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Nooooooo!!!!, my poor, poor car!!
Some kind soul decided that the rear end of my Signum needed rearranging today!!!!
The one time I go out and don't take any sort of camera with me - not even my snappy - so these were taken on my phone so excuse the quality.
(For the benefit of local folks) Was popping to Northallerton to Motoscope to look at their gauge pods/mounts (that damn boost gauge has been nothing but grief!! lol) and so headed for the A19 from my folks (other side of Yarm). Was on the A67 (after Kirklevington) as it gets to the A19 Southbound and the car in front of me (Renault Laguna) was going Northbound so he indicated right, and moved to the centre of the road, to turn onto that slip road. I saw all this and moved over to the left to pass him on the left. Had got my front wheels about level with his rear wheels when I felt a jolt accompanied by a bang, which was then followed by an even bigger bang.
Got past the Laguna, pulled over and got out to be greeted with this sight behind me. You can see me pulled over in the distance and the Laguna that was turning right closer in the pic.
Don't mess with the back end of a Signum, especially the corner bit (even if you are a big Merc!) - it's rather strong!!!
The poor Audi driver who was coming in the opposite direction!! All I can say it was a good job it was something like an Audi, and not a little Corsa or whatever - otherwise it could've been really nasty!!
My poor car!! I got off reasonably lightly - all things considered. Helped by the fact that I was moving at the time.
What basically happened (once I sussed it all out) was that the Merc driver obviously wasn't paying attention and didn't see that the Laguna was turning right - until it was too late!! Therefore he hardly slowed down so has hit me at about 50/60mph with me doing around 30mph. He must've realised at the last sec and swerved right as he's caught me with more of a glancing blow with the front left of his car. The direction my exhaust pipe is bent shows the direction it was hit from. What he's done is swerved so much that he's missed the Laguna and gone onto the opposite side of the road where he's hit the oncoming Audi head on with the front right of his car - the second bigger bang I heard. The Audi was coming down that main road, not out of that junction (which it may look like). The Merc hit her with such force that it's spun them both round considerably. That's what caused the massive damge to his car on the pic above. You can't see the actual damage caused to him by hitting me (as I didn't get that angle) but you can see that it's fairly substantial.
It's amazing he didn't hit the Laguna as it was sat there stationery. They were just sat there while cars were bouncing around all around them!!! If I had been just a bit further forward, and past the Laguna, I would have not been hit, but the Laguna would have been hit at speed whilst they were stationery - which would have been very bad for them.
The ironic thing from this is that when the Merc driver first appeared behind me (a good few miles further back) I actually recognised him!! He used to be my doctor (GP) when I lived at my folks, and is still their GP!! All the time from when he first came behind me, I wasn't comfortable with how close he was behind me - he was too close. That was mentioned to the Traffic PC when he took my statement, so it's been recorded. From what the PC was saying, I think he's going to get an 'Undue care and attention' thrown at him.
I was going to be driving back down South tomorrow, but that won't be happening!! Car was taken to a local garage but will be then recovered on Monday and taken to Eastbourne. I'll need to sort out a hire car etc. to drive down on Monday and all the other melarky! At least I only have to deal with one driver/insurance company. He's going to have to deal with me and the Audi driver!
The cars undriveable as the exhaust box has been pushed right into the tyre. Even if it hadn't done that, I wouldn't want to be driving with a bent exhaust and the back end smacked in.
I seem to be okay - no neck pains etc. but I'll see what I'm like tomorrow. Any signs of stiffness etc. and I'll be off to the hospital.
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Originally Posted by Bainie
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