What a week. Monday morning I was up about 6:30am, feedin' my pets, gettin' ready to jump in the shower, when my neighbor across the street rings my doorbell. I have an intercom/video camera doorbell (the front of my house is walled in and gated) and when I look at the monitor I see his grim face and my ML63 across the street behind him...but it doesnt look right. The neighbor says "hey, your car got SMASHED last night" and with that I flew outside front to find...



and...



As you can see there is a trim piece on the ground in front of my ML, also silver, but reading "Explorer Sport". Well once the shock wore off we all realized it belonged to my street's resident drunk who lives across the street and over by one house. I called the cops, they banged on his door and got him to come outside and began taking everyone's info.

I went over and looked at his car and it turned out that he did all that damage....in REVERSE!! The back of his Ford was destroyed, but parked neatly in his driveway one house away from where my car was sitting. Finally the guy comes out STILL wreaking of booze and says to me, another neighbor whom I was speaking to AND to the cop, "Oh man, I am so sorry, I just dont know what happened. I went out last night for a nice steak dinner, took a couple of Sonata sleeping pills and had a few glasses of wine. I dont even remember how I got home"

That was about the time I removed myself from the situation. I never got mad - I mean, there's nothing I can do but call the insurance company and possibly sue the guy. Although I found out later that he has been unemployed for a year and had 3 job interviews that day. In the end the cops are taking the evidence to the DA's office to seek criminal hit & run & DUI charges (for admitting taking the prescribed narcotics then causing an accident).

In case anyone was wondering - no, they didnt and couldnt do a breathalizer test on the guy. Evidently in court if there has been a long period between accident and investigation the cops have their hands tied - the person could defend themselves by saying "I was fine at the time, but was so distraught over being involved in or causing an accident, that I began drinking" So there's no way to tell, if they are still drunk like this fellow, when they did the consumption. I asked too. Bummer.

I just got a call from Geico and called the bodyshop where my car was towed and SO FAR the damage is just over $20,000 with some breaking down still to be done. The time they estimate for repairs is 2.5 months.

So there ya go - the sob story for the day!

 

WOW....
Im so sorry to hear that. That looks like more than 20 k of damage too.
Well. Thank god for insurance. What a bummer. Hope everything works out.

 

nothing like waking up to a wrecked AMG in the morning. Was your driveway full, or do you always park on the street.

 

 

Wow, that sucks big time. Sorry!

 

Glad you're okay...I'd want them to replace the vehicle being that it's BRAND NEW and doesn't even have front plates (unless you have them just on the back)....you could make a case about the loss in value of the car due to this single incident etc

 

NO! NO! NO!
This is soooo wrong on soooo many levels!!!!

Man I am soooo sorry. That really sucks. And what sucks more is that it's your neighbor and you have to live next to him still. You're a bigger man than I am, I'd have been pleaing temporary insanity right about now.

 

WOW, not a happy morning wakeup .. That is some IMPACT. Very sad indeed . Take her to AVIO COACH CRAFT in WEST LA. They will make it NEW again.

 

UNBELIEVABLE! Man I'm so sorry...I feel your pain as I was rear ended and lost my E55 less than a year ago. Do what you can to build the total repair bill as high as possible. You may get his (or your) insurance company to do a "Constructive Total Loss" meaning that they will buy the vehicle from you at fair market price and then sell it to a salvage company for repair. It's simpler for the insurance company that way because they don't have you calling repeatedly with little things that crop up after a major repair. Let the insurance adjuster know that you'll accept nothing less than a perfect repair. Also get his cell phone number and let him know you'll be calling him personally as much as needed if this repair is not done right. In as pleaseant a way as possible let him know you'll be a thorn in his side if this is not done right.

Good Luck!

 

Thanks so much for the well wishes guys. Yeah, its been a crap week alright.

To answer a couple of the questions from above - I've had the car since October of last year but never put the plates on...uhm, just in case I happen to be in an intersection with photo enforcement. Not that I run red lights...but...

My driveway is behind gates and I have 2 tandem spaces available but my SRT8 was already in the driveway when I came home and, dammit, I was just lazy and didnt feel like moving stuff around.

I heard from the other guy's insurance company today. Turns out he told them he "bumped" my car while backing into the space in front of me and just happened to forget to tell them that the police showed up. I ratted him out - told them everything - even offered to send them a copy of the police report when I get it. They said his max coverage is 5 grand and that they'll be sending over the check to my insurance this week. I'm guessing my uninsured motorist coverage will have to eat up the rest.

No matter how great the ML is when it gets back, I just dont think I can keep it. I'd always feel like it just wasnt right, I dont know how to explain it. I already contacted my guy about ordering another one although this time I'm going to special order the car in a non-factory color (probably the designo graphite) We'll see...I have 2.5 months til this one is returned to me anyhow. By then the ML's will be 2008's I think?

Edit: Thought these were interesting too. First is the guy's Explorer and the damage it suffered - I didnt get a shot of the passenger side which was mashed into a fine ball above his wheel well - but that was the worst of it.


Here is another shot of the ML. I thought this was interesting because of how defined the front crumple zone is. Not a bit of damage passes the front fender. Oh, and the impact was great enough to move my car back about 5 feet from where it had been parked too.


And no, that isnt the guy in the second pic, it was just some other neighbor out walking his dog. hehe

 

Oh man, those pictures hurt! I am glad that you are taking things in stride. Good luck with the insurance company.

 

Who has a $5K policy. His company is BSing you. There is no such thing as a $5K policy. That doesn't even cover your bumper. your insurance company is gonna sue the guy personaly.
Judging from the fact that you didn't hear what must've been a loud crash and that you drive some nice cars, I am guessing this is a nice neighborhood and since your neighbor lives there he also has money. he's about to learn why you need high limits on your insurance.

Also check to see if the guy has an umbrella policy. That's what I have which covers me against any claims for another mil.

 

My heart goes out to you, man. You seem to be taking it way better than I would. Also, I know just what you mean about not being able to keep the car, even if the repair is perfect. It will never be the same to you, so you might as well move on to a new one. Lesson learned about leaving your hot ride on the street.

 

Actually, even though I'd only had brief interactions with the guy in the 2 years he's lived across the street, this problem has been my first chance to learn more about him.

Turns out he rents a bedroom from the owner (she has lived here longer than I have and I thought they were a couple), has been unemployed for a year and his insurance coverage is the California minimum, P/L, P/D...and that just so happens to be $5,000 total to property. It would have been higher if I had been in the car at the time, though.

I did hear the crash - it was exactly 1:15am and it woke me up. Since there was that half-asleep thing right when it happened I thought it was a noise in my house, grabbed my Sig Sauer and walked around the house, found nothing and went back to bed.

i guess given his financial situation even if I or my insurance company wanted to sue him, we couldnt get much. I am looking forward to testifying in court if it ever came down to that though....like Homer to a doughnut. Mmmmmmm *drools*

 

Damn dude, I really wouldn't know what to do if I woke up to that... I'd probably be in kill mode, with a gun in my hand. Yeah I agree, to you personally that car will never be NEW to you again.

 

ouch, seems like you neighbor was going at a pretty good pace when he hit your car.

I would push for replacement than repair, then again the insurance company might not want to be the one hold the ball either.

 

so sorry to hear about your car could have been worse if he had actually hit someone.. at least youve got insurence but your ML63 looks like the termanator now

 

So, where you live, you have to park on the street??

 

Im so sorry man Park it in the garage?

 

You must really be proud of your house and cars.

 

I've become so addicted to my ML I'm not sure what I would do! I'd have to check in to a withdrawal clinic. No Really. Wait for a year cause they are sold out? Not a chance. I wonder what would happen to us Whoopsy with ICBC. I have the new vehicle replacement policy but I'm not sure if this would be enough damage for a new one. Why so long for repair? 2 1/2 months. Ouch. I think I'd have to get an E63 or CLS63 to tide me over.

I had a similar thing happen about 10 years back. Guy driving home after "one beer" in a 3/4 ton pick up. He drove into a car parked 40 feet from my almost new pathfinder on the other side of the road from the direction he was going. Pushed it the 40 feet into my truck and still did 6k+ damage to a 30k vehicle. ICBC wrote off the truck and the first car but repaired mine. I told ICBC the repair wasnt what I wanted as my resale value would take a big hit. They said too bad so sad. I asked the adjuster where that left me. His exact words- "between a rock and a hard place". Gotta love insurance companies. Needless to say I traded it in an a new one.

Good luck with your claim Archaedus.

 

...don't read so deeply into things.

I was just asking "Archaedus" what his situation was out there.

 

Holy ****!!! I'm glad you had remained calm, cause I will be in full combat mode to beat the crap out of the guy who did it and keep that going when the cops arrive. Like what others said, push Geico to get you a replacement, it might seem like a great insurance company, but they are tough to cough up any cash for its clients. I'm not saying they won't, but it will take you a lot of phone calls and a long wait, really long.... Again, sorry to read what had happened to your beautiful vehicle, I hope you are feeling a little better by now.

 

OH MY GOD! Im so sorry to hear that. YES thank God for insurance!! I've had the same thing to happen to my '01 S55 AMG..


Didn't your car alarm go off though?

 

[quote=2MANYCARS;2128844]Holy ****!!! I'm glad you had remained calm, cause I will be in full combat mode to beat the crap out of the guy who did it and keep that going when the cops arrive.[quote]

I would of lost my temper.