Saturday, January 9, 2016

Mazda Miracle

I am obviously meant to do something great in my latter years, as I truly thought it was all over on Wednesday.
I was traveling along the Geelong freeway going to Aireys Inlet, just past the on ramp to the Ring Rd. There was nothing in front of me or behind and I saw a truck a bit further back.
Settled down with cruise control at 100 and then felt a bang on the driver side rear, glanced back but saw nothing as then the car was shooting forward and then  spun to the right across the Freeway lanes.
No other cars seemed to be there (thanks god) but I was heading for the median strip, a grassed ditch with a metal rail in the middle and the oncoming traffic from Geelong.
Unable to slow or stop the car, I just let go of the steering wheel, closed my eyes briefly and thought, 'well this is it"
Then a huge crash and next moment I am travelling sideways along the middle lane and through the driver window, I could see a radiator and a bull bar. and we slowly came to a stop…uninjured!!!!
In retrospect I realise the truck must have clipped me as he changed lanes (but why he didn't wonder where I was when I had been ahead of him ) but I didn't see him and no other cars witnessed it only the crash when he hit me broadside.
It was such a square on crash that the airbags didn't deploy and I didn't even have a seat belt bruise.
It was a truck like this but only one trailer

This is the view of me the truck would have had as he made contact
Reflections make it hard to see the concavity of the bang
Those who stopped were stunned I was OK too.
The impact marks extend from the rear wheel to the front
If i had been less than central to the lane I would have been flipped in either directions and the result very different.
So had it assessed today (it drives fine) and they feel it is just the whole right side replacement not a write off. But have to pay an excess as I can't prove he hit me, and he didn't realise he had.
The dent just above the wheel is the initial bump I think
The door has an almost 40% dent
The wheels were undamaged and the guys at the accident pull the frame off the wheel 
The door doesn't open without serious heft!
So you can see why I feel like it was miracle!
Mazda advertise the extended safety frame of the car. It worked!!
But I feel jinxed.
This car has been hit (by others) 3 times now and I never had an accident before I got it.

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