MrsC tries to block the M60!

[mlc]

First of all may I apologise to anyone who was delayed on the M60 clockwise this morning at around 08:45 at Stockport. Apparantly lanes 2 and 3 were closed for around 30 minutes.

Before anyone assumes that the blond (and very attractive if I may say so) MrsC sitting in the battered silver SLK was responsible I should expalin.

Whilst driving in traffic in lane 1 a cement mixer in lane 2 decided to move into lane 1, sadly attempting to do this through the drivers door of our SLK. This impact took off the front wing and brought the drivers door in to the steering wheel. Presumably he then braked hard and flicked the SLK across the front of the truck, spinning, and ending in lane 3, to be hit from behind by an MB minibus.

Now the good news, whilst the SLK looks as if its been in a stock car race and lost MrsC has got a small glass cut on her hand from getting out and has walked away intact. To be fair shes clearly is in shock and is expected to be badly bruised and suffering by tomorrow, but I saw the car before I saw her and expected the worst.

The bad news is that the Police expect the car to be a write off, they also commented that the car saved her from far worse, fully loaded cement mixers hit hard.

The even worse news is that she is already suggesting that she can never drive anything other than an MB again for safety reasons. It could be interesting when the hire company turn up witha Corsa / Fiesta or similar this afternoon.

So if you were delayed, Sorry

Mark.

 

[robbi-wan]

The even worse news is that she is already suggesting that she can never drive anything other than an MB again for safety reasons. .

OMG!!
it is good to hear that MRS C is ok, after what must surely been a life-flashing-by moment.
To be fair to mrsc: after the last smash i had - i wouldn't want to be hit in anything else than a merc for exactly the same reasons.
rob

 

[Blobcat]

Mark,
Sorry to see the accident but glad to hear Mrs C is not badly injured. The passive and active safety devices built into our cars although we never wish to use them, it is always nice to know they are there and do work when required.
As the Cement mixer is at fault then you have a right to be put back to the exact position you were in ‘car wise’ before the accident. With that in mind you can also insist upon a comparable hire car.

 

[jberks]

She's ok and thats all that matters. Metal can always be replaced - as I tried to explain to my tearful wife when she pranged her Audi.

 

[maldon]

MLC glad to hear Mrs C is intact - the car does not really matter.

I walked away from a horrific crash a couple of weeks back - ML hit by a drunk at high speed.

Anyway, get in touch with the cement mixer insurers and demand like for like -insist that she has a MB to drive around in as she does not feel safe etc - whatever you do don't budge. I have been racking up £125 a day in a ML for ten days now - the other drivers insurers are paying.

If you leave it up to your insurers, they will fanny around for for ages.

 

[television]

So sorry Mark to hear what happened, an as everyone says Mrs C is the most important, I know its early days for speculation, but as long as the floor pan is intact with no distortion your damage looks superfical, interesting as had this car been a saloon, B pillar would have distorted the roof, write off for sure. You will know in a couple of days. With these things when the repair cost get near the 50% of value of the car, insurers opt out and write off.

Malcolm

 

[Stulc]

The even worse news is that she is already suggesting that she can never drive anything other than an MB again for safety reasons.

Glad she's ok quite sure she'll be fine......(NOT aimed at her btw!) but I dont think anyone uses mirror's ect now...fcuk know's why there on car's.....oh nearly forgot.....

It's to help women put their make up on....:roll:

Bo11ox....there's plenty of "big car's" out there, she's just looking for an excuse to get another Merc....btw I a bit of welding some catty and it'll as good as new....bugger the insurance...:mrgreen:

 

[Blobcat]

"it'll T Cut" as they say

 

[television]

"it'll T Cut" as they say

would not it be better with a little P38 first ?

Malcolm

 

[Stulc]

Just give it to either Overhaulin or Wrecks 2 riches....sorted...:mrgreen:

 

[mlc]

Thank you everyone for all the kind words, I have suggested the T cut option to repairing it to her but it didnt go down well, apparantlly that what she has me for! The ambulance crew were the first ones to ask whether she was putting her makeup on at the time of the accident and that has been the (very poor) reoccuring joke of the day

The photo doesnt really show how bad the damage on the side is, but I wasnt going to stand in lane 1 of the motorway with my mobile phone to get a better pix. I beleive that the damage goes into the floor. I have just had a phone call from the recovery people and they are confident that it will be a write off

We have spent a couple of hours at A+E this afternoon to get a bit of glass removed from her eye, other than that she seems fine, except she still cant stop shaking or crying, we had assumed it would be work as normal in the morning but I now dont think so.

The really good news is that I have spoken to the main Police witness this afternoon, and he saw exactly what happened. The Truck moved into lane 1 without seeing her, realised he had hit something and pulled back and braked hard. It appears that the two motors must have been locked together because the SLK was sent spinning in front of the truck, which hit her broadsides and pushed her into lane 3, where she was hit by a minibus. Its not too difficult now to understand why she didnt know what was going on. This chap seems like a professional man and I am sure is just what we need. I have contacted the Family solicitors who apparantly have specialists in claim management so thats off my hands as well.

Only worry now is, I ran out of the office this morning leaving my laptop on, have my so called "work mates" been sending inappropriate emails in my name all day.

Mark.

 

[littlebrooklyn]

Gosh Mark that sounds like your wife had a terrible time, so glad she is okay though.

 

[LNM]

That kind of thing can really mess people's careers up; remind them that the Police have evidence as to your whereabouts when the e-mails were sent...

 

[dagd]

Mark,

Glad to hear your wife is OK, mine had a simular experience a few years ago, also with a lorry, tore the drivers door right off! She was shaken, but not stired! She also had another experience a few months ago when a sheet of ply flew off the back of a lorry and hit her bonnet and bounced off her roof, B@st@rd didn't even stop! Again shaken only, another inch, or another second and it could have gone through the windscreen!

On the subject of your e-mail, I would report this to your ICT dept and line manager, I'm an ICT Manager and we take this sort of thing very seriously at our company, most companies have policies in place to cover this type of event (which can incude dismissal). Your ICT staff should be able to tell from the system (SMTP) logs what was sent from you account to who and when.

 

[dagd]

Mark,

Glad to hear your wife is OK, mine had a simular experience a few years ago, also with a lorry, tore the drivers door right off! She was shaken, but not stired! She also had another experience a few months ago when a sheet of ply flew off the back of a lorry and hit her bonnet and bounced off her roof, B@st@rd didn't even stop! Again shaken only, another inch, or another second and it could have gone through the windscreen!

On the subject of your e-mail, I would report this to your ICT dept and line manager, I'm an ICT Manager and we take this sort of thing very seriously at our company, most companies have policies in place to cover this type of event (which can incude dismissal). Your ICT staff should be able to tell from the system (SMTP) logs what was sent from you account to who and when.

 

[johnmc]

Yup, I've never bought a small car since I pranged one when I as 18
(long time ago). SLK might be a Merc, but it's just a small car when the metal gets crushed. The new NCAP 5 cars (Merc or otherwise) are very impressive in accidents.

I'm glad she's fine. My wife had a crash in early December, quite a "good" story for winding her up now. She was driving the dealers service loaner, crashed it right outside the dealership on the way to pick up the car, and into a senior police officer that was on his way home from work. Guess where the blame ended up for that one..! Her first bump in 15 years of driving, but always good to remind her about..!

Take care!
John

 

[mlc]

Dagd,

Sorry perhaps my humour was a bit off yesterday. I work for a major software house and whilst I did leave my laptop on and unlocked at my desk I knew all was would be well. The only actual problem was that since our company policy is that all laptops must be taken home every night (as part of our disaster recovery procedures) one of my friends locked mine in his drawer for safety - and then was in late this morning.

Johnmc,

Cant agree, whilst an SLK is small compared with say an S class, its not a small car - a Ford Ka is a small car and since I own two of them driven by teenagers I know how they fold up in an accident.

If size alone matters, how come F1 drivers get out of little cars having had 200 mph accidents. Also the SLK has the advantage that it has to have the strength with the roof down, so the side / sills etc have to be stronger than normal. I now have pictures from the repairers and interestingly the roof and the sill have held without any obvious deformation, I wonder whether my larger Mondeo woudl have done so well?

Mark.

 

[cyps]

Look out for a company called helphire who for 10.00 will sort out her hire car and put her in a merc as long as she demands it with a good reason why.

They had a replacement to me within a day had to pay 10.00 insurance which was repaid with claim settlement. claim was settled withing 4 weeks no hassle form filling or anything superb service indeed. They cover the UK and charge for nothing when you recieve your claim either.
http://www.helphire.co.uk/ take a look

 

[johnmc]

Hi mlc,
Interesting! The SLK is way ahead of the older heaps I've crashed. I share your concerns about small cars for the kids, the first of mine learns to drive in the summer. NCAP 5 cars sold today (which I don't believe the current Mondeo is) are lightyears ahead. Until I can afford shiney new cars again I'll stick to big! A good family friend died in a single vehicle accident in a Corsa about 4 years ago. a few inches more would have saved her life.

John

 

[mlc]

John,

Agree that in general big is best and I really do have a problem with the kids, which it sounds as if you will have to deal with this year. I really would prefer to put my two in something bigger, but insurance is the killer. What we really need is something like a 1000cc C class with additional governing to limit the speed. This would give them protection and little oportunity to get into any real trouble. What we actually have is fairly nippy little tin cans that bend by looking at them. My son has a dent in his boot where I put my weight against it whilst changing the back wiper, I am a big lad but I dont think it would have happended on an MB!

My two are getting a bit older and wiser, but we are only 14 months from the final son starting to drive, although he is currently in love with an S class, so maybe he will wait.

Mark.