# Oops, totaled my car...



## ◄ Jess ► (Apr 21, 2010)

What an exciting evening! My boyfriend and I were planning to drive home tomorrow from school because it is winter break (it's around a 400 mile drive home). His mom texted him around 5pm, letting him know that a huge snowstorm was on its way to our town and if at all possible, we should leave tonight and get as far south as we could and stay in a hotel. We decided to go for it, piled our stuff in the car and took off. I started off driving, but a snowstorm at night was more than I could handle (I was going about 25mph down the highway, tops), so I let him take over. The snow just kept getting worse, but we were in the middle of nowhere, so we kept going.

As we started to go around a turn downhill, we both realized at the same time that the car had totally lost traction. We were headed for a gigantic snow-mound and we both started shouting. He was screaming, "OH MY GOD!!!" and I was repeatedly screaming, "WE'RE GOING TO BE OKAY!!!"

I suppose I thought that if I shouted it enough, it would make it true? Fortunately, it turned out fine for us! We hit the snow, went flying, landed on the guardrail, and the car landed at a 45 degree angle with my door stuck in the snow, so I called 911 for help in getting the car out. A ton of people stopped to make sure we were okay and the cops and 2 tow trucks showed up around half an hour later (I was pretty sure we were going to freeze for a little bit - the snow was burying the car and it was SO COLD), and we got to sit in the police car, the tow trucks got my car out, and they filled out a report and drove us back home. My car is almost definitely totaled (the underside got completely destroyed by the guardrail, but that same guardrail kept us from rolling down the embankment or hitting a sign), but I am just pleased we came out with absolutely no injuries!

The whole thing took about 3.5 hours, from crashing to getting back to the dorms. I'm going to the tow place tomorrow to release the car to my insurance company and get the rest of my stuff out, so maybe I will post pictures of it tomorrow. 

So, safe driving everyone!! Don't drive in any snowstorms!


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## nomesque (Apr 12, 2010)

Ow ow ow crud!!! Scary or what 

I'm sorry about your car, but VERY happy it wasn't worse, and that you're both OK. *hugs*


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## Jaasy (Feb 28, 2009)

Glad you both are okay, it could have been so much worse...


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## julip (Jul 22, 2009)

Gosh, so glad you are both ok! Hope everything gets taken care of smoothly and quickly so you can put it all behind you!


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## Monique (Jul 31, 2010)

Yikes! So glad you're both okay.


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## ◄ Jess ► (Apr 21, 2010)

T.L. Haddix said:


> Dang, your guardian angels must have been working overtime tonight.


Agreed!! There were so many things that could have happened to injure us and that's all I really cared about in the end. Cars come and go, having to buy a new one is not a big deal. My boyfriend is beating himself up about it, but I'm trying to stress to him that the important thing is that we're fine. 

Thank you to everyone for all the nice wishes! I love how friendly this community is.


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## Ryl (Nov 25, 2010)

How scary! I'm glad that you're both okay.


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## telracs (Jul 12, 2009)

As someone who flipped a Toyota, I totally understand the "I'm gonna die" scream.  Hug your boyfriend and hold each other until the shakes stop (that'll be some time next week). And when you get a chance, donate something to a local volunteer rescue service in thanks that you guys are okay!


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## NogDog (May 1, 2009)

Jessica Billings said:


> Agreed!! There were so many things that could have happened to injure us and that's all I really cared about in the end....


Definitely the best thing is that you're OK.

Reminds me of the only time I had ever had anything even approaching a bad accident while driving (knock on wood). I was also driving home from college in the snow. My mother had driven down to pick up both my sister and me. I volunteered to drive home so Mom would not have to drive in the snow that had started to come down. We were on a 2-lane state highway somewhere in western Ohio, heading north, going at maybe 30 MPH tops on hard-packed snow that had been plowed some (but not enough). I hit a chunk of ice, probably from the stuff that builds up on cars' fenders. It sent us into a skid, with the rear end swinging to the left. So I remembered to turn to the left to try to compensate, and probably overdid it. The next thing I knew we'd twisted to the left enough so that we were skidding with the rear end swing off to the right. Eventually we slid off onto the right shoulder and beyond. Things would have been reasonably OK, just requiring a tow to get out of the drainage ditch, but there was one stupid sign post that the car chopped off at ground level while the sign got revenge by putting a nasty dent all along the passenger-side door (and gave my sister quite a start). There was nothing else before or after hit for a couple hundred yards. And the final irony of it was that the sign was one of those signs that serves no purpose other than to tell you what route you are on -- or in my case, which route I was _not_ on.


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

Wow....Key thing, as has been said is that y'all are okay.  Watch out for neck injuries showing up in a day or two, but it sounds like y'all were very very lucky!  Thank goodness!


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## Vegas_Asian (Nov 2, 2008)

Thank goodness u guys are not hurt.

Skidding about in snowy weather is scary. Happened to mom, her friend, friends son, and I when I was little living overseas. Luckily the car got stuck. We were following the dads and older sons but they never noticed us sliding off the road. A bunch of people did help us out of the ditch. Van got another dint in it. The second scary thing then was that we were miles from base with no cell, and couldn't speak the language. 

Wishing u a better holidays jes!


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## Thumper (Feb 26, 2009)

Whoa...

On the bright side, you wrote up a very vivid description, and I could see it all play out in front of me. So you get bonus points for that.

We all like bonus points, right



Verrrrry glad you're alright...


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## terryr (Apr 24, 2010)

Girl, {{{{hugs}}}} I am so glad you and your friend are OK and that you can laugh about this. Cars can be replaced. But we wouldn't know what to do without you!


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## Vegas_Asian (Nov 2, 2008)

Time to pour yourself a hot cup of tea/coffee/hot coco


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## Valmore Daniels (Jul 12, 2010)

I'm glad you're ok.  You're the only one of you around.


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## kjn33 (Dec 8, 2008)

Wow, scary stuff. Glad it worked out in the end that your both ok. Snow can get the best of drivers, so tell your boyfriend not to sweat it, he hit a snow bank instead of another car, so he gets bonus points for that! And like Thumper said, we all like bonus points!


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## Bonbonlover (Oct 17, 2010)

Glad you both are Okay!!  Now... did your kindle come out unscratched


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## farrellclaire (Mar 5, 2010)

Bonbonlover said:


> Glad you both are Okay!! Now... did your kindle come out unscratched


 

So glad you're both okay. I was terrified just reading about it!


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## ◄ Jess ► (Apr 21, 2010)

Bonbonlover said:


> Glad you both are Okay!! Now... did your kindle come out unscratched


Yep, it's fine! Basically everything we own was in that car (TV, computer, game console, laptops, kindles, phones, cameras, etc) and so far, everything seems to be fine, probably because it was all packed so tightly in the car that there was nowhere for it to go. Well, there was one casualty: my box of cereal. That flew over my shoulder and spilled maple-flavored oatmeal squares all over me and made the car smell like maple.


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## Annalog (Dec 28, 2008)

Jessica, I am glad you are both OK. I second the suggestion to watch out for neck injuries, including headaches, for the next few days. More bonus points for your attitude and sharing about the maple-flavored cereal.


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## BTackitt (Dec 15, 2008)

Jessica, so glad you are safe. Tell Boyfriend he did a great job keeping you both alive.


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## LCEvans (Mar 29, 2009)

So scary! I'm really glad you're okay.


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## N. Gemini Sasson (Jul 5, 2010)

Oh wow.  Amazing how much detail a person can remember at a moment like that.  So glad you're both okay!  Really puts things in perspective, doesn't it, about what's truly important in life?


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## KindleGirl (Nov 11, 2008)

Glad you're both ok and that nothing besides the car was damaged! Hope you're able to get home soon!


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## Scott Neumyer (Dec 8, 2010)

What a crazy story! So glad to hear you're ok!


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## Vianka Van Bokkem (Aug 26, 2010)

I am also glad both of you are okay Jessica!




Vianka


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## crebel (Jan 15, 2009)

Knowing you are both okay makes your scary thump my bump for the day.  Are you still going to try to get home?


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## ◄ Jess ► (Apr 21, 2010)

KindleGirl said:


> Glad you're both ok and that nothing besides the car was damaged! Hope you're able to get home soon!


Luckily, my bf's mom is driving up as we speak (write?), so she will be here this afternoon to pick us up and start driving us home. The insurance company is going to check out my car on the 30th, so hopefully I'll find out then if I have to buy a new car or not!


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## drenee (Nov 11, 2008)

Jessica, so very glad you both are okay. and you have a sense of humor.  
deb


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## Forster (Mar 9, 2009)

Ummm, yeah trying to beat storms isn't always the best idea.  Glad your okay.


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## Sandra Edwards (May 10, 2010)

Glad you're both okay, Jessica!

Sandy


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## Rye (Nov 18, 2008)

Stinks about your car but I'm glad you're ok. 



<-----Still thinking we should go back to horses. (They don't crash in the snow)


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## Guest (Dec 18, 2010)

I'm sorry that happened, Jessica. That's really rough!


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## ReeseReed (Dec 5, 2009)

The only thing more amazing than your story is your attitude about it all.  So glad you both are okay.  I've been in accidents (none in the snow, but I was 38 1/2 weeks pregnant, does that count?) and I know first hand how terrifying they are.


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## rho (Feb 12, 2009)

Really glad you are ok and that is why I preface any trip of distance that would take more than an hour at this time of year with "depending on the weather" - and that includes weather report of snow/icy conditions in the forecast.


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## Ruby296 (Nov 1, 2008)

Oh no, what a scary event for you, I'm so sorry that you went through that. Best wishes to you and your bf & I'm glad you are both safe!


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## kindlequeen (Sep 3, 2010)

Happy to hear you're both safe and well!  Hope you guys are able to relax and enjoy the rest of your Christmas vacation!


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## ◄ Jess ► (Apr 21, 2010)

Well as promised, here's a pic of the car (and my boyfriend intact!)...










At first glance, it honestly doesn't look that bad besides the front, but the underside is a mess. The transmission is broken, the frame is bent and broken, and some other stuff. The guard rail basically went through that front part and took out everything underneath that was in the way. The tow truck guys gave the underside an 8/10 on the damage scale. They also informed me that a Ford Focus is not the preferred vehicle for sledding on the guardrail... 

Anyway, my boyfriend's mom picked us up this afternoon and we made it down to Wisconsin and are staying at a hotel for the night. It'll be so nice to get back to Illinois tomorrow!


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## vg (Oct 28, 2008)

Ouch - so glad the two of you are okay!


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## caseyf6 (Mar 28, 2010)

My older daugher has a four-door focus and I'm glad to see it can withstand quite a thump.  YIKES.  Hugs to you and I am SO GLAD you are okay!


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