Totalled my S today....so I confirmed my Model 3 First Production order

[DFibRL8R]

Thanks for sharing this video and glad you are ok.

This could have been much worse especially if it was more of a frontal impact or if the other vehicle was taller (full-sized truck/SUV or a commercial vehicle), as these can go up and over a sedan in offset frontal collisions.

+1 for dash cams. Mine came in handy when an SUV waiting to turn left gave up and decided instead to back into my Model S at a light. Based on the damage, it would be easy to claim I rear ended them but the dash cam showed the truth.

 

[DFibRL8R]

I'm curious how the other car fared. It looks like a smaller 2 door Mercedes so much less mass than the Model S. Sounds like the driver was ok. I would predict that might not be the case if you had met more directly (offset frontal impact) as opposed to the side swipe that occurred. Your avoidance maneuver may have saved his life!

 

[e-FTW]

I don't know. The cops did come and file a report and they didn't tell me it was a stolen vehicle. I think it was his dad's, as that was the first call he made. I suspect he wasn't supposed to be driving it.



Mostly price and size. The S was a very big car for me, so I was really looking forward to getting a P model 3 (my original plan). Thought a smaller car with crazy performance would be a LOT of fun. I was going to test drive one before ordering, but this sort of threw everything out of whack. I would probably have bought another used S if I had gone that route, so I just decided to take the plunge and buy the 3. I believe it will still be a very safe car, and I am looking forward to gaining TACC.

I'll buy the P model 3 once AP 4 is out.

We both had the same plan (and color). I got the S because I could not wait, but the P 3 remains the plan.
What will you do for the next year?

 

[JohnSnowNW]

Glad you're okay, sorry about the car.

 

[EinSV]

As odd as it is, I hope this is correct. After sleeping on it, he could have been reaching down into the passenger seat or something too. He wasn’t real clear on what happened after the accident.

It’s much easier to think he just made a dumb mistake than to contemplate the idea that he was intentionally trying to hit me.

Glad you are safe!

Since the other driver mentioned having a lot going on in his life and that he was a bit messed up a very plausible explanation is that rather than anything malicious he just got lost in thought and crossed the road. I was surprised to learn that most "distracted driving" fatalities (and presumably serious accidents) apparently are just that simple:

1. Generally distracted or “lost in thought” – 62%. By far the biggest cause of distracted driving fatalities is a driver’s mind wandering for long enough to lead to a collision—and someone’s death. Top 10 Causes of Distracted Driving—and What They All Have in Common | SafeStart

I am sure you will love your Model 3, despite the circumstances ....

 

[powertoold]

Would have rolled over in another car

Glad everyone is ok

 

[Skidmark]

That dash camera video was amazing...glad you're safe.

 

[Twiglett]

Wow. Glad you’re ok, with great reaction time as well
Definitely going to get a dash cam now

 

[voip-ninja]

Would have rolled over in another car

Glad everyone is ok

I'm not sure why you say that, rollovers in collisions between two sedans, even at those speeds and angles are extremely uncommon.

I'm really glad the OP is okay. The person who hit them is an extremely irresponsible person. This looks like a combination of distracted driving as well as someone who was driving uninsured.

The cops aren't going to do squat about it even with the damning dash cam video. They've got bigger fish to fry like writing tickets for people going 10mph over the speed limit. Because everyone "walked away" this is really no big deal to them. Speaking from experience when my wife was rear-ended by a driver with no insurance and no license and the cops just didn't care about it.

OP insurance company might go after them through wage garnishment or other legal means considering the size of this claim. However the OP might best be served by retaining their own lawyer and suing the owner of the vehicle... who, I guess, if they are smart will claim the car was stolen.

This is also why we carry a 2M umbrella and I really urge everyone to have one. We could loan our car to someone and they could do something like this that results in a major tragedy that would go out of scope of our regular coverage.

 

[masamitsu]

I am thinking possible suicide. Or just a terrible time to text on his phone. He seemed coherent, but he made comments that a lot of things were going on in his life and he was a bit messed up.

Thanks for all the well wishes. I remember seeing him, swerving to try and miss and then BANG airbags everywhere. A few passerby were amazed we were both OK. He was probably lucky he was in a Mercedes, another very safe car.

Going to head to the tow yard tomorrow to delete my info on the car and gather any remaining belongings (the car was still powered up when they loaded it on the the tow truck). Will get to test out my Ameriprise coverage with this. I went ahead and placed the 3 order so that can proceed while the insurance works itself out. I can't imagine any resolution other than a total.

Glad you're doing well and love the positive attitude.

I'm very interested in this as well as I'm a Amerprise customer too.

 

[asterothe]

Oh My! Glad you are OK. This is crazy. Is the other driver in jail already?
What if he caused your life or your loved ones in the car.
BTW what's the dash cam you are using?

 

[Davec808]

Holy cow! Glad you are ok. Good thing you had a video to prove what happened. Can I ask what kind of video recording system that was? Your video makes me want to buy one.

 

[albatore]

Next buy of carguru

 

[BLKMDL3]

Holy crap! Hope your OK. Enjoy your 3!

 

[DFibRL8R]

Can I ask what kind of video recording system that was? Your video makes me want to buy one.

That's a Blackvue DR650S (says in the bottom right of the recording). I have the same model. 2 cameras, one faces front, one faces rear and records on a micro SD card.

 

[Az_Rael]

I'm curious how the other car fared. It looks like a smaller 2 door Mercedes so much less mass than the Model S. Sounds like the driver was ok. I would predict that might not be the case if you had met more directly (offset frontal impact) as opposed to the side swipe that occurred. Your avoidance maneuver may have saved his life!

The front driver quarter of his car was pretty trashed. He was able to exit his door and it looked like all his airbags had gone off. My husband looked at the video quite a bit and thinks maybe he also swerved away from me at the very last second. But yeah, it was almost that most dangerous of accidents: the offset frontal. I have heard it is almost better to steer into the other car to force a full head on vs getting an offset, but you would have to be super human to figure that out in the accident. Every normal person is going to swerve away as I did.

We both had the same plan (and color). I got the S because I could not wait, but the P 3 remains the plan.
What will you do for the next year?

Well, my 3 order was still showing 4 week delivery when I confirmed it, so I am hoping to have my 3 in late January early Feb. I had previously clicked the "delay my order" button, but it turns out Tesla is glad for you to change your mind at any time, and the original order option was still on My Tesla.

BTW what's the dash cam you are using?

Holy cow! Glad you are ok. Good thing you had a video to prove what happened. Can I ask what kind of video recording system that was? Your video makes me want to buy one.

I am using a BlackVue 650S. They are the standard it seems for Teslas. I actually like the video quality out of a Street Guardian that I used to own, but it doesn't offer dual cameras or a parking cam option.

 

[Stuart21]

Did you apologise for interrupting his texting?

 

[Davec808]

Awesome thank you

 

[asterothe]

I am using a BlackVue 650S. They are the standard it seems for Teslas. I actually like the video quality out of a Street Guardian that I used to own, but it doesn't offer dual cameras or a parking cam option.

Thank you . How did you install it?
Also shouldn't he be arrested?

 

[RedOctober]

I am thinking possible suicide. Or just a terrible time to text on his phone. He seemed coherent, but he made comments that a lot of things were going on in his life and he was a bit messed up.

Thanks for all the well wishes. I remember seeing him, swerving to try and miss and then BANG airbags everywhere. A few passerby were amazed we were both OK. He was probably lucky he was in a Mercedes, another very safe car.

Going to head to the tow yard tomorrow to delete my info on the car and gather any remaining belongings (the car was still powered up when they loaded it on the the tow truck). Will get to test out my Ameriprise coverage with this. I went ahead and placed the 3 order so that can proceed while the insurance works itself out. I can't imagine any resolution other than a total.

Glad to see you survived such an ordeal. Well if he was suicidal I guess he is locked up in a mental institution for the safety of the public and himself. If suicide wasn’t the real reason and texting or impaired was, I hope he was charged criminally.