Prius involved in head-on collision near Portland, OR

Thanks for the lessons, guys. Here's hoping the the actual results match expectations.

I was under the front of the car today (doing my first ever oil change, btw), and noticed what appears to me to be a multi levered arm attached to the underside of the engine. With this thread in mind, I wondered if the device is meant to leverage the engine verticaly in a head on crash.

Update:

"

Life Flight air ambulance transported the driver of the Celica, Katie Rondhuis, 19, to Oregon Health & Science University Hospital where she is in critical condition, said Bobbie Gregg with Washington County Fire District No. 2.

The driver of the Toyota Prius, Janine Debacker, and passenger Allyson Scroggs were transported by ambulance to Legacy Emanuel Hospital with lesser injuries, Gregg said. Both were wearing seatbelts and the airbag was deployed.
"

 

I am certainly happy to have purchased my Prius when I see pics like this. That passenger cabin looks pretty intact.
The engine compartment in my 2001 Tacoma was made to pretty much buckle so that the weight of the main parts was not centered thereby reducing the likelihood of infringement into the passenger compartment. I got creamed by a Super Cab Chevy from the left side. Really wiped out the front of the truck but I walked with seatbelt burns to my neck.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(EricGo @ Apr 1 2006, 07:07 PM) [snapback]233529[/snapback]</div>

Well let's hope you never need to find out the actual results!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(DaveinOlyWA @ Apr 1 2006, 12:00 PM) [snapback]233413[/snapback]</div>

My wife and I were in a head-on while driving the Prius. The airbags deployed nicely. She was the only one to get into the ambulance, but was relatively lucky only to get a little back pain and a nasty seatbelt burn across the chest. The burn faded, but, interestingly, reappeared (1 1/2 years!) as necrosis on her breast (lumps resembling cysts, but no water inside, also no cancer).

I was happy the car gave its all for us. Also interesting was the value assigned by the insurance company: a totalled new car was evaluated at only a few hundred dollars less than full price! They couldn't find any used Prius going for any less. Be nice to have a thread about resale prices.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(EricGo @ Apr 1 2006, 05:07 PM) [snapback]233529[/snapback]</div>

Since this has been brought up again, a quick google brings up what happened to these people:

Katie Rondhuis (Celica): Died two weeks later as a result of the accident.

A Oregon State Police news release confirms her death:
http://www.oregon.gov/OSP/NEWSRL/news/04_1...6_shuterd.shtml

Here is her MySpace page, where friends and family posted touching tributes to her:
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fusea...iendid=25260005

Janine Debacker and passenger Allyson Scroggs (Prius): Both survived the accident with non-life threatening injuries (that's all it said):

http://www.oregon.gov/OSP/NEWSRL/news/04_1...6_shuterd.shtml

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(VinceDee @ Oct 19 2006, 03:42 PM) [snapback]335214[/snapback]</div>

Any death like this is sad , but it is good to know the Prius is built to take it.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(EricGo @ Apr 1 2006, 07:09 AM) [snapback]233377[/snapback]</div>

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(EricGo @ Apr 1 2006, 05:07 PM) [snapback]233529[/snapback]</div>

My dealer told me both the electric motor and the ICE drop vertically down to the ground in the event of a head-on collision.

He even used wide, exaggerated motions with his arms to demonstrate.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Manksgloob @ Oct 20 2006, 04:26 PM) [snapback]335806[/snapback]</div>

This reminds me of when I was in the final stages of purchasing my TCH.

I wanted to know "everything" that was available as an option for the 2007 TCH (factory, port and dealer installed) to see if there was anything else I wanted. He mentioned Lo-Jack. My response was that with the Engine Immobilizer installed, I didn't see where Lo-Jack would help that much since a "normal" joy-rider wouldn't be able to over-ride the SKS and Immobilizer that easily. (And if they could, Lo-Jack would be child's play.)

His response was that the Engine Immobilizer's function was to angle the engine down to keep it from intruding into the passenger compartment in case of a violent crash. I told him that I had been looking at the PC and Camry Chat, along with many other references and that he was mistaken. And that the engine mounting links and crumple zones (or whatever the official terminology is) have been standard on cars for at least 10 to 15 years.