I’m going to use the street names from the town that the accident occurred in. Kansas Expressway is a two-lane divided highway. It town, it has numerous stoplights, and functions as a large road. Atlantic Ave. is a minor road that intersects Kansas Exp.
6:45AM
I am driving a 1997 Buick LeSabre, heading Southbound on Kansas Expressway, right lane. I have a green light as I approach the intersection of Kansas and Atlantic. Several cars on the Northbound side of Kansas Expressway are in the left-hand turning lane. They have a green light on yield. Four cars turn in front of me. I am far enough away from the intersection that it is not a problem, and I only slow slightly as a precaution.
6:46AM
I enter the intersection of Kansas and Atlantic, driving 40 mph, and realize with a shock that a 5th car has decided to turn from the left-hand turning lane of Northbound Kansas Expressway onto Atlantic. I am already in the intersection as the driver in a 1990 Ford Ranger XLT attempts to barrel in front of me. I have only 10 feet in which to make any decision. I cannot remember if the left lane beside me is empty or not, so I choose to slam the brakes and stay in my lane. My brakes lock up, and I impact the passenger side of the pick-up truck, directly behind the cab. At impact, I throw one hand up to block the air bag as it deploys. My car imbeds itself in the side of the truck, and both spin together towards the right. My southbound vehicle is now pointing almost west, and his west bound truck is pointing north, northeast. Not knowing if the dust/smoke in the air is from the airbags or from the engine smoking, I unlock the door, and shove it open. The engine is appears to be smoking slightly, so I run around both vehicles to the driver’s door of the truck. The driver is okay, and he exits his truck. I ask him if he has a cell phone with which to call 911. He replies in the affirmative, and calls 911 immediately. Another truck pulls up alongside of the wreck, and the driver rolls down the window. He tells me “As long as the both of you are okay, I can’t stay, cause I have to get to work. I saw the accident happen though, and if you need a witness to prove that it was his fault, you can contact me at this number.” He hands me a piece of paper with his name and number on it. I thank him, and he drives off.
6:48AM
I return to my vehicle to search for my cell-phone, which appears to have been lost. I find it. As I’m standing outside my vehicle, trying to sort it all out, a good friend of the family’s drives by, and sees me standing there. He pulls over, and instructs me on what information to get from the other driver, and helps me to get my belongings from the vehicle.
Long story short: The other driver was ticketed (I’m not sure the exact citation). My car was towed to the lot, with damages as follows: Both front airbags deployed, hood crumpled in two on itself, front right end of vehicle smashed in, and anti-freeze fluid leaking. His car was drivable, with damages as follows: Side of truck smashed in nearly 1.5 feet. Passenger door dented.
Other bits and pieces of description:
A bird (slightly smaller then a robin, tan, with black specks) lay dead outside my drivers door. It was unmangled, unsmashed, and there was no blood.
A man in scrubs from St. John's stopped and asked if we were okay. After assuring him we were both okay, he left. He was wearing tan scrubs and a dark blue jacket.
My car is worth 2000-2300 bucks, according to Kelly's Blue Book.
