive. 

Steve called 911 to get police to the scene. We waited and waited and waited. Being a former UK police officer, his job skills took over. He had to direct traffic around us. We did not want to move the cars until the police arrived which happened to be an hour later. First of all a Sheriff arrived. He just happened by and saw what was going on and stopped but he told us that he had no jurisdiction. About 10 minutes later, a Memphis Police Car arrived. 

The officer was able to get the information from us and take pictures before moving us out of the way of traffic. Our car was able to go in slow motion to follow him around the bend about 400 ft. 

While the wait, I was able to call our insurance company and spoke with a very professional agent. She took the information down, sent a tow truck out and called for a rental car to come to us. Everything she told us was not exactly how it happened. Yes, the tow truck came, however, there is a regulation in place with the Memphis Police Department. No one can call their own tow truck. The car must be towed by their preferred tow company. And since learning that, I have become aware that they have a list of companies to call and what order to call them in. I call that PROFITING. 

When the ambulance did arrive, both of us, the other driver and me, did not believe that we needed to be taken to the hospital. I was pretty sure that she did not. I was 95 % sure that I did not. I was just sore. I had broken ribs before and I know that was not the case this time. I know that I did not have whip lash. So we had to decide who needed what. Being about a week now, I know that I made the right decision. No ER trip.

Our tow truck came first. The Police Officer shooed him away. So now we waited for the "official" tow truck. This would be the one who had to tow it to a bad part of town. We thought we took what was necessary from the car. Our garage door opener and the key to the house. However, this scumbag of a company stole our Auto Alexa and the IPhone charger from the car. And yes, we take blame for not getting it out. In the kind of mind frame that we were in, we were not thinking of everything. At least we got what was the most important. The other things just bother us that someone is that dishonest, yes we were naive to not take it all out, but we were in shock. They did not take the Ipod. Guess that is old school. Why bother?

So now we are out that amount because we can't prove a ding dang thing of it was there in our car and now it isn't.

Moving back to the accident at this stage, just as the insurance agent said, an Enterprise driver arrived with our car. He had to take Steve to the location and he could come back to get me. The police officer assured Steve that I would not be left here on my own waiting on him to return in the car to get me.  

While waiting for Steve, the ambulance arrived that the police highly advised to call. They did have a sense of humor. After seeing that I did not have a head injury and seemed just sore, they had me sign off, as well as the woman who hit me, sign off, that we did not need their services.

This is when Steve pulled up with the rental car. Too funny, about this. Steve arrived to get me in a Pick up truck. No step to get up into it. And I was truly hurting at this stage. I managed, and he managed to navigate a pick up truck home.

Now things get very interesting. I spoke to another insurance agent who told me totally different directions to follow. He said that I needed to call the place that our car was sent to by the police to see if we needed to go over to sign a waiver. And of course, yes we did. So, the following day, we had directions to a very bad part of town, depressing, really... and oh yes, they had our car and I signed the papers to give permission for our insurance company to send their tow truck over to get it. I was told that they would make that call. NO! This tow company told us that they did not. It was up to us.

So, we got home and called the insurance company again. They said they would take care of it. Giving them a full day, I called the Caliber Collision place it was to be towed to and they did not have the damn car. Now, back to our insurance company. I did get someone who meant business. He got someone from the dispatch section and she saw where I called early and who spoke to me but that she had not followed through. She was gone for the day. Oh, too bad! So sad!

Now, we had to wait till the next day. We did. And at last it was towed to Caliber Collision to be appraised. I waited till they had it and called. They said to come out and we would go over it and sign off for the appraisal to be done. 

When we got there, they took us out and that is when we noticed the Alexa Amazon Car Unit was gone as was the charger for the IPhone. This was an outstanding company. They did not take it. It was through the dang police company tow unit that was the problem.

So all in all, this was a "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang" experience. All I can say is that we are hoping it all turns out to be ok. Totaled? Can be fixed? Yet to be determined.