Question for the LEO's

[Tames D]

Rear ended at 60 mph, that's a helluva impact. Thank God your husband is ok. I would think he'd be in the hospital after that. What's he got a Guardian Angel in the car with him?

 

[Blotan Hunka]

I dont think that in an obvious case like that, that a ticket is really "Needed". The insurance company can determine fault fairly quickly without it. If it was a complicated crash, a ticket could probably help the ins. co. sort out who was at fault.

 

[Brian R. VanCise]

Rear ended at 60 mph, that's a helluva impact. Thank God your husband is ok. I would think he'd be in the hospital after that. What's he got a Guardian Angel in the car with him?

That is truly what is important!

 

[Empty Hands]

Rear ended at 60 mph, that's a helluva impact. Thank God your husband is ok. I would think he'd be in the hospital after that. What's he got a Guardian Angel in the car with him?

Rear-ended at 30 MPH - the OP stated that her husband slowed to 30, he wasn't at a stand-still. Still nasty, of course.

 

[Carol]

It doesn't take that much to total a car with todays crumple zones. Keep in mind, cars are basically made to be destroyed in a wreck so the impact goes in to the cars instead of the people. My x-bf totalled his Honda Accord backing in to a telephone pole.

Also when a smaller vehicle hits a larger vehicle, that does a helluva lot of damage. I hit an SUV larger than mine and my speed at time of impact was 10-15 miles an hour, yet the insurance company assessed the damage at 3K.

So glad hubby is OK Jade! *hugs* That must have been frightening!

 

[Cryozombie]

Pam, when that happened to me, (probably on the same expressway) the ticket WAS issued, and it was failure to reduce speed to aviod an accident, and following too closely.
​

 

[Cryozombie]

Oh, and at least he wasn't in your car...


​

 

[Carol]

Oh, and at least he wasn't in your car...


​

AMEN!!! Glad the hubby AND the Stang are OK!!

 

[Jade Tigress]

Pam, when that happened to me, (probably on the same expressway) the ticket WAS issued, and it was failure to reduce speed to aviod an accident, and following too closely.
​

Yep, probably was the same expressway (90). Traffic is ridiculous, AND with open road tolling. I don't get it.

Oh, and at least he wasn't in your car...

Damn straight! I would have been the one causing injury instead of the accident! lol

It doesn't take that much to total a car with todays crumple zones. Keep in mind, cars are basically made to be destroyed in a wreck so the impact goes in to the cars instead of the people. My x-bf totalled his Honda Accord backing in to a telephone pole.

Also when a smaller vehicle hits a larger vehicle, that does a helluva lot of damage. I hit an SUV larger than mine and my speed at time of impact was 10-15 miles an hour, yet the insurance company assessed the damage at 3K.

So glad hubby is OK Jade! *hugs* That must have been frightening!

Good point. The woman was driving a VW Passat and hubby a Blazer. Surprisingly, my husband feels fine. He's not even sore, even though the impact sent the glasses on his head flying off. Apparently, according to the insurance company, the other driver went to the hospital. Here's the thing...her passenger side airbag deployed, but the drivers side didn't. Hmmm. A little problem for VW don't ya think?

 

[exile]

Good point. The woman was driving a VW Passat and hubby a Blazer. Surprisingly, my husband feels fine. He's not even sore, even though the impact sent the glasses on his head flying off.

Chalk part of it up to the considerable mass difference between the two vehicles—your husband had the good fortune to be in the bigger, heavier one. I'd guess his padded headrest transmitted enough force to knock his glasses off but damped down the shock enough to prevent major whiplash.

Apparently, according to the insurance company, the other driver went to the hospital. Here's the thing...her passenger side airbag deployed, but the drivers side didn't. Hmmm. A little problem for VW don't ya think?

I've been told that Volkswagon engineering isn't what it once was (or at least what people think it used to be). But that sounds like a major, major screwup. Look out for a possible VW recall sometime in the nearish future...

 

[Jade Tigress]

Look out for a possible VW recall sometime in the nearish future...

Yep. That's what I'm thinkin.

 

[Carol]

Good point. The woman was driving a VW Passat and hubby a Blazer. Surprisingly, my husband feels fine. He's not even sore, even though the impact sent the glasses on his head flying off. Apparently, according to the insurance company, the other driver went to the hospital. Here's the thing...her passenger side airbag deployed, but the drivers side didn't. Hmmm. A little problem for VW don't ya think?

It may be but it also may not be. It actually sounds like she was trying to steer slightly to the right (to avoid hitting your hubby) and thus she did hit hubby square in the back and instead hit him on a an angle, damaging the drivers side. She may have had a bad front sensor for the airbags but it may have also been that the front sensor was just under the deployment threshold and the side sensor was not.

Glad hubby isn't sore! My back was a little stiff from my impact even though I wasn't going very fast. I hit the BMW on an angle as well. I suspect had I hit her square on I wouldn't have been feeling as much pain.

Sooooo glad hubby is OK (((((hugs)))))) and I wish the lady a speedy recovery too. Glad she hasn't caused you too much trouble. Accidents do happen.

 

[Jade Tigress]

Sooooo glad hubby is OK (((((hugs)))))) and I wish the lady a speedy recovery too. Glad she hasn't caused you too much trouble. Accidents do happen.

Thanks Carol, and I wish her a speedy recovery too. It hasn't been too much trouble, an inconveniece mostly. Accidents do happen, that's for sure. What can ya do?

 

[redfang]

In NC where i work, the appropriate charge is GS 20-141(m), failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident. For me if an accident is reportable (more than $1000 damage or a personal injury is involved.) I typically cite if appropriate. Sometimes I won't for various reasons. Some officers I know don't like to because they have had crash related charges thrown out too often in court. I have not had that occur, tho I had someone challenge a citation because I had not seen them actually driving. The DA's had not subpoena'd the witnesses and so I had to testify to what I could reasonably infer from what I observed and what I was told. I won, but you get the jist.

As to getting the insurance to take care of damages, it makes absolutely no difference if a citation is issued, though the crash report has a place to list any citations issued.

 

[jks9199]

Yep, probably was the same expressway (90). Traffic is ridiculous, AND with open road tolling. I don't get it.



Damn straight! I would have been the one causing injury instead of the accident! lol



Good point. The woman was driving a VW Passat and hubby a Blazer. Surprisingly, my husband feels fine. He's not even sore, even though the impact sent the glasses on his head flying off. Apparently, according to the insurance company, the other driver went to the hospital. Here's the thing...her passenger side airbag deployed, but the drivers side didn't. Hmmm. A little problem for VW don't ya think?

Not necessarily...

Airbags today are smarter than the drivers. In an impact as described, I wouldn't particularly expect for any airbag deployment at all; when they first came out we were seeing people hurt worse by the airbag than the crash!

Depending on the age of the VW, what I'd wonder more about is WHY the passenger side went off without a passenger... Most newer cars won't trigger the airbag unless there's a passenger.

I'm glad your husband wasn't injured. If the woman was transported, that might be one reason she wasn't cited at the scene; I seldom issued a traffic ticket to someone sitting in an ambulance. We can take care of that stuff later... As to going to the hospital at all, a lot of the time, people just do that because they're sore. They think that the insurance companies won't cover it unless they go to the hospital. (Actually, it depends on the insurance company and specific details.) And there are some situations now where the medics will transport, no matter what, because we've learned of "invisible" injuries that don't show up till you're dead -- like an aortic dissection caused by hitting the steering wheel.

 

[exile]

Sooooo glad hubby is OK (((((hugs)))))) and I wish the lady a speedy recovery too. Glad she hasn't caused you too much trouble. Accidents do happen.

Amen to that, Pam, and let's hope that this accident used up you guys' quota of rotten luck for at least another year, eh?

 

[Jade Tigress]

Not necessarily...

Airbags today are smarter than the drivers. In an impact as described, I wouldn't particularly expect for any airbag deployment at all; when they first came out we were seeing people hurt worse by the airbag than the crash!

Depending on the age of the VW, what I'd wonder more about is WHY the passenger side went off without a passenger... Most newer cars won't trigger the airbag unless there's a passenger.

I'm glad your husband wasn't injured. If the woman was transported, that might be one reason she wasn't cited at the scene; I seldom issued a traffic ticket to someone sitting in an ambulance. We can take care of that stuff later... As to going to the hospital at all, a lot of the time, people just do that because they're sore. They think that the insurance companies won't cover it unless they go to the hospital. (Actually, it depends on the insurance company and specific details.) And there are some situations now where the medics will transport, no matter what, because we've learned of "invisible" injuries that don't show up till you're dead -- like an aortic dissection caused by hitting the steering wheel.

Thanks. That's interesting info about the airbags. As far as the woman being *in the hospital* , she was fine at the scene. She drove herself to the hospital the following day. As far as I know she is fine.

Amen to that, Pam, and let's hope that this accident used up you guys' quota of rotten luck for at least another year, eh?

Let's hope so!

 

[jks9199]

Thanks. That's interesting info about the airbags. As far as the woman being *in the hospital* , she was fine at the scene. She drove herself to the hospital the following day. As far as I know she is fine.



Let's hope so!

It's not at all uncommon for someone to feel fine at the scene of a crash, and then decide later to go to the doctor/hospital. Sometimes, it's just the adrenaline and shock, and the soreness and discomfort or awareness of the injuries hits later. Sometimes they can't be bothered, even though it might be a good idea. Or, someone gets home and a concerned spouse/partner/roommate/etc. urges them to go "get checked out!"

 

[Jade Tigress]

It's not at all uncommon for someone to feel fine at the scene of a crash, and then decide later to go to the doctor/hospital. Sometimes, it's just the adrenaline and shock, and the soreness and discomfort or awareness of the injuries hits later. Sometimes they can't be bothered, even though it might be a good idea. Or, someone gets home and a concerned spouse/partner/roommate/etc. urges them to go "get checked out!"

I agree. I thought for sure my husband was going to be sore as hell the next morning. I'm quite surprised he wasn't. I just commented because injury wouldn't have been an indicator for the topic we're discussing.

 

[michaeledward]

In NC where i work, the appropriate charge is GS 20-141(m), failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident. For me if an accident is reportable (more than $1000 damage or a personal injury is involved.) I typically cite if appropriate.

Thank you.