Recovery gone wrong

"Just Jeepin'" (macintux)
01/24/2019 at 10:15 • Filed to: None

Since I find myself telling this story in comments every few months, decided it was time to make a post so I could just link here whenever the temptation strikes.

Moral of the story: don’t be stupid.

Pleasant photo of me and my Jeep because I’d rather the painful photo not be the only one in here.

Long version: Ambulance is speeding down a dark street near my house. Little old lady pulls over to let it by, and her right two wheels drop off the edge of the street, where a ditch lurks with no guardrail. Not just into the grass, but literally hanging off the road with nothing beneath them.

Naturally she’s stuck, but doesn’t realize it, and keeps racing her engine trying to pull out.

I drive by, hear the engine, stop to see if I can help. It seemed simple enough: pull her forward and left until the tires are back on the street. By some miracle she had her owner’s manual, but it turns out the only recovery point is, you guessed it, on the back right corner. The worst possible location.

At this point, I should have called her a tow truck and waited to make sure she got home safely, but somehow I had it in my mind that I had promised to pull her out, and I would.

Despite it being after dark, a few bystanders were watching, and I found a young man to volunteer to sit behind the wheel. I didn’t want her in the car: not only was she clearly not entirely clueful at this point, but pulling it from that rear corner guaranteed things would get hairy.

Unfortunately cars kept passing on this fairly narrow street, so I had to time my recklessness appropriately. Finally a window opened up and I started pulling her rear end around, so the poor guy was shortly facing about 45º down into the deep ditch. He was naturally a bit panicky and racing that engine pointlessly, but I kept pulling awkwardly backwards (again, narrow street) until the car was finally on the street again.

At which point, the front tires finally had something to do with all that power, and the car drove straight back into my left fender.

The guy got out, said something about the fact that everything was ok now, and hoofed it. I probably would have done the same at his age. Her bumper had a hole in it, but my fender and hood were both crumpled. Body shop time for me.

I was still able to drive to make sure she and her car go home safely, but as it turned out, she had let her insurance lapse. Fortunately I had uninsured driver coverage, and a few weeks later I had my beloved Wrangler back on the road.

Again, moral of the story: don’t be stupid. When you’re out of your depth, call in the professionals.

DISCUSSION (23)

Stapleface-Now Hyphenated! > Just Jeepin'
01/24/2019 at 10:26

Thing is, I’m not sure I’d call you stupid. You’ve done your good deed and were able to help her out. The guy in the car, on the other hand, was kind of dumb. He should have realized that he didn’t need to gun the engine the entire time. Just a little bit of gas would have gotten the car moving.

Honeybunchesofgoats > Just Jeepin'
01/24/2019 at 10:27

“ I started pulling her rear end around, so the poor guy was shortly facing about 45º down into the deep ditch.”

Kinja'd!!!

Props for being a Good Samaritan and taking the damage so well.

DutchieDC2R > Just Jeepin'
01/24/2019 at 10:35

I started to worry about the fate of the old lady there for a moment.

Good on you for doing the right thing. Who knows what wouldve happened if you drove on. Somehow I doubt anyone would’ve stopped to help her out if it werent for you being there.

CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever > Just Jeepin'
01/24/2019 at 10:38

You need a winch!!!

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > Just Jeepin'
01/24/2019 at 10:41

I don’t think you were stupid, i think the guy in the driver seat of the car was though. I mean, what do you think is gonna happen when it finally gets grip?!

Just Jeepin' > Honeybunchesofgoats
01/24/2019 at 10:54

I’m hindsight it occurs to me to wonder whether I should have just pulled it out without a driver.

Just Jeepin' > CarsofFortLangley - Oppo Forever
01/24/2019 at 11:03

Not sure I could have done it from a fixed point. Maybe. Not sure it would have changed the result.

vicali > Just Jeepin'
01/24/2019 at 12:11

Oof, Sometimes the most dangerous thing is the other driver. I laugh at the ‘tailgate meetings’ on some of the team overland videos but it does go a long way to make sure everyone know what they need to do. Getting someone to jump in seems like the best you could do in a lousy situation.

I’ve helped people out of snowbanks, and towed them out of snowy alleys - serious extractions need serious equipment, and I don’t want some stranger bashing (literally) my gear.

My willingness to help is multiplied by remoteness - I will help someone out of a bind when I’m the only one coming by that day, but on a busy street with traffic I’m less likely to be the rescue guy.

Urambo Tauro > Just Jeepin'
01/24/2019 at 12:56

I once tried to be a hero and get somebody’s van out of some soft wet grass. I figured she just wasn’t accelerating gently enough or rocking it back and forth the right way.

It did not go as I’d hoped.

MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s > Just Jeepin'
01/24/2019 at 13:15

It’s generally better to remove idiots from the equation...so yes.

Just Jeepin' > Urambo Tauro
01/24/2019 at 13:24

....?

Urambo Tauro > Just Jeepin'
01/24/2019 at 13:27

Oh, I wasn’t trying to tow or push it out. I just thought I had a better chance than she did of driving it out of that spot. But a ll I did was make it worse. It had to be yanked out of there with a tractor.

A man’s got to know his limitations...

AdamG8GXP > Just Jeepin'
01/24/2019 at 16:05

So, what are the tips to get it covered with insurance for future reference?

Asking for insurance before helping doesn’t seem to go far or their DL

Nauraushaun > Urambo Tauro
01/25/2019 at 07:09

Top dirty Harry quote. I got it

sn4cktimes > Just Jeepin'
11/09/2020 at 13:40

I helped a cop yank a truck out of a road construction hole once during a Calgary snowstorm in maybe 2010... It was fun. I just happened to have all sorts of recovery gear in my Wrangler from off-roading on the previous weekend. I u sed the cruiser as a pivot anchor with it tied off to a lamp post . Then attached a snatch-block to a parked backhoe, ran my winch-line through that, and used a full-sized tow strap between my Jeep and the truck . 4lo, in 1st with winch remote in hand just slowly inched the truck back onto the road using the winch and occasional gas input the help it . About halfway through the maneuver another cruiser showed up to block traffic. But at 2:30 am in a horrible snowstorm it wasn’t an issue. Maybe 3 cars drove by in the 45 min it took from start to finish.

The cop was okay with my helping as the truck driver wasn’t hurt, he already documented it with pictures, couldn’t get a tow truck for hours, didn’t want to close the 2 of the 4 lane divided road in both directions tying up officers , I was there, and the truck was a total write off so new recovery damage was not a concern.

Once it was out and the wheels were chocked, we unstrapped everything, put a much shorter tow strap on it and I yanked it, busted axles and all, off onto a quiet side road for later removal. The first c op rode in the truck to control the brakes as a safety .

Got a hot coffee from the second cruiser when she showed up. A few handshakes and a pat on the back when it was all done. Then was on my way home. Was so much better the n my afternoon at work that day.

EngineerWithTools > MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s
11/09/2020 at 13:43

2x this.

A friend plows a lot of snow, so tends to pull cars out of snow quite a lot. His #1 rule: No driving out. His logic is that the driver didn’t get any smarter in the short period of time between getting stuck and getting pulled out.

Just Jeepin' > sn4cktimes
11/09/2020 at 13:46

I tried to pull some massive SUV, maybe an Excursion, out of a mud/snow pit during a snowstorm. It was in the median of an interstate highway, the driver was military on her way to work at the local army base.

Unfortunately the front was buried up to the frame, and no combination of 4-low and lockers would let my LJ even budge it. I felt badly, but physics is a harsh mistress.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Just Jeepin'
11/09/2020 at 15:22

https://oppositelock.kinja.com/ts-lead-web-developer-soi-luong-available-for-your-qu-1845623614

Just Jeepin' > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com
11/09/2020 at 15:30

Thanks! I’m in the middle of a long response now.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Just Jeepin'
11/09/2020 at 15:34

Nice! Respond to him, not me.

Just Jeepin' > davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com
11/09/2020 at 15:35

I did.

davesaddiction @ opposite-lock.com > Just Jeepin'
11/09/2020 at 15:39

If they didn’t already know, they are going to learn very soon just how serious we are ! LOL

sn4cktimes > Just Jeepin'
11/09/2020 at 15:58

Mass is mass and friction is friction. Sometimes no amount of power can overcome the too much too little scenario. I’ve been there off-roading before and guys hafta stretch lines between them to get anchored to a tree. Physics always wins over good intentions for sure. If the backhoe wasn’t parked where it was the situation would have required a crane or semi-sized tractor to pull it out. I got lucky. Could’ve definitely burned out the winch on that one.