"Getsomepiggy" (getsomepiggy)
10/24/2014 at 16:29 • Filed to: Honda S2000, Crash, Accident
2
10|
"Getsomepiggy" (getsomepiggy)
10/24/2014 at 16:29 • Filed to: Honda S2000, Crash, Accident | 2
| 10 |
Hey guys. I had to write a paper for school about an event that changed or impacted my life in a significant way and decided my first car crash was a perfect topic. Since it was car-related I thought sharing it on Oppolock would be a good idea. Any feedback would be appreciated. Thanks! (: (I'd understand if I got any hate for what happened).
It was a chilly Spring evening as I finished playing soccer with my friends, Toichiro and Gage, at the newly-built soccer field in the small suburban community of Eastvale. Spring Break had just started and we were out enjoying the wonderful weather. The sky was a vivid pink as I started to walk back to my car, a Honda S2000. My parents had gotten it for me a year and a half ago, and I considered it one of my dream cars. Everything about it was perfect to me; a world-class roadster made by Honda and revered by car enthusiasts for its perfect 50/50 weight balance, quick handling, world-class manual transmission, and high-revving engine. The metallic baby blue paint wrapped around its chiseled and sleek body glistened under the evening sky. I said my goodbyes to Toichiro and Gage, got in, pressed in the clutch, started the car, and relished in the sound of the engine purring to life. I couldn't wait for the drive home.
I got out of the parking lot and made a right onto Citrus, a wide 4 lane street with 2 lanes on either side. I got into the independent right-hand turn lane to turn right onto Hamner, another wide 4 lane street. The arrow was green so I took the turn without braking and that's when I realized my mistake; I had entered the turn way too fast. I knew in theory, from reading online and learning about the fundamentals of car control, that when you commit to a turn you're never supposed to let up off the gas or else the weight of the car will shift forward causing you to spin out. Well I for sure didn't let off the throttle, but as I completed the turn I felt a floating sensation which meant that the car's tires were sliding and not gripping as they were supposed to. I panicked. The rear end of the car started to come around and I instinctively turned the wheel ¼ of the way to the left to try to countersteer but it wasn't enough; the back end continued to whip around. Now at this point in time I realized that a crash was inevitable since I made another mistake; I was looking at where the car was going and not where I wanted to go. I braced for impact. The back end continued to whip around until I was greeted by a violent jolt, a loud bang, and then silence.
Dust was everywhere.. I immediately jumped out of the car to assess the damage. I felt like I was in a dream. I kept saying "No, no, no" outloud to myself hoping it was but it wasn't. With both my hands on top of my head I frantically paced back and forth in front of the car to see what I personally had done. The car sat perpendicular to the curb and the back half of it was on the sidewalk and the front half of it was still on the street. The front bumper was torn off. The driver's side rear wheel looked like it was about ready to fall off. The 2 exhaust pipes were smashed up against the chainlink fence and the driver's side door had a huge dent in it. Realizing how there was no way out of this nightmare, I started crying and shaking uncontrollably.
I had noticed Toichiro was behind me and realized that he had heard the accident and turned around to see if I was okay. About a dozen of people stopped within the timespan of a few minutes to ask if I was hurt and some even stayed with me until my parents showed up. I reluctantly made the phone call to my Mom and with my voice trembling explained that I had gotten into an accident and my car was "messed up". She freaked out, asked me if I was okay, and said that she was on her way with my dad and sister. My Dad. At this point in time I was more concerned with how my Dad was going to react than the accident itself. I then called a family friend, (Name here), who lived in city and explained to him I had just gotten in a crash and didn't know what to do. He responded calmly and reassured me that he'd be at the crash site in a few minutes. A large, husky, and well-spoken African American man, (Name here) was the father of one of my friends, Lily. I had gotten close to him after I shadowed him for my Senior Project and also through our shared love for cars.
My parents, the local police, and paramedics finally showed up after what seemed like a century. By now it was dark and chilly and all I wanted to do was go home and curl up into a ball on my bed. My mom and sister rushed up and embraced me and we all started crying together. My dad on the other hand looked completely shocked and angry as he just walked up to me and told me how lucky I was to be alive. Harsh, but I deserved it. The paramedics and police officers asked me all sorts of questions,
"Were you drinking and driving?"
"Are you hurt right now?"
"Do you feel the need to go to the hospital right now?"
All of which I answered, "No" to.
A young Asian police officer came up to me and started asking me more questions and
writing down information for the police report. He looked like he was fresh out of the academy and had a friendly face.
"You messed up your S2K man!" he jokingly said trying to cheer me up.
"Yeah, tell me about it." I solemnly replied. I wasn't in the mood to joke around, but the officer just told me that I should be happy since I wasn't hurt. After all the police were done with me, Francis called Triple A to have the car towed back to his house since he lived in the city. I was so grateful for him and how much he helped me out considering that I had done nothing for him.
The next few days were horrible for me. My dad didn't seem to want to stop being angry with me. The insurance company deemed the car as a total loss and I wasn't going to be allowed to drive for what turned out to be 2 months. However, with time, everything slowly started going back to normal and I was allowed to drive again, albeit I was driving the family minivan. After the accident I vowed to become a safer and better driver. So far I've taken 1 car control and accident avoidance course over the summer and have plans to take many more in the near-future. I also plan to eventually exercise my knowledge in car control on weekends at the racetrack. Driving fast and recklessly on the streets will only end in a bad way, and I was lucky that I didn't hit any other cars or pedestrians. I learned my lesson and now treat cars with the utmost respect because if disrespected, they will bite back and show you who's really in control.
Pics before I crashed her. Sorry for no after pics! (Not that they'd be nice to look at anyways)
bob and john
> Getsomepiggy
10/24/2014 at 16:32 |
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Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again.
> Getsomepiggy
10/24/2014 at 16:35 |
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Your parents got you a S2k for a first car? Are you insane?
Ducky
> Getsomepiggy
10/24/2014 at 16:42 |
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aw man :( sorry to hear that, i've always wanted one myself... glad to hear you came out okay though. any plans to get a new one later?
Steve in Manhattan
> Getsomepiggy
10/24/2014 at 16:46 |
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Take out "well-spoken" - otherwise, fantastic.
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Getsomepiggy
> Sir_Stig: and toxic masculinity ruins the party again.
10/24/2014 at 16:47 |
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Haha it was technically my 2nd car, but yes maybe a little. I knew all about it and how dangerous it was and was planning to autocross it this past Summer, but my teenage-decision-making skills put an end to those plans.
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Getsomepiggy
> Ducky
10/24/2014 at 16:50 |
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It could have been worse but it wasn't so life goes on. I definitely plan to buy myself a mint one after college to autocross it & track, but I'm most likely going to pick up a Miata first to learn the basics and then move on to another S2K (What I should have done in the first place).
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Getsomepiggy
> Steve in Manhattan
10/24/2014 at 16:50 |
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I can see why that might cause some issues. Thanks!
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Steve in Manhattan
> Getsomepiggy
10/24/2014 at 16:52 |
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Yeah - Joe Biden had a similar problem in 2008 when running for President. Otherwise, good job. I used to write for a living, and you can't fault your sentence structure. You might want to make longer paragraphs into two, but otherwise you're on track for an A.
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Steve in Manhattan
> Getsomepiggy
10/24/2014 at 16:59 |
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Two more things - do a "which hunt" - look at where you use "which" and determine if "that" can replace it. Looks cleaner. Also, get the very book that I used to hurl at my editors - "Strunk and White: The Elements of Style." It will take you maybe two hours to read, and it will make your writing even better - the serial comma rule, the comma-splice error, subject-verb agreement - all is explained. Mostly, it can be summed up by saying use fewer, simpler words. You will thank me.
And don't use as many dashes as I do - it's annoying.
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Ducky
> Getsomepiggy
10/24/2014 at 22:20 |
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Haha, im there! In my last semester of my bachelor's driving an NA, as soon as im financially sound im paying too much money for someone's garage queen 04-05 sebring silver with red/black interior