Ann Arbor's Last (hopefully) One Finger Salute

So today, Ann Arbor gave me what I hope is it's last one finger salute: getting t-boned by a great-grandmother.

After my initial outrage at being nailed as I was peacefully traveling down Maple (which may have included a few choice words projected at the perpetrator), I actually felt bad.  I was shaken up, pissed about my car (seeing as we're moving in about 40 days) and the fact that I was going to likely end up missing the remainder of my work day.  The woman who hit me was just dropping off her great-grandchild. He was a teenager, probably around 16 or 17, which likely puts her in her mid to late 80s.  It's obviously time for her to be done driving.

My point of view of the crash: I was driving north on Maple in the right hand lane at the speed limit of 35mph, headlights on.  Just before the site of the crash, I was stopped at a traffic light at Maple & Dexter.  The accident happened not more than a quarter mile from that light (which was about a mile and a half from home).  I saw a car stopped at the stop sign on the upcoming right hand street.  I noticed it was pulled a bit farther forward than normal, so I started to slow down and check my 6 to move into the left lane (2 lanes north, 2 lanes south).  I saw the woman look left at me coming, then look right and start to go.  I quickly moved into the left lane, but there was oncoming traffic, kids on the sidewalk across the street, I couldn't stop, had nowhere else to go, so I had no choice but to try to not go into oncoming traffic and just let her hit me.  I braced for impact, rocked from side to side from the impact, managed to control the truck enough to stay pretty much in my lane and then pull over a bit away from the crash.

My few theories on the cause of the crash:

1.  Zero depth perception (meaning worse than me with one contact lens - which I still maintain is totally safe).  She may have thought I was farther away than I actually was.

2.  She was trying to sneak in front of me so she didn't have to wait for the southbound traffic to go by.  Typical Ann Arbor BS.

3.  She mistook the gas for the brake, because she totally accelerated into me.  I don't think she braked at all.

The old lady was really shaken up and I think she hurt her arm - it was already bruising when I went to ask if she needed an ambulance.  I was okay - freaked for sure - but physically okay.  Her car (a Focus) was totaled.  The whole front end was missing, fluids hissing and leaking everywhere, her airbags deployed (mine didn't thankfully - makes repairs actually possible) but she was mobile, which is something.  But she was so OLD. And crying.  I couldn't be that mad anymore.  I do have a soul after all.

So to make a long story a little longer, I took the rest of the day off work to make the multitude of phone calls to the insurance company, the body shop, the rental car place and for a little decompression.  SO THANKFUL Mike was home and actually answered his phone!  He rescued me, brought my camera to take pictures (my brain was too muddled to consider that) and transferred the stuff I had in my car to his truck and took me home.  He then drove me to the body shop to sign paperwork and to Enterprise to get my rental car (so glad I added that to my insurance) which I have covered by the insurance for 24 days.  Not to mention, he also found us a couple promising options for living arrangements in WY!!!  LOVE that man!

So now I'm driving a Chevy Cobalt - a cute car with some get up and go - but I am so close to the ground and I can see over the roof...

I am SO THANKFUL I bought a full sized SUV.  The size and weight of my truck really saved me here.  The gas mileage isn't ideal, and I know my carbon footprint is a little larger, but I'm WHOLE (at least as whole as I was when I woke up this morning - bum knee notwithstanding), and that is thanks to my 4Runner (and maybe some driving skill).  I really hope they can put her back together again.

So here I sit at home, watching on demand episodes of The Next Food Network Star and The Voice, while drinking wine, nursing a sore neck and a headache and having a couple cries for the crappy last couple of days. But I'm perking up: I'm ok, it WASN'T as bad as it COULD have been, I have a dog by my head, a couple of cats competing for a lap spot and a bottle of Cabernet.  Not to mention a very supportive husband who keeps reminding me of the good stuff, but still hugs me in sympathy (HUSBAND!!! I still love it!!)

So Ann Arbor, I salute YOU right back!  Now I just have to hope my neck isn't too sore to play golf this weekend.