RIP Lean2: 10/88-12/20/2010 "You were well loved"

[Beach Bum]

Sorry about your car, that's a pretty damn serious impact to walk away from though, glad you're OK.

I think I understand what happened, the van tried to pass you on the left as you were starting your U-turn. The only thing I would say is next time get into the center lane and then make the U, lessens your exposure to someone from behind. He probably saw you hit the brakes and figured you were making a right turn, and went to pass you. Did you have a left signal on?

Doesn't make what he did right, but people are too impatient to get past sometimes. How many times do any of us cut around someone making a slow right turn?

Oh and all the facts and figures you have (50m, 4 s, etc)? Don't really mean much, do they?

Edit-picture makes it much clearer. Making a U, get into the center lane. Our cars turn real tight, you can make it.

How do they not mean much? Nothing was measured, but that's my estimate. 50m is the only estimate, the rest of the figures are based off of that number. Even if it had only been 30m, that gives him two seconds at least, after you account for deceleration on my part.

That's one of the things I know I could have done better. It's just that I'd pulled that maneuver so many times before with no issue (not necessarily there, but similar settings) that it was second nature. As hard as he hit me and as far as he carried me, I think he was a little hot and impatient, trying to get around. The fact that I never left the lane, though...

I did hit my blinker, but it was only on for a couple clicks before impact, and tapping the brakes may have confused the van driver.

Edit: I'd have pulled into the center lane, but the opportunity was there to do it cleanly with the lack of oncoming traffic. The van and I simply weren't on the same wavelength.

[iamsam]

weird. Yeah the picture definitely helps. The only thing I can think of is what Brian said above, that he thought you were turning right and went to pass you.

however, I don't see how you got slapped with a ticket for failing to yield. Who were you supposed to yield to anyway? The ticket says "oncoming traffic", but the van isn't oncoming, he was behind you! I can see getting smacked by a car coming in the other lane toward you, but I only see that this van jumped the gun and tried getting around you, so it should be his fault.

[Beach Bum]

weird. Yeah the picture definitely helps. The only thing I can think of is what Brian said above, that he thought you were turning right and went to pass you.

however, I don't see how you got slapped with a ticket for failing to yield. Who were you supposed to yield to anyway? The ticket says "oncoming traffic", but the van isn't oncoming, he was behind you! I can see getting smacked by a car coming in the other lane toward you, but I only see that this van jumped the gun and tried getting around you, so it should be his fault.

My brother and I were rather incredulous ourselves. The only thing we can think of is that I earned myself a ticket by not discussing the incident with the officer.

O: So what happened here?
B: I'd rather not discuss it at this time, if you please, sir.
O: Uh well... Sir, you're not subject to anything criminal here, I just need to know what happened.
B: With all due respect, sir, I'd rather not discuss it at this time.
O: Well okay then (goes to chat with the van driver).

If the accident report charges me with the same, then it'll get thrown out easily enough.

I really just wanted to get home and think clearly and write it down before committing myself to a statement. Personally, I think anyone who makes a legal statement to an LEO right after a traumatic incident is rather foolish, because THAT'S what goes on record, scatterbrained, in shock, or dead sober. It's very difficult to take that back in court, if it comes to that. I have the highest respect for the men and women in uniform on a general basis, but I gotta cover my ass too.

In before "wow that sucks xxxx shipped to yyyy?"

Thats a hard hit to push you that far. Could it be he saw you slowing down and was in such a hurry he decided to pass you on the left? What was his side of the story? What did the police say?

That's what my brother and I thought, but passing like that is risky as hell (obviously) and I would think it's illegal, but since I can't quote statute I'm not saying it is. I don't pass like that myself, I'm always watchful for the guy to commit fully before passing on whichever side. For reasons like this.

I didn't get his testimony, and the officer stopped speaking to me after I declined testimony, except to issue my citation.

[lolcantturn]

Personally, I think anyone who makes a legal statement to an LEO right after a traumatic incident is rather foolish, because THAT'S what goes on record, scatterbrained, in shock, or dead sober. It's very difficult to take that back in court, if it comes to that. I have the highest respect for the men and women in uniform on a general basis, but I gotta cover my ass too.

good point. glad to hear you're ok.

[Beach Bum]

good point. glad to hear you're ok.

If more people made the decision to reserve their right to remain silent, they'd get themselves into a lot less trouble. I've gotten myself into trouble ONCE by talking too much, and since then I've resigned myself to taking the time to collect my thoughts.

Glad to hear all the support from fellow enthusiasts. You guys be careful out there, we gotta learn from each other's mistakes. Hopefully I'll stop getting Bimmers killed; this is my third one... First one was a rear-ender while I was at a stop light, second one was a r3v [my fault, stupid stupid stupid], and this one... I could have done one or two things better, but I still shouldn't have gotten hit.

I wouldn't keep buying BMW's if they didn't keep saving my life!!!

[Huff]

Mother OF God... I can't believe you walked away from that hit. Man, e30's can take a hit. Glad you're okay

[lgb240]

Man, your car looks nasty - sorry for your loss, glad you're Ok. Use it for parts on the next one.

Don't mean to shit on your situation, but, it looks as though you had your car where it didn't belong and got hit. Any court would suggest that you were at fault and that you should have found a street or driveway to turn into (rather than make a u-turn) to safely change direction.

[Eecen]

Blue is my course, red circle is POI, red line is trajectory after impact...

Thats weak. Van must have been speeding, thought you were going right, decided to go wide left and avoid slowing down.

Your first post was hard to piece together,..:-? I wasn't trying to be a huge dick, just hard to follow.


*insert generic wrecked car thread post.





Do you have a "battle" scar now? A story for the ladies?
:neutral: sorry dude.

[Lance Racing]

For their vintage, these are really strong cars. Glad to came out mostly in good shape. A Japanese car of similar vintage would have accordian'd a lot more I think. It's one reason early on when we decided to go racing, that we would race an E30. We've seen some massive wrecks and the E30 really does protect the passenger.

[iamsam]

I think you should have told the officer exactly what happened. You could have gotten out of that ticket, as you didn't do anything illegal. You did not fail to yield to anyone.

Maybe you can still fight it in court.

So who was at fault? Whose insurance is forking out the dough?

[freeride53]

wow, a little close for comfort, eh?

[call me jack]

Up until now, i thought these cars were rolling death traps, in a sense. Just a shoe box on wheels. i would've expect far worse injury to the drive from a car that looks like that. I'm really glad to see your ok. Gives me good piece of mind. when i drive mine.

Good luck finding a new e30.

New slogan "practice safe sex. do it in an e30" :p

[KennyT]

3 Questions:
Did you signal left before you started turning?
Why did you move to the right?
Why not whip a u-turn on the side street and turn around on a not so busy road?

I may be the ass in this thread but you wrecked your car, not the driver behind you. You slowed down and moved over to the right side of the road where there is a side street. Most drivers on the road would assume moving to the right and slowing down means you are going to turn right. Almost every one of us has passed on the left in that situation. If you had hugged the left side of the road, signaled right, then turned right you would have gotten hit in the passenger side. You failed to yield to the driver behind you, in that you were too impatient to get where you wanted to go. Pay the ticket, buy a new car, and learn from it. Next time it might get you killed.

[Brian D]

3 Questions:
Did you signal left before you started turning?
Why did you move to the right?
Why not whip a u-turn on the side street and turn around on a not so busy road?

I may be the ass in this thread but you wrecked your car, not the driver behind you. You slowed down and moved over to the right side of the road where there is a side street. Most drivers on the road would assume moving to the right and slowing down means you are going to turn right. Almost every one of us has passed on the left in that situation. If you had hugged the left side of the road, signaled right, then turned right you would have gotten hit in the passenger side. You failed to yield to the driver behind you, in that you were too impatient to get where you wanted to go. Pay the ticket, buy a new car, and learn from it. Next time it might get you killed.

May want to relax a bit, take a breath.

He mentioned he signaled, to the left. There is no such thing as "yield to the driver behind you", are you kidding? If he had moved to the right shoulder and then pulled the U, that might be relevant but he was in the travel lane, the driver of the vehicle behind had the responsibility to pass safely.

Beach bum, when I mentioned that the numbers didn't matter that was a bit of the "dad mode" kicking in, it's what I tell my sons. You may have been in the right, but the end result is that you ended up in a potentially deadly situation and there was a few things you could have done to lessen the likelihood. You just have to figure that the people around you are ALL idiots and they are going to do the worst possible thing, and plan your actions accordingly.

[accident]

ouch.