Doggy story

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11-16-2006, 01:55 PM
Nexus Flux

Doggy story

Well here's the whole story.

Yesterday I leave the usual Wednesday night meet and head home. I'm rather hungry so I decide to pick up some food at the McDonald's at the corner of Coit and Legacy. Then I head east on Legacy to get to my house. I stop at the light at Custer.

I'm the left lane, there is no one in the middle, and there is a large old blue pickup in the right lane. We leave the light and as we head up the road we notice a stopped VW Beattle in the right lane. It has its hazards on and starts to creep forward as we get nearer. The truck decides to get over into the middle lane and we are side by side. We are now approaching the spot on Legacy that doesn't have any lights, the spot right before it dips down and curves to the right and up a little hill. As I am about to pass the Beattle, I'm statisfied that it's not going to do anything weird, so I focus my attention straight ahead. At this exact moment I see a little dog, maybe about a foot and a half long and about a foot tall. It was some kind of terrier and it was gray. He is about 15, maybe 20 ft in front of my car. Adam can probably vouch that the lights on the RSX don't light up that much of the road.

Any way, the pickup and I are both doing 40-45 MPH, or about 50 ft/sec, and by the time I see the dog and move my foot on the brake pedal, I hit the dog. It was, just a loud whack and a bunch of rumble under the car. This was also accomapanied by a little cruch which I found out about later.

I know I'm probably going to get accosted for this but, no I did not stop. I guess the occupant of the Beattle was probably the owner and I didn't want them freaking out at me. And besides, I probably would have gone off once I realized that it did damage to may car. I mean what was I going to say, "Sorry for killing your dog in front of you, but are you going to pay for my bumper?" That's just adding insult to injury.

Well here are the pics. The center grill piece was a little more messed up but it poped back into place. And the little crunch I mentioned earlier. That was me running over the two grill pieces that fit in the side openings. There was no blood on the car nor the undercarrige.
11-16-2006, 02:09 PM
Magma

At least you know what happened to the side vent thingy's, once again that sux
11-16-2006, 02:19 PM
srivendel

That sucks big time. ::Rant:: You did the right thing by moving on. The dog's owner would have been liable for your damages (legally) but you did the prudent thing by avoiding confrontation and (morally) by not rubbing salt on the owner's undoubtedly deep wound.

S.
11-16-2006, 02:21 PM
Adam Payrot

I hate the headlights, they need to light up another 20ft to be as effective as I would like. Even if they were only bright for another 5-10 ft and then faded out from there, I'd be happy.

For those that don't know, it's not a gradual fade out or even a cut-off from bright to a lower light. The lights are bright and low, and then about 30ft or so out, nothing.

That really sucks to see. At least it didn't get into the exhaust, the smell afterwards is far from pleasant.
11-16-2006, 02:21 PM
Miatamoto

Sorry to hear about this. I had a similar situation in FL when a 70lb. lab jumped out of a dark median with tall grass in front of my M3.

Ended up being 3k in damage.
11-16-2006, 02:42 PM
Billy Blaze

I would have stopped but that's just me....sounds like it was unavoidable...not much you can do in that situation.
Sorry about the car, and I feel sorry for the poor dog who happened to have negligent owners.
11-16-2006, 03:01 PM
Treibenschnell

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nexus Flux

It was some kind of terrier and it was gray.

You smooshed a terrier??
11-16-2006, 03:31 PM
Nexus Flux

It looked like it might have been a Lakeland Terrier or maybe a West Highland Terrier.

Man, now after looking at all the pics of the cute little dogs, I feel even worse.
11-16-2006, 03:47 PM
black roadster

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nexus Flux

It looked like it might have been a Lakeland Terrier or maybe a West Highland Terrier.

Man, now after looking at all the pics of the cute little dogs, I feel even worse.

Very sad for sure but it was an accident that couldn't be avoided. Don't beat yourself up for it. The car can be fixed and the cost of the damage seems to be mostly tied up in the condenser.

I'm not sure if the VW driver was the owner of the dog. Wouldn't he be out of the car trying to get the dog? More likely is he saw a stray dog in time and stopped to perhaps rescue it. :confused:
11-16-2006, 04:02 PM
sammm

Sorry to hear about the car and the pooch. :( Some things can't be controlled.
11-16-2006, 04:16 PM
Nexus Flux

Well, I just got home. Upon closer inspection, I think the radiator is toast too. The condenser dented it.

Oh and on a funny side note. I found the driver's side vent on the side of the road. It was on the side walk all the way at the intersection of Alma and Legacy.
11-16-2006, 04:29 PM
black roadster

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nexus Flux

Oh and on a funny side note. I found the driver's side vent on the side of the road. It was on the side walk all the way at the intersection of Alma and Legacy.

On a not funny side note, did you see the dog?
11-16-2006, 04:34 PM
Nexus Flux

No, I didn't really notice anything right in the spot where it happened.
11-16-2006, 07:19 PM
altiain

Sorry to hear about the damage, Nexus.

Just think - it could be worse. You could have hit something with an Elise. :punchout:
11-16-2006, 07:42 PM
POS Racing

Due to the high winds yesterday I'd bet the dog owners fence failed and they were trying to wrangle the dog back to the house. :(

Yea I guess it was good thing you continued on, if it had been my kid's dog and you had stopped I more than likely would have beaten you senseless. Sorry about all the damage to you car.
11-16-2006, 07:45 PM
Treibenschnell

Perhaps you should of stopped... :(
11-16-2006, 09:57 PM
BAM!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Treibenschnell

Perhaps you should of stopped... :(

i mean, yeah, it wouldve save you a trip to mickey d's! oh wait, youre not vietnamese?:punchout:
11-16-2006, 11:25 PM
Nexus Flux

Quote:

Originally Posted by BAM!

i mean, yeah, it wouldve save you a trip to mickey d's! oh wait, youre not vietnamese?:punchout:

I already had the McD's in the car. Like I said I stopped at the McD's at Coit and Legacy.
11-17-2006, 11:04 PM
OzCop

As a dog owner, I would have had to stop and see if there was anything I could do for the dog. Probably nothing that could have been done judging from the looks of your car. A small dog of less than 20 lbs could not have survived a hit like that...I would have had to check anyway...
That said, in our driver schools, we teach students NOT to try to avoid hitting an animal unless they have ample braking distance. Swerving to avoid contact is definitely a no-no since it could cause even worse damage and possibly injury to drivers, pedestrians, and property...
Gotta feel for the puppy dog though...as well as the owner...
11-18-2006, 01:26 AM
Nexus Flux

My only options were to:
1. Run up on the curb, hit a tree or two, and fly into oncomming cars. Bad idea, as I would have probably still hit the dog and probably totaled the car.

2. Plow into the huge pickup to my right, and either he or I would have hit the dog. Not to mention probably send the truck into the parked Beattle.

3. Hit my brakes and hit the dog.

Unfortunately for the dog, I chose option 3.
11-18-2006, 08:35 AM
Treibenschnell

Like OzCop mentioned, you chose the best option... but I just gotta feel for the folks watching the whole thing. I hope that wasn't their pet.
11-18-2006, 08:58 AM
tailchaser

Quote:

Originally Posted by Treibenschnell

Like OzCop mentioned, you chose the best option... but I just gotta feel for the folks watching the whole thing. I hope that wasn't their pet.

If it was their pet, he did them a favor by not stopping and getting their info to have them pay for the damage to his car...
11-18-2006, 09:21 AM
Treibenschnell

That's why I hoped it wasn't theirs...
11-18-2006, 09:25 AM
POS Racing

Quote:

Originally Posted by tailchaser

If it was their pet, he did them a favor by not stopping and getting their info to have them pay for the damage to his car...

Wonder how that would have gone for him if it had been Wickett or Fiona that he squished..... :(

My point of reference is this :
http://us.a2.yahoofs.com/users/43cb5...ouyXFBhNCh6JT0
11-18-2006, 09:32 AM
tailchaser

Quote:

Originally Posted by POS Racing

Wonder how that would have gone for him if it had been Wickett or Fiona that he squished..... :(

As a responsible pet owner, I fully understand that it's MY fault if my pets are out in the street. It's sad, and I'd probably be upset, but it's still my fault. There's not a thing the driver of the car can do about it.
11-18-2006, 09:39 AM
POS Racing

Quote:

Originally Posted by tailchaser

As a responsible pet owner, I fully understand that it's MY fault if my pets are out in the street. It's sad, and I'd probably be upset, but it's still my fault. There's not a thing the driver of the car can do about it.

Meh, I'll still be pissed mainly because I would have to explain to my daughter why her dog has gone to a better place.

I guess I would have put my car in the center rather than at side of the road with hazards on hoping the traffic would slow down a touch to give me a chance to wrangle the dog.

All in all a sad story for all involved.......
11-18-2006, 10:05 AM
sammm

When things happen that quickly there is no time to run thru your plan(s) of action. Your first/basic instinct is to protect yourself. It is sad when any animal is hit, but most times it's unavoidable.
11-18-2006, 11:54 AM
TurboDuane

That sucks this happens.

However, as I've matured as a driver, I've learned that when I'm coming up on a car stopped with their hazards on, to slow way down, taking the approach that, they probably know something I don't (animal loose, object in the road, whatever). I no longer assume mechanical problems when I see a car stopped.

Of course, this approach took me a mishap/near mishap or two (with similar consequences that you had Wed) before I figured this out, and I suspect you will be more leary of stopped or slowed cars in the future.

That said, I wouldn't have stopped, for fear some irrational ::Argue::dog owner like POS would want to "bring it on.::2Guns::" It wasn't your fault, and the only way to have avoided it would have been to slow way down as you approached the stopped car. Next time it might be a cow. And I'll bet next time you will be more suspsious of why the car ahead has stopped or slowed.

TD
11-18-2006, 12:29 PM
johnwag

So sorry for you car Kamil. Glad it can be repaired. This has been a depressing week!
You're not the only person with bad timing on accidents.
My friend Michael, who usually comes to the wednesday night meets with Bo, has that black RX-8. He was coming home from work on Thursday about to start his one week vacation when he gets cut off by a van and hits it. His front bumper and hood are all jacked.

If a PWR radiator for a 95-99 integra will fit your car, I've got one.
11-18-2006, 01:36 PM
Nexus Flux

Quote:

Originally Posted by TurboDuane

That sucks this happens.

However, as I've matured as a driver, I've learned that when I'm coming up on a car stopped with their hazards on, to slow way down, taking the approach that, they probably know something I don't (animal loose, object in the road, whatever). I no longer assume mechanical problems when I see a car stopped.

Of course, this approach took me a mishap/near mishap or two (with similar consequences that you had Wed) before I figured this out, and I suspect you will be more leary of stopped or slowed cars in the future.

That said, I wouldn't have stopped, for fear some irrational ::Argue::dog owner like POS would want to "bring it on.::2Guns::" It wasn't your fault, and the only way to have avoided it would have been to slow way down as you approached the stopped car. Next time it might be a cow. And I'll bet next time you will be more suspsious of why the car ahead has stopped or slowed.

TD

True, true. Having (unfortunately) gone through this, now I know better for the future.

Quote:

Originally Posted by johnwag

So sorry for you car Kamil. Glad it can be repaired. This has been a depressing week!
You're not the only person with bad timing on accidents.
My friend Michael, who usually comes to the wednesday night meets with Bo, has that black RX-8. He was coming home from work on Thursday about to start his one week vacation when he gets cut off by a van and hits it. His front bumper and hood are all jacked.

If a PWR radiator for a 95-99 integra will fit your car, I've got one.

That sucks for Michael. After seeing TC's RX-8 on Wednesday, it is a shame that it got messed up.

Thanks for the radiatior offer, but it won't fit my car.