My Prius was written off on Friday night. I was driving and have short-term amnesia, so I don't know exactly what happened. The accident was at an intersection. See pic: [attachmentid=12247] So now I'm in the market for an '08 Prius or possibly a Camry Hybrid. Still waiting on the police report to know where the blame lies, but just glad my 3 kids, buckled into the back, were completely unhurt.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(pearsonrj @ Oct 29 2007, 08:29 PM) [snapback]532187[/snapback]</div> Looks like the car did its job. The passenger area looks untouched. Glad everyone is ok!
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(hampdenwireless @ Oct 29 2007, 08:42 PM) [snapback]532198[/snapback]</div> Wow. Yes, same here. So glad nobody was hurt. Keep us posted when you find out what happened.
Yeah, I'm really glad first of all that everyone is ok.... Second, I'm very happy to see that the Prius holds up so well, and that we are all safe in our cars.
I echo the sentiment of being glad that the occupants were okay. The Prius gets pretty high scores from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, which is something of a reassurance.
Thank goodness and any higher power you have that you were not injured and that the children are safe as well. How fast do you think you were moving? Did you slam into someone?
It's a shame about the car, but that's not what counts. Doesn't even matter what happened ultimately as long as nobody was hurt. I hope the "other driver," if other vehicle(s) were involved, fared as well.
Wow! Great to hear you and the kids are all OK. Good to know that the car did what it is supposed to do and that is to protect the occupants first.
Hello, I want to let other know about my Prius too. I brought for my wife (actually it's her turn to get a new car) a 2007 Prius package #2 on April. 2 week ago she got into an accident that total the car. That damage is very similar to you too. What happen was an 67 years old lady driving a nissan maxima on an 3 lane interstate of 494 in Minnesota, Minneapolis near Mega Mall or Mall of America.Her car some how die and she stop on the free way on right most lane and leave it there on the right most lane, on a major freeway and walk to the shoulder without turn any light on or emergency light becon on. The nissan is a tan color and it's was 8:40 am and with light rainning condition and the road is wet with raining. My wife came along on the right most lane which is a slow lane. She was trying to be caution in the rainning condition. She saw a car and thought that car was at the same speed as she was which about 55-60. By the time she realize the car is dead in the water, she was about 3 to 4 car length at 50-60 mph. She slamped the brake but it's was way too close and too late. The car veer to the left slighty before impact due to wet road condition. The impact cause engine buckel up ward, the transmission drop down ward, the wheel bend back ward..but the driver compartment remain intact. Since it's was light raining and the road is wet, I'm guessing her impact speed is around 40 to 45mph. The car spin 3 times, air bag deployed,lucky there was a break in the traffic and she didn't get a secondary impact. The first responder vehice and state trooper and the toll truck arrive within minutes if not seconds because traffic management people watch the on the camera and call the first response truck to get there as fast as they can. When they realise this is an accident that will happen, they call the state trooper and toll truck in advance because it's not if the accident is going to happen but how soon. then minutes latter my wife arrived and they watch it all in real time of the impact. her injury was a left knee bruises, chest pain, pelvic pain (Pelvic pain a day latter) and general body pain due to high velocity impact (doctor description) and due to the air bag deployed. She have 6 xray on her chest cavity and pevil and a CAT scan. She didn't have any neck injury or neck pain. and the Xray and CAT scan review no internal bone or tissue damage. Lucky all my 3 kids was in their proper places at the time, at school and day care. My wife alone in the car. I'm thanking a thousand times to my Ancestor, my Dad, my Buddha that my wife didn't have any long term injury such as paralized or broke knee or neck. The car damage very similar to you with the exception that it's more to the driver side. Since the car is within 1 year and less than 15K miles, the insurance replace it 100% including the payments I made from April to 2 week ago( by the way the insurance is Liberty Mutual...give them a try) I'm in progress of securing a new Prius. it's all matter of color (Silver Pine Mica) and sale price. This is my first total ever and first major accident in 20 years. I 'm quite impress with the Prius and now to hear that kids in the back straped down have no injury in accident, I slapping down my hard earned money to reward Toyota for their excellent safety design. By the way, my wife first sentence when she call me in a shaking voice is " Honey I crash the Prius, I'm sorry". Her second sentense is " I don't know what happened. The car just appear in front of me. and I couldn't stop" I assured her that "I don't care about the Prius, I can buy a new Prius but I can't buy a new you, where are you hurt"
The wonders of modern engineering, airbags and seatbelts!! Very glad to see no one was hurt and everything worked how it was designed to. Remember the days we didn't use seatbelts? what would have happened then? The real up side if there is one is you can hunt for a new Prius and there may be some second hand parts available.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(LamPrius @ Oct 31 2007, 01:24 AM) [snapback]532782[/snapback]</div> A failed alternator would explain the dead Maxima and it doesn't sound like there was enough time to place a flare behind the car. I'm glad everyone involved is OK. The Prius is sturdier than it looks.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(JimN @ Oct 31 2007, 06:33 PM) [snapback]533198[/snapback]</div> No it wouldn't. You can start and drive a car without an alternator. I've driven miles all the way to the repair shop with just the battery to provide power to the ignition system. I've even driven short distances (a few blocks) without a fan belt, though I would recommend being very careful since no fan belt means the water pump doesn't turn on most cars. On most cars, a failed alternator will either light up a warning light, or show up on the voltmeter as low voltage, giving the driver plenty of time to get off the road and to a repair shop. There was no reason for the car to be stopped in a traffic lane. The only explanation for the car stopped in a traffic lane is gross negligence/incompetence. That driver should have their license yanked. Their incompetence almost cost someone their life.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(h2photo @ Oct 31 2007, 10:36 PM) [snapback]533223[/snapback]</div> It certainly could explain it, if the driver did jus as you describe. If the alternator is not working the car will function until the battery is drained. The battery may have provided enough power to get the maxima onto but not off the highway.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(rsrobn @ Nov 1 2007, 10:24 AM) [snapback]533448[/snapback]</div> Only an idiot would get onto the freeway with the voltmeter reading low or a warning light lit on the dash. Even then, why wouldn't you point the car off the road and onto the shoulder while you coasted to a stop, rather than stopping in a traffic lane?
To get back to the OP: I think it's very common to not remember what happened in an accident like this. I'm guessing you passed out momentarily on impact and your brain didn't have the time to form a memory of the event. However: if you ever do find out what happened, I for one would be interested to know. Were there any witnesses? I assume your insurance co is interviewing whoever they can find to figure out what happened (unless you live in a no-fault insurance state, that is). Glad you're OK, and that you will be able to get a new Prius.
Quick update. GEICO has confirmed that the car is a total loss. I'm getting $23,500 for the car (purchased June 2005, with 22,000 miles on it). I'm pleased with how it has retained it's value. Still no police report so the question of liability is not known. Anyway, looking at a 2008 Touring with Package 6, in silver or the green/mica. Although I have to say a loaded Camry Hybrid looks pretty sweet too...
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(priusenvy @ Oct 31 2007, 10:51 PM) [snapback]533250[/snapback]</div> I'd agree in most cases, but I had the exception to the rule happen some years ago. I was running down the interstate in 1998 or so and the car died without warning, losing electrical power as it stalled. I did manage to coast to the shoulder (75 mph of momentum helps). It turned out that the negative battery terminal had some kind of stress crack and just snapped at that exact moment. We actually put a new battery in it in place (broad shoulder, thankfully) and it was fine again thereafter. I never fully understood why the alternator didn't keep the car going in the absence of the battery- most cars will run without a battery once they're started- but one way or another, I was sitting on the shoulder.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(wyounger @ Nov 6 2007, 09:05 PM) [snapback]535881[/snapback]</div> That's because an alternator cannot supply power without the field current supplied by the battery. A generator (for you younger owners) has a magnetic field and can supply power even if the battery fails.
