2015 Durango Totalled - no injuries

"MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner" (montegoman562) 01/03/2018 at 11:25 • Filed to: DRUNK DRIVER, ACCIDENTS, TOTOLED

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So we flew to visit my parents in SC for Christmas. This was our first flight with 2 kids (one still an infant). When I landed I had a text from my mom saying “Rent a car right away when you land!” That was suspicious. It was also December 23rd at 11 o’clock at night at a 16 gate airport - Savannah/Hilton Head. So we were curious as to whether we could even get one.

Thankfully there were rentals available. I had a 2017 Colorado. I was really excited. Until I found out it was a piece of shit and I could never own one. Now I’m really disappointed and hope the GMC is significantly nicer and need to find out if it was just a crap rental one. I mean it only had 8000 miles on it.

Little Truck, Big Truck

ANY how, back to the Durango.

So my dad was driving to the airport to pick me, my wife and the 2 kids up. With our luggage my mom thankfully decided to stay home because we didn’t think we’d fit. (2nd row captains chairs). On his way to get us (we were not in the vehicle) a drunk driver came across to his side of the road and hit him head on. They were both going about 55 mph. He slammed the brakes when he saw the guy cross, other guy had no brake marks on the ground, he never slowed.

He did a great job of yelling “No call Police! No call Police! I pay! I pay!” while my dad was on the 911 call so they got to record that. Why didn’t he want the police? Oh yeah, besides being wildly drunk he doesn’t have a license. Thankfully the car was insured by his brother who owned it. He went promptly into the backseat of a cop car when they arrived. Last I heard he’s still there due to not being here legally.

So the side curtain, driver, passenger, and a knee airbag all went off. My dad was sore, but climbed out with only bruises and a couple airbag burns on his arms. He had to climb across because the driver fender was pushed back and under the driver door so he couldn’t open it.

I knew from the pictures, but yeah, it’s totaled, took the insurance guys a few days to make that call. 2015 Durango Limited. RWD V6 with only ~20,000 miles on it.

Here it is behind my parents shop, if you look close you can see the frame pushed in to the lower right of where the motor is. Hysterically, the engine still started fine with remote start in this picture. (don’t worry it was promptly turned off as there was obviously no coolant left in it).

E92M3 > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner 01/03/2018 at 11:29

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Wow! Thank god he was in the Durango, and not something smaller. Very lucky, it’s not often you can walk away from these kind of impacts.

Steve is equipped with Electronic Fool Injection > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner 01/03/2018 at 11:30

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I’m glad to hear that your dad is OK. Looks like the Durango did its job. Now it’s time for him to sue the shit out of the insurance company/owner of the car/etc.

Also I agree on the Colorado. Even though in my opinion the inside looks nicer than the competition, the seats are park-bench hard and shaped badly for a dude of my stature. The seats are harder than a new Tundra - that’s bad.

Straightsix9904 > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner 01/03/2018 at 11:31

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Dang. Glad he is okay. That looks like a pretty brutal hit.

TheRealBicycleBuck > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner 01/03/2018 at 11:34

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That is a nightmare. I’m so glad that everyone was ok. Oh, and obligatory:

Chariotoflove > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner 01/03/2018 at 11:34

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Thank God everyone is okay.

E90M3 > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner 01/03/2018 at 11:35

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Is that a windstar?

We complain about how heavy modern cars are, until you wreck one.

gmctavish needs more space > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner 01/03/2018 at 11:36

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Holy shit. Good to hear that he’s okay, that’s amazing for that kind of impact.

Mini Guy- Now has a 4Runner > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner 01/03/2018 at 11:38

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At least he wasn’t in something like idk my car

razorbeamteam > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner 01/03/2018 at 11:39

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So glad everyone is ok, even the idiot. As much as I complain about modern cars, they crash incredibly well. Glad the durango did it’s job.

Takuro Spirit > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner 01/03/2018 at 11:39

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Good to hear it took its life to save your dad’s.

Makes me feel even better knowing it kept him safe, when my wife and kids are driving around in her 2017.

Fucking drunks, they never get what’s coming to them. Hopefully they throw the book at this one and your dad is rightfully compensated for his losses.

OpposResidentLexusGuy - USE20, XF20, XU30 and Press Cars > TheRealBicycleBuck 01/03/2018 at 11:41

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obligatory kinja’d ?

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > Steve is equipped with Electronic Fool Injection 01/03/2018 at 11:43

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It sure did, a testament to modern safety features. He plans to sue, he’s already getting 29k for the Durango. He wants to sue the household or bar that overserved the guy too.

Seats were hard, door panel was squeaking to the touch already after 8k miles. sounded like there was a giant hole in the firewall with how load that V6 sounded - and it wasn’t even a good sounding V6.

TheRealBicycleBuck > OpposResidentLexusGuy - USE20, XF20, XU30 and Press Cars 01/03/2018 at 11:44

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Repeatedly kinja’d. Obligatory quote found here .

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > Takuro Spirit 01/03/2018 at 11:45

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It was a testament to modern safety features. I’d buy one, that was a hell of a hit.

he’s been in jail for 3 weeks now. They’ll probably keep him on an ICE hold for as long as they can then release him because he’s not here legally. This is not a biased opinion my sister is a Sheriff’s Deputy Sergeant in the area this happened and the exact same thing happened when a drunk illegal immigrant smashed into HER a couple months ago (while she was driving her police Charger no less).

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > E92M3 01/03/2018 at 11:46

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yeah, crazy big impact. he was sore for a few days for sure on this one.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > razorbeamteam 01/03/2018 at 11:47

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haha, I’ve never complained about weight for this reason.

It sure did do it’s part.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > E90M3 01/03/2018 at 11:47

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I believe it was a chevy venture.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > gmctavish needs more space 01/03/2018 at 11:48

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yeah, helps that the older less-safe vehicle had a floppy drunk in it, they never get hurt.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > Mini Guy- Now has a 4Runner 01/03/2018 at 11:48

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yeah, though if he had one of those we would have started with a rental because we wouldn’t have planned for 3 adults and 2 car seats in it!

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > Chariotoflove 01/03/2018 at 11:49

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Thank God and we also thank God for safety engineers!

DAWRX - The Herb Strikes Back > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner 01/03/2018 at 11:49

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Its amazing what modern safety can do. About 5 years ago my wife (then gf) was in a then current Highlander with 2 friends when a elderly woman in a Lexus RX hopped a median and hit them head on airborne. When the EMS arrived on scene they said they expected to see fatalities.

The elderly woman broke both legs I think, but my wife’s friend (who was driver and was on the side where most of the impact was) only broke her ankle, and my wife and her cousin who were passengers only suffered some muscle and joint pain with some nasty seatbelt burn.

The scariest part was that they nearly took my wife’s car out that night (2000 Toyota Camry). They probably would have been killed if they had...

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > Straightsix9904 01/03/2018 at 11:49

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yeah, my sister is actually an accident investigation specialist in the area, she went out to the scene and was like - nope, he made zero effort to stop this thing. just plowed straight in.

crowmolly > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner 01/03/2018 at 11:52

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So glad to hear that nobody got hurt and your dad seems to have just walked away from it.

Takuro Spirit > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner 01/03/2018 at 11:54

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OpposResidentLexusGuy - USE20, XF20, XU30 and Press Cars > TheRealBicycleBuck 01/03/2018 at 11:54

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I can’t get my notification screen to open... New year, same kinja.

E90M3 > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner 01/03/2018 at 11:54

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The grill looked a lot more like a Ford grill to me. Plus the U-body cars don’t handle crashes that well, which is scary because my parents used to own one.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > DAWRX - The Herb Strikes Back 01/03/2018 at 11:55

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yeah it’s amazing. As long as you don’t have a shrapnel airbag you’re in good shape these days.

And I’m glad we had big luggage (only because we were there for Christmas) and that my mom wasn’t in the truck too. She was disappointed she couldn’t come to the airport. The disappointment faded after my dad called her from the side of the road.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > crowmolly 01/03/2018 at 11:55

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saw headlights in his dreams for a few night, but otherwise he’s doing just fine now.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > E90M3 01/03/2018 at 11:59

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It’s one of the early 2000's egg grate grille Venture’s

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > Takuro Spirit 01/03/2018 at 12:01

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lol, shoulda saw that coming.

Despite having 2 immediate family members get hit by drunk illegal immigrants, I still don’t dig the wall plan.

Mainly because...ladders and wasted money.

And yes I know you’re joking around.

E90M3 > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner 01/03/2018 at 12:01

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It just looked like it had a Ford emblem in the middle of it to me, but I digress, glad your dad is alright.

OpposResidentLexusGuy - USE20, XF20, XU30 and Press Cars > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner 01/03/2018 at 12:02

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I try to avoid politics but stuff like this makes me want that wall just for symbolic purposes. I don’t even like the guy but this is getting ridiculous .

smobgirl > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner 01/03/2018 at 12:06

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I’ve always thought that would be an awesome job.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > E90M3 01/03/2018 at 12:07

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nice catch detective. That sure does look like a Ford logo.

You win this round.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > OpposResidentLexusGuy - USE20, XF20, XU30 and Press Cars 01/03/2018 at 12:10

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meh, wall won’t change anything. I think the smart move is to encourage legit immigration. Get licenses, driving lessons, and taxes paid. We have plenty of space in this country, no reason to restrict entry so hard. If the majority of illegal immigrants were given a legal option they would take it in a heart beat. It would be cheaper than chasing them around too.

Oh and the wall is fundamentally flawed because...well...ladders.

BigBlock440 > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner 01/03/2018 at 12:11

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He did a great job of yelling “No call Police! No call Police! I pay! I pay!”

Hmm...

Last I heard he’s still there due to not being here legally.

Yup. There it is.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > smobgirl 01/03/2018 at 12:12

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it can be cool and it can also be full of nightmare fuel when you are called out for every fatal accident. I believe they only have a couple Accident Investigation Specialists in her Sheriff’s Department and she’s one of them.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > BigBlock440 01/03/2018 at 12:13

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lol. The broken English was correctly typed as it was spoken on scene as witnessed by my Dad. Bro, you were driving what appears to be around a 20 year old ford minivan that didn’t even belong to you. There’s no way in hell you can replace my parents 2 year old Durango out of pocket.

OpposResidentLexusGuy - USE20, XF20, XU30 and Press Cars > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner 01/03/2018 at 12:13

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Like I said, I just want it for symbolic purposes. Cana das border can stay open though. I like how they roll and don’t do the illegal stuff as much. 

BigBlock440 > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner 01/03/2018 at 12:24

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I live within a few hours drive of NYC and NJ, and for some reason my city has a large population them. This story is not uncommon, and almost everybody has, or knows somebody who has a story that plays out like that after an accident (my sister does in my case). Or they speed off if their car is still mobile (like in my brother’s case).

haveacarortwoorthree2 > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner 01/03/2018 at 12:31

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Glad your dad is ok. I love classic cars, but after my 66 Mustang got totaled and my head got busted open as a result, I decided I wasn’t ever going to get a classic car again. Had I been going more than 30 mph when the jackass in the Ford 350 decided to turn left across traffic, I probably would have died.

Mini Guy- Now has a 4Runner > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner 01/03/2018 at 12:36

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Surprise! They have 4 seats

Future next gen S2000 owner > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner 01/03/2018 at 12:43

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....took the insurance guys a few days to make that call.

Took me all of 10 seconds to come to the same conclusion. Maybe I should work in insurance. Ten second for three days of work, I like it.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > BigBlock440 01/03/2018 at 12:51

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I used to live in Morristown NJ, dead center of the north have of Jersey. Definitely. Everyone jumps to “build the wall” or something like that, but honestly if they just make legal immigration easier and cheaper this guy would understand the laws better and would have a license.

shop-teacher > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner 01/03/2018 at 12:54

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That’s impressive that there were no injuries, but it’s completely shocking that an illegal immigrant was driving a car that had insurance!

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > haveacarortwoorthree2 01/03/2018 at 12:54

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Damn that’s a scary story.

Anytime someone says something like “It’s an old tank don’t worry about it” I find that old video comparing a 50's chevy vs a 2010 or something. Shows that size doesn’t matter in an accident if the car isn’t designed for it.

People used to say it about my 68 Montego and I would respond - you realize this is a 2 door pillarless coupe on a unibody chassis? This thing is a floppy noodle of sheet metal.

Stapleface > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner 01/03/2018 at 12:56

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I have to say, that Venture took that hit pretty well. The Durango is a friggin heavy vehicle.

Glad to know your dad is doing good except for a couple of bumps and bruises. That could have been way worse.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > Future next gen S2000 owner 01/03/2018 at 12:58

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yep me too. I was like if I can reach through where the grille is and poke the frame that is not in it’s original position it’s toast.

Besides the fact that the body shop guys (next door to my dad’s auto shop) said it would be over 10k in headliner and airbag replacements. That’s not even touching the frame or exterior.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > shop-teacher 01/03/2018 at 13:00

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When I heard he was illegal and had no license I must admit I was pretty surprised insurance was involved. It was crappy National General insurance that was a real pain in the ass to work with. But it was there.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > Stapleface 01/03/2018 at 13:01

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yeah, way, way worse. Definitely elevates my opinion of the Durango safety features though. It was already on my list of potential vehicles in the fall...

syaieya > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner 01/03/2018 at 13:25

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We moan about weight and nanny state but honest truth since losing a handful of family and friends to drunk driving, the cars of the last 20 years are just that much better safety wise.

I wouldnt reccomend any pre 00s car as a daily now for that matter alone

boxrocket > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner 01/03/2018 at 13:45

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Glad he was in a modern vehicle with modern safety regs.

I’m shocked that the (Venture??) didn’t crumple like a soda can; those were notorious for having abysmal crash ratings even when new.

The canyon isn’t substantially better than the colorado, so prepare to continue your disappointment. It’s not much different than the holden version that has been on sale on the other half of the planet for a few years.

BigBlock440 > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner 01/03/2018 at 13:59

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I disagree that the wall is flawed. The wall is 30', 30'+ ladders aren’t that common, are unwieldy, and you still have to get back down the other side. Sure, it’s possible, but it makes it much less likely and easier to catch somebody doing it. Some of the prototypes also have measures against ladders and grappling hooks.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > syaieya 01/03/2018 at 14:53

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yep, last time my dad was hit by a drunk he was in an early 80s crap dodge econo car, you know how they say “don’t lock your elbows?” he did.....and he bent the steering wheel around to touch the steering column.

these days a scare, back then - commonly people died.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > BigBlock440 01/03/2018 at 14:54

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my ladder thing is mainly a joke, but in all honesty it’s a massive expense that’s not going to improve much for anyone involved.

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner 01/03/2018 at 15:48

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Damn! Lucky there were no injuries! :( Poor Durango!

Urambo Tauro > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner 01/04/2018 at 16:49

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Glad everyone’s ok. I hope the penalties for drunk driving are as harsh in SC as they are in MI.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > Urambo Tauro 01/04/2018 at 16:59

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he’s still in jail last we heard, no license and the assumption was that he was an illegal immigrant. if he doesn’t get deported he’ll probably just be released in a month or two when they need the space unfortunately.

MasterMario - Keeper of the V8s > Urambo Tauro 02/07/2018 at 14:25

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And we’re here in Wisconsin all like, “8th DUI? Okay, maybe we should throw you in jail for a bit.”

Wisconsin needs to crack down on drunk driving, it’s laughable what the punishments are