On Mon, 21 Nov 2005 02:06:47 GMT, "Jay Honeck"
wrote:

When a GMC Jimmy shot out in front of me, I only left about 12 feet of
skid marks. As his roof line disappeared over the top of my windshield
I had a sad feeling and asked if this is all there was going to be,
followed by, Oh, ****, I'll bet this is gonna hurt!. There was a loud
bang (the air bags) then nothing. The next thing was the feeling of
the car spinning and coming to a stop. I couldn't see a thing due to
the dust from the air bags. I wasn't hurt, but I don't think a 6-pack
on an empty stomach could make me that punchy.
I wasn't even sore the next day.

Ah, modern technology.

You bet! That powder from the air bags sure does burn, but T-boning
that Jimmy at highway speed sure made a believer out of me. What I
can't figure out, is how I made it through two solid lanes of oncoming
traffic. I know I was looking and I couldn't find a spot to go left
although good as it was I don't think that TransAm could have turned
that quick.

It put the firewall right back against the bottom of the dash and the
right front wheel was back into the firewall which was back into the
dash.

I am glad I don't wrap my thumbs around the steering wheel. I had
wrapped it right up against the steering column on both sides and
although not sore the insides of both forearms had a series of little
purple spots from skidding over the wheel.

We got the kid out of the SUV and onto the lawn in front of the bank.
The suv was parked in the left turn lane pointed east (5 lane highway
including the left turn lane). Right after we got him out two more
cars hit it. One spun CW and the other CCW. One poor lone car coming
east went right between them without a scratch. The one ended up
backwards in the parking lot driveway where the SUV had emerged. The
other... He took quite a ride. That parking lot is about 10 to 12
feet below the highway. He shot straight out over the parking lot
from the junction of the drive and highway at probably 60 MPH or
faster. I don't know what his suspension was like afterwards. It
certainly had to have been a cleaner when he left that parking lot
compared to when he landed.


In 1975 I had the misfortune of being an un-belted front-seat passenger in a
'72 Dodge Dart (all sharp metal dashboard and pointy things inside) that
went from 40 to zero in about 10 feet. (The oak tree did NOT move.)

Those Oak trees sure are stubborn, but then again Oak is a hard wood.

I had one of the Dodge Shelby's It was the worst car to work on I ever
owned. Everything in the engine compartment was sharp, or long and
pointed.


No air bag to save me -- just a really hard head. I busted the windshield

The impact blew the windshield right out of the TA.

with it, hit my neck on the sharp metal-and-plastic dashboard, and -- other
than not being able to swallow for a while, and bleeding like a stuck pig --
I walked away unscathed.

You must have healed up rather well.


I figure I've been on borrowed time since then.

Or living in an alternate reality. Some times I wonder.

Roger Halstead (K8RI & ARRL life member)
(N833R, S# CD-2 Worlds oldest Debonair)
www.rogerhalstead.com

:-)