Friggin' drivers trying to merge.....

I was on the way home from work today and was two exits from mine. I commute 28 miles each direction so I had already gone about 26 1/2 miles. Traffic was very heavy on highway 820 east leaving Fort Worth and was bumper to bumper going only about 5 mph. It had been this way since passing I-35 about three miles back. I am in the left hand lane and moving along slowly when I see this blue Altima coming down the onramp at a good speed. As he came up beside me he began to try to move me over. I was watching him as he neared my passenger side when the Chevy Trailblazer in front of me decided to stop. I hit the rear of the trailblazer and impaled my front end on the trailer hitch of the Trailblazer.

The bumper of the Trailblazer had a one inch gouge in it but the front of our Grand Caravan was heavily damaged. Bumper, hood, both front fenders, both headlights, turn signals all have to be replaced. The radiator, which I bought new just a month ago is ruined. Now, I am at fault because the Altima went on past the two of us and pulled into our lane and kept going. I guess I should have just put the right front fender of the van into his driver door as he tried to bully his way in. At least I would have the satisfaction of retaliating against an idiot trying to force his way through traffic. Grrrrrr,,,,idiot drivers...

They say that the van may actually be totalled. And this at about 5 mph. DO NOT have a wreck in a Chrysler product. It is made of aluminum foil.......

 

Sorry dude. I was not tailgating. We were only traveling about 5 mph. The guy in the Altima came down the onramp way too fast. I was not trying to block him as I normally hold off and let impatient people in. I always adhere to the 1 to 1 pattern that you speak of. However this guy way about two inches from my passenger side door. I had my foot off the fuel, coasting and began to apply it just as I made contact with the car in front of me. I guess someone about to make contact with your car would not distract you. I am glad you can stay so focused. This is the first accident I have had in the past 23 years and only the third in my 46 years of driving. It is also the first that is unquestionably my fault. I rearended the car in front of me when they stopped suddenly and I was distracted. It is indeed my fault but I was not trying to keep the guy in Altima from cutting me off. I am not asking for your sympathy.

Apparently you did not read the whole first post. I was not even in the merge or right hand lane. I was in the left lane and the Altima had to come through the merge lane to get into the lane I was in. He did not merge into the merge lane but sailed on across it into our lane. Maybe he did not see me in that lane. I do not know.

If you do not drive in the Metroplex of Dallas/Fort Worth you do not know that if you leave the legal distance between you and the car in front of you, you will be cut off by three cars leaving just inches between their rear bumpers and your front bumper. I was about two car lengths behind the Trailblazer at about 5 mph. If I had not been distracted and took my eyes off the car in front I could have easily stopped in that distance. I guess the guy in the Altima assumed that he could shoot through both lanes and get into the two lengths in front of me. I do not know. I have driven enough race cars in different situations to have pretty good reflexes but this was a different type of situation.

As far as being a "bully". Thank you for your judgment of me when you know nothing about me and my attitudes and personality. I think those on here who know me know that I am about as non-confrontational a person as there is. You were not there and you did not even complete reading the whole first post. You have little to make a personal judgment on.

Hot-headed I am not. And I do not hold grudges. That is for others.

Within one hour of the time the accident happened my insurance company had contacted the other person and the body shop where I had my car towed to had also contacted her. I told her at the accident scene that I was totally at fault and would accept the blame. Like I said, her bumper received very little in the way of damage and no body panel was even touched.

With that, I end my response to you.....

 

I was watching exactly where I was going until my peripheral vision caught the other guy coming into my lane. I had seen him half way up the onramp but mistakedly assumed he would merge into the right hand lane, not cross through the lane and attempt to come into the left hand lane. It all happened in a fraction of time. Like I said, I was already coasting with my foot off the accelerator. I glanced away for just a second to see what was happening and jerked the wheel to the left. In that fraction, the car in front stopped. After I made impact with the Trailblazer we might have moved forward three feet. Very low speed impact. I am sure the car crumpled like it should have to absorb the impact but it surprised me to see how slow an impact it take to really deform the body panels. The whole front is not crumpled. The bumper is bent pretty well, the hood is slightly buckled and the fenders bow out slightly.

The only reason it might be totaled is because it is a 1997 model with over 200k miles on it. The cost of replacing the panels that are bent and the radiator will probably cost more than the current value of the vehicle. I am told the value of the vehicle is approximately $4k so it will not take much in repair costs to outrun the value of the car.

When I say the Altima passed the two of us and kept going I mean that he swerved back to the right cutting off the car who had just let him in, accelerated and cut back in front of the Trailblazer as we were making contact. He almost rearended the car the Trailblazer had stopped for. The last I saw of him, he was going in and out of traffic with no signals and allowing just inches of clearance between cars.

I have already admitted it was my fault entirely. I rearended someone. My bad. However, I would not have done it if the Altima had not sped into traffic and began attempting to weave in and out and distracted me. I am a safe driver and watch traffic. It appears to me that you are attempting to say to me that if you were in the same position you would never make contact with another vehicle. I am really glad you are a perfect driver. I am sure your record reflects the fact that you would never be involved in an accident. Does being perfect help your insurance rates? I am not perfect and can make mistakes. I admit I made this one. I am glad the occupants of the other vehicle were not injured.

By the way, the driver of the other car saw the Altima cutting in between her and the car in front of her also. Her story matches mine. She does not know how the Altima missed her and the car in front of her. I resent the fact that you say I am embellishing the facts. A witness to the incident related the story to the officer who came to investigate and related something very similar. He almost hit me from the rear.

End of story..........

 

Thanks,

I needed the popcorn to finish out this mini-drama.

Guys, I did not start this thread to try to stir something up or forgive myself of any blame. I just wanted to say that the way some people enter the roadway with no regard for anyone else really tees me off. I really was paying attention to what was going on in front of me except for the one second, well maybe two second, distraction to glance over to see where the Altima driver was going. I had been following the Trailblazer for 20 minutes and none of us were making much progress in a forward motion. It was just a strange coincidence that the Trailblazer would brake and come to a complete stop just as I glanced away. Being in the left hand lane and not the merge lane, like I said, I falsely assumed the Altima would merge into the right hand lane. Which, of course, he did not do. To see him in my peripheral vision suddenly coming very close to the passenger side of the car startled me and I reacted by looking over to see what was happening. I am the first to drop back and let others in when they enter the right hand lane. Others do it for me and I return the favor. If he had entered the right lane and then put on his turn signal to let me know he wanted in my lane I would have given it up and let him in. None of us were going anywhere anyway. And I was about to move into the right hand lane myself because mine was the next exit. That is why I had lifted off the accelerator and coasted. I was going to drop in behind the car in the right hand.

So, one more time. This thing was totally my fault and I accept that. What is so silly is that everything was really happening in slow motion. I do not blame the Altima for the accident, just causing the distraction. I think that it could happen to anyone given the same circumstances. I did my part and set up all the contacts between the driver of the other vehicle and my insurance company and the body shop doing my work. I told her that I am completely at fault and also told her insurance company that I was at fault also. They did not have to do an investigation to decide that I screwed up. Her insurance company told me that they are closing the file on this one and will let my insurance company handle it all. Of course, that is the way it should be. I am at fault on this one.

So now, do you have any diet Coke to go with the popcorn? I hope you enjoyed the show..................

Oh, my autographs go for $25. How many do you want?

 

Yeah, the first thread was shortly after it happened and I guess I left out some of the details that completely changed the character of the incident.

We could probably work something out. I mean, it will probably be worth at least a quarter in a few years.......

 

My thoughts on all this.........
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Merge, merge, what is that????? I agree......