My Daughter Wrecked Her Car, Part IV

Here we go again...

No injuries. Not her fault.

This time it was a hit and run driver who made a left turn across her nose and then disappeared up onto the highway on-ramp. She didn't get a license plate number because he was gone before she even knew what happened, but said that it was a silver four door with dark windows and "those ghetto tail lights". The cop told her that she just described most of the cars in Waterbury and not to get her hopes up that they would be finding this particular dirtbag.

He removed the bumper cover, grill and the passenger's side lights. The hood, fender and one of the wheels were all badly damaged but fortunately, the radiator doesn't seem to be leaking and no airbags fired. Oil and coolant are still present.

I gathered up the mess the next morning and drove the car to the body shop. The car didn't overheat and seemed to go down the road nice and straight.

Still waiting for an insurance adjuster to take a look at it.

Ouch! Glad she is OK.

The hit and run aspect just adds salt tho...

She had been following her friend's car and this guy split the gap between the two of them. She hit the brakes and said that she was stopped when he hit her. Her front license plate was intact, so he must have hit her just to the left of it. She drove over the driver's side of the bumper when she was moving the car to the side of the road.

That sucks. Glad she is OK and hope there is a traffic camera at that intersection that the police can use.

How are the gaps at the hood to the left fender and at the passinger door to the crunched fender? From the photos that looks fixable but I don't know the value of that car so it may be a total even though it could be an easy fix.

In reply to dean1484:

The hood and fender are worse than they look in the photos and the fender gap is all messed up around the door, but that could just be the fender itself. It's probably cheaper to replace the hood than it is to fix the old one. Lots of broken plastic though. It's a fairly low mile car and no airbags went off so I doubt that it will be totalled.

Ugh! Glad to hear your daughter is OK and hopefully they catch the POS who hit her.

I predict $6k damage.

Glad everyone was okay.

Interested to follow along with the repair. We just bought the wife an identical 2011. On the previous 2002 Accord a parking lot speed crunch into a tree cost $1500 in hood, bumper, grill and paint.

How is the passenger door rear panel gap? If it is good then it MAY be a easy fix. It kind of looks like it was a glancing blow that because of the speed kind of pulled everything off or away from the car.

It is still going to be a big parts bill as I see lots of plastic bits that are broken.

Dark tint and ghetto tail lights in Waterbury? You're kidding! (elements of sarcasm from former town resident)

EastCoastMojo wrote: That sucks. Glad she is OK and hope there is a traffic camera at that intersection that the police can use.

There's a strong possibility that any surveillance cameras that may have been in that area have been stolen.

Glad she's alright. Good luck with the car.

Waterbury. Ugh.

Sorry man

I'm glad she's ok. I was on a roll and had three cars wrecked in a few months a couple years ago that weren't my doing. It's a sickening feeling. I wouldn't be surprised if it was totaled. A deer did $11,000 in damage to my Buick without popping the bags.

A Hummer H2 tapped my Accord rear end and caused $2,500 worth of damage. The guy who estimated $6,000 might be spot on.

Here's hoping bad things happen to the other driver...

I'm going against a lot of you, and saying it's a easy fix and not totaled. Fender/hood gaps are off because the fender is smashed. The rebar up front has replaceable brackets.

Looks to be no "frame" damage. If they total that I'd immediatly buy it back. All the damaged parts easily bolt off/on. 3500-4k guesstimate.

Doing it yourself you've got probably 1500 in parts if you go certified aftermarket.

EastCoastMojo wrote: That sucks. Glad she is OK and hope there is a traffic camera at that intersection that the police can use.

Hey, your name is red! Is that new? First time I saw that, cool man.

pinchvalve wrote: Hey, your name is red! Is that new? First time I saw that, cool man.

Some time back all of the staff & mods got red names. I think it's so newbs will respect our authority.

For reference, this is what roughly $6k in damage to a Camaro looks like (per Progressive's estimate).

Kinda crappy pic at the garage it got towed to:

And with the skin removed. Don't know how well you can see, but the whole radiator support is caved in. The frame under where the drivers side quarter panel would be is also tweaked.

I'd say $4-6k, I doubt anything is as badly bent as my car was, though I don't know how parts cost would compare.

TGMF wrote: I'm going against a lot of you, and saying it's a easy fix and not totaled. Fender/hood gaps are off because the fender is smashed. The rebar up front has replaceable brackets. Looks to be no "frame" damage. If they total that I'd immediatly buy it back. All the damaged parts easily bolt off/on. 3500-4k guesstimate. Doing it yourself you've got probably 1500 in parts if you go certified aftermarket.

This is where I was going especially if the gap at the rear of the passenger door is good. I did not see anything that indicates any structural damage. A partial frount clip from a junk yard and a day or two bolting things together and then get it painted. You could make money. The down side is the title gets dinged but document the repairs and if you use OE used parts it should not be much of an issue. If she is going to drive it in to the ground then who cares. It all really depends on if there is any frame damage.

Dude, your poor daughter gets in more wrecks than a good 'ol NASCAR short track race. Sorry to hear about it and glad she's OK.

The car isn't totaled.

Cost wise that doesn't seem all that bad to be honest. Just body damage then I'm assuming?