T Boned

This happened last August. I was coming home from the gym at 5am when a Dodge Hellcat in an active police chase ran a red light and T boned me. The assailants were stealing catalytic converters. I remember hearing the sirens and the Hellcat’s engine accelerating but not putting it together until I looked out my driver’s side window as I passed through the intersection and by then it was too late. Impact, rolling, sliding on the roof, flipping over and over literally thinking “this could be how it ends”. Truck landed on its wheels. I could see the Hellcat on fire through the windshield. A couple locals helped me cut through the side impact air curtain as the door was jammed shut. Turned out I couldn’t extricate myself through the window because of my injuries so I pulled myself out of the passenger door where I discovered that I couldn’t stand. Paramedics picked me up and brought me to the trauma center. MRI revealed that I broke four ribs, collapsed my lung (which required the insertion of a drainage tube) and fractured my pelvis in five places. Recovery and PT was challenging, but every day I am thankful. I miss my Tacoma, that truck saved my life!

 

Hot digitty, thats gnarly. Taco can be replaced, your life cant! Glad you’re doing better.

 

Holy crap
Glad you're healing.
Hope you get a nice payday and a new truck.

 

I know Toyota build their stuff well but holy damn dude. Glad you made it out

 

What happened to the dirtbag thieves?

 

Glad you’re made it and are healing.

Good luck with the continued recovery. Was a passenger in a bad accident with nearly identical injuries (including shattered pelvis, fractured spine, same broke rib count and collapsed lung, bad concussion, broke collarbone). Took a while going from a wheelchair to a walker to crutches then back to the army. About 28 years after being reported as a fatality I retired from the military. Didn’t stop me from returning and doing 30 years and multiple deployments. No matter how bad you got tore up don’t ever let anyone tell you what you can’t or won’t be able to do.

 

Damn dude! Glad you are doing ok in the recovery process. That was wild!

 

Probably nothing he’s in Cali

but hope you are doing better OP

 

Definitely a life saver. Good luck on the recovery, I'm sure you'll make it!!

 

Healed up for the most part. I used to think I was pretty tough. PTSD is real and not just for combat vets.

The guy who hit me was 18 with no insurance. I only had minimum $30K uninsured motorist coverage, and most of that went to medical bills / copays and lawyer fees. Guys, take a look at your coverages and bump it up, it's really only a few bucks more.

I'm in a 4Runner now

Thieves went to jail overnight and posted bond the next day. Driver was charged with two felonies; "evading a peace officer / reckless driving" and "conspire to commit a crime". Judge sentenced him to two years in prison in April.

 

What an awful and terrifying experience, I’m glad you’re still with us Brother.

 

Damn. I'm glad you're healing, and I hope you come through the PTSD stronger than before. I also hope the dirtbags were scared straight. I doubt it, but one can hope.

 

Thanks man, the recovery is no joke, mentally and physically. Needed help to shower and get dressed. My kids were constantly on ice pack duty. I couldn't pick up a Tylenol if I dropped it. The progress to walk unassisted (walker, cane) took months. PT helped immensely. Thankfully at the time of my accident I was relatively fit for my age (I'm closer to 50 than 40) and the will to build back to where I was before has kept me motivated.

 

Yikes. Might as well sue the SOB even if it doesn't yield anything for a long time though. Jerks..

I've watched my wife recover from a double discectomy and while walking was always something she could do, it still amazed me to see her beat every timetable (such as driving her Rav4 17 days after the surgery). The human spirit is pretty tough.

 

that'll buff right out!

is the bumper for sale?

 

LOL everything in my truck was destroyed! Three pelican cases under a retrax bed cover completely shattered. Tools and equipment littered the road like a bomb had gone off. Funny that you mention it that bumper seemed to do alright considering. I thought about salvaging parts but after seeing it at the salvage yard I just let it go...

 

Looks like a bomb went off. Good that you survived. That's a lot of serious injuries all rolled into one.

If I were still in the field, that would what I used to call Hollywood accident. It looked like it was staged for a movie or TV show, but was real.

 

that is wild. where exactly did the charger make contact? this is also the EXACT reason why some police departments have a no chase policy. its silly the police are trying to get a catalytic converter thief at the expense of other peoples lives, completely pathetic imo. very easy to replace a converter, impossible to replace a life or damage to someones body.