The Cost of a car crash

It was Saturday morning and I was driving from Peekskill to South Salem, NY. My daughter slept over at her grandparents’ house and I was headed to pick her up. It was summer, hot and sunny out, about mid-morning. My friend drove behind me and briefly stopped for gas. I was going straight, with traffic in a flow of about 45 mph. When I approached a dealership (on the right), I saw a vehicle signaling to turn from the other lane. I kept going, as I had the right of way.

Bam! Without so much as a glance at traffic, this sixteen year old genius, cut into my car in her lame attempt at following her mom into the dealership. She hit the front quarter driver side panel. It partially crushed my door into the frame.

The car behind me was driven by the fire chief, who saw everything.  So, after being rescued by the mechanic, who watched me freak out at my door not opening, I limped over and stood with everyone in the lot. “Megan”, nor her mom bothered to ask if I was okay, but I did. I asked her if she was okay and she rolled her entitled, beady eyes at me. My friend rolled up as the ambulance was checking my knee.

I was a single mom, working full time in Chappaqua, and my child went to Mt. Kisco daycare. I paid $850 for rent and could barely afford to live. All of my bills were always due and I was always struggling to pay them all, but I made it work until ‘Megan’ smashed into my very reliable 1991 Toyota and ultimately destroyed my life.

Thanks to Megan, I had to relocate to Utah, from New York. I didn’t want to visit Utah, let alone move there! I lost all my best friends. The cost of a car accident that was 100% not my fault, cost me everything. My in-laws (NY) didn’t have any space in their tiny shanty. Nobody we knew had any space, or the willingness to help, so we moved across the country and had to start over. (Which was only possible because my dad died).

Between the fact that I could not afford the ‘rental reimbursement’ on my car insurance policy, and the fact that I had zero savings, I had no way now of getting to and from work and daycare. My friend said he had two cars I could borrow:

1.       Had bad brakes but ran “like a champ”

2.       Had good brakes but was really, really slow and I would get some road rage.

I took the one with brakes and suffered the consequences for a few days until my father in law found me a ‘beater’ for $500 and got it for me. (Beater: shitty, old, used, janky car). I drove it for the remaining two weeks and left it with them to sell, when we left.

Megan’s little “accident”, ruined everything. And, to top it off, she tried to ‘change her story’ the next day, but it backfired.  I see now that’ accidents’, even when you are 100% not at fault, will ruin your life. Any hardworking people without a safety cushion of any sort, I would become homeless.  (I would have if my mom hadn’t paid for us to move)!

I never want to hear anyone say “Go ahead ant hit me, I’ll sue!” again. That’s bullshit and winning in court means nothing after someone forcibly rearranges your whole life.

I resent Megan for being a spoiled, entitled, asshole. Had she simply been kind. She has no idea how her actions rippled into my life and honestly, she deserves an ass whooping for it, still. I am willing to provide that service, personally. (Willing to travel for Megan). LOL