Starting the day on a somber note...

"Bourbon&JellyBeans" (bourbonandjellybeans)
04/19/2016 at 07:16 • Filed to: None

This accident occurred in my hometown. Single car accident in which the Mercedes was speeding, lost control, and slid into a tree. The car impacted the tree just ahead of the front door and the whole front end, steering wheel and all, came loose from the rest of the car.

Amazingly, none of the three people in the car received life-threatening injuries and all are still with us to tell the tale.

Had the occupants not been wearing seat belts, I am sure that the end of this story wouldn’t have been even half as happy. In fact, maybe the car breaking apart helped to dissipate some of the energy of the crash. I guess the alternative would have been the whole thing wrapping cleanly around a tree, which would have probably crushed at least part of the cabin.

DISCUSSION (23)

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > Bourbon&JellyBeans
04/19/2016 at 07:18

Part of me wants to think that the old school Mercedes engineers thought of this scenario, but part of me also wants to assume that a Mustang was somehow involved.

Bourbon&JellyBeans > SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie
04/19/2016 at 07:20

Shhhhhhhh, bro you’re gonna blow my cover.

Berang > Bourbon&JellyBeans
04/19/2016 at 07:21

That moment when the steering wheel gets ripped out of one’s hands and the dashboard disappears, is the moment a man craps his pants.

Who thinks the car will show up on craigslist needing minor work, but plenty already invested?

Echo51 > Bourbon&JellyBeans
04/19/2016 at 07:29

But if you rebuild it now, it’ll have used up it’s crash quota and be the safest car ever! ....Atleast that’s what i tell myself from having bought and rebuilt a car that’s suffered front and rear end damage in different accidents...

vondon302 > Bourbon&JellyBeans
04/19/2016 at 07:30

That’s a hell of a hit. Glad everyone survived.

Bourbon&JellyBeans > Berang
04/19/2016 at 07:33

“Miner front end damage. Graet fixer upper. Bring 2 trailers.”

E92M3 > Bourbon&JellyBeans
04/19/2016 at 07:34

Woah! I can’t believe the driver, and front passenger survived.

OPPOsaurus WRX > Bourbon&JellyBeans
04/19/2016 at 07:45

looking at those pics, i’m think your a d-bag for a post like that first thing in the morning but holy crap they lived. sliding thru the woods as the new front end of the car must have been one hell of an experience. I cant believe he didnt hit a tree too

SnapUndersteer, Italian Spiderman > SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie
04/19/2016 at 07:47

No they didn’t. But the Lambo engineers on the Aventador definitely did though

Sam > Bourbon&JellyBeans
04/19/2016 at 07:55

W123s (at least I'm pretty sure that is what this used to be) are surprisingly safe, given how old the design is. My brother was in a head on with each car going about 45mph and was pretty much completely fine. The people in the nearly new Ford Focus he was hit by actually ended up with more injuries, because the passenger wasn’t wearing a seat belt.

LongbowMkII > Bourbon&JellyBeans
04/19/2016 at 08:01

Trees are serious business.

At first I thought, “how do you rip a W123 in half?” Then, “how do you get a w123 fast enough to tip in half?”

yitznewton > Sam
04/19/2016 at 08:08

90 mph closing speed with no belt? Damn.

yitznewton > Bourbon&JellyBeans
04/19/2016 at 08:09

Jeez, lucky the seats and all belt mount points stayed in the same half!

Bourbon&JellyBeans > OPPOsaurus WRX
04/19/2016 at 08:17

Hitting another tree after the initial impact probably would have been the end of the line for them. Can you imagine the noise? Like how loud is an accident normally? And then add the sound of the car tearing in two and then your half sliding through the woods with no barrier between you and everything in the direction of travel? Probably the scariest ride anyone can take in a car. I probably wouldn’t have posted this if there were fatalities, gotta have a good ending at least. :)

Bourbon&JellyBeans > Bourbon&JellyBeans
04/19/2016 at 08:21

Here’s a quote regarding the accident from the local FD’s Facebook page:

“Rescue Squad 7 and Ambulance 78 just cleared this single vehicle accident on Hawthorne Rd. The vehicle struck a tree and split in half. All three occupants are being transported to the hospital with none [sic] life threatening injuries.”

Bourbon&JellyBeans > yitznewton
04/19/2016 at 08:22

For sure. Had to be one helluva show for the occupants in the front seats.

spanfucker retire bitch > Sam
04/19/2016 at 08:24

Those idiots in the Ford are lucky to be alive, modern construction and airbags be damned. If you aren’t wearing a seatbelt you’re basically the luckiest fuck in the world to surive any accident in excess of 15mph.

Jonathan Harper > Bourbon&JellyBeans
04/19/2016 at 08:45

The noise is what I remember from accidents, it’s terrifying.

Die-Trying > Berang
04/19/2016 at 09:01

there was the problem, guy wasnt holding on tight enough..... everyone knows thats all that keeps them together in an accident.....

salvage title anybody?? no lowballers i know what i got!

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > Bourbon&JellyBeans
04/19/2016 at 09:40

If there was ever a case of “It’s not your time” this might be it.

Wow.

fintail > Bourbon&JellyBeans
04/19/2016 at 10:00

Looks like a pre-1986 W126, maybe even pre-85 as IIRC, most 85(US spec) models got an airbag, and that doesn’t appear to be an airbag steering wheel. Good testament to the engineering of those cars, as who knows what might have naturally decayed in the intervening 30 years.

Reminds me of this ad:

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > Bourbon&JellyBeans
04/19/2016 at 10:20

Until you said they lived I could’ve sworn I saw blood spatter on the trees. Now I’m thinking it’s just a trick of the light. Either way, wow. Glad they’re all going to be ok.

Bourbon&JellyBeans > AMGtech - now with more recalls!
04/19/2016 at 13:36

I see what you’re talking about. Yeah, definitely looks like the lighting. Looks like a spotlight may be shining on those trees, causing the contrast to be a little weird.