Well here is the short...

Bad traffic, had been driving in the HOV on the left with the wife in tow as per usual this time of day (5-6pm'ish, driving home from work).

Traffic slowed from other accidents on another highway which the lane I was in was the onramp for coming up (left lane onramp that curves off to the left to merge with a highway heading off in that direction).

So I shift over three lanes to the right most lane (legally, nothing crazy, I'm a pretty aware and alert driver, I just hate people farting along in the HOV lanes or with less than 2 people in the lane, and the lane eventually merges to the left as it ends, but its legal to drive down). I'm leisurely driving along, albeit passing a few people slowed to my left in traffic...

I get up to a point about a 1/2 mile or more from the merge and a car pulls over into my lane, which at the time I assumed he was moving over to pass a few people or something...

Obviously I needed to merge over anyway, so I slowed, turned on the turn signal, and proceeded to merge over when I was still about 3-4 car lengths from this other car...

Well the other driving wasn't having any of that... apparently he'd moved over because he felt I'd wronged him (or someone else had wrong'd him and he wasn't letting anyone else by him or something)... so he attempts to basically cut me off last minute by swerving BACK into the lane I'd just merged into about hitting me... I stood my ground where I'd legally merged and laid on the horn keeping him from making contact...

Unfortunately, this just pissed him off more as he basically gunned it and continued into my lane (when I'd honked, he was basically at his driver's door to my front bumper, and he'd moved forward so that I my bumper was at about his passenger door moving towards his rear tire when he decided to come over). Having read enough horror stories about people wrecking their cars (going off the road, hitting objects) or getting in accidents with others
(being other vehicles than the one that caused them to swerve). So I continued to stand my ground and didn't swear... I really didn't have anywhere to go really... I did slow down some, but wasn't about to slam on my brakes...

Anyway, he basically just pulled over into me... =( He made contact at my front right nose just in front of the wheel and his left rear wheel, rear quarter panel area... after the first contact, he must have hit my wheel or something because the car veered left and the steering wheel tugged to the left pulling me into him... =( This basically proceeded to spin him the hell out... guy did a complete 180 proceeding two lanes to his left and stopping facing traffic...

Thankfully he didn't hit ANYTHING... just had a bunch of annoyed drivers staring at him... I immediately pulled over and jumped out, checked the poor Max and called 911, and had state police on the way...

Unfortunately, his story contradicts mine of course, stating that I'd hit him and then purposely spun him out... all I did was stand my ground and physics did the rest... All we got was an info swap and insurance companies were called... Cops said I could go to court and press charges, which I'm considering, because the bastard had his kid (toddler) in the back seat while he was pulling all of this... thankfully mine were at home with my parents who watch them before and after school... I would NEVER have even attempted the kind of crap with kids in the car... guy should be charged with Child Endangerment... my wife said she saw he looking straight at us in his side view mirror the whole time... this guy knew what he was doing!... Then my wife was screaming at ME the whole way home because of HIM and his carelessness driving... Argh... people... anyway, the poor max took it like a man... I was going to be replacing most of the stuff that got damaged anyway, but unfortunately, I don't have collision... =/ I took it off a while ago as I only paid the bank $2500 for the car... and it was barely worth that at the time... figured insurance premiums weren't worth the cost of having collision... we'll see how things go... anyway, here are the pictures

 

For comparison... to show how bent in the passenger side is... =(



Anyway... looks like I'll need...

Fender (possibly could be pushed out)
Front Bumper (was going to replace anyway)
Corner Marker (was going to replace anyway)
Bumper Lights (was considering replacing)
Fog Lights (its completely loose in the socket... feels like its just half bolted in)
Possibly damaged the hood and headlight... the headlight looks like it might have been pushed over a little, as does the hood, but I really didn't look yet... Joy...

Argh... just wanted to vent.

Cops agreed with me about my stance and standing my ground... they agreed it was the proper thing to do... but still said there wasn't much they could do as no one else stopped, so it was just my and my wife's word against his and his wife's... joy... Cops said if I pressed charges, it would basically be the same situation, just in front of a judge, plus legal fees, etc... no fun... I'll be calling a lawyer tomorrow to inquire about his professional opinion (family friend of a good friend...).

Thanks for reading... just wanted to vent... wife was yelling at friends on the phone on the way home... guy lives within a few minutes of me in town, just what I needed... more than likely I'll see this guy again, and again, and again, as we commute down the same path everyday... joy!!! VIRGINIA DRIVERS SUCK!!!! I know I'm one of them, but Virginia Beach is such as crap area for drivers... grrrr....

Anyway, night people, I'm going to go try and find some way to relax...

 

wow, what a *****. hopefully you come out ahead here. sounds like he was in the wrong. take him to court if you have to.

 

It take 2 to tango. Had you just let the guy in, no damage would have been done.

When I see a road rage situation, I basically let the other guy win.
It keeps my car in one piece.

The win isn't worth it.

 

Well I had the thought as always... I don't like getting involved... but I wasn't about to slam on the brakes and get rearended... (there was alot of that already around, I had previously already heard three or four of them happen a few cars in front of me before this even happened).

I admit I stood my ground and possibly could have moved more... but I've seen/known/heard of people almost totaling cars doing that and then loosing control... Officials tell you, if the other car is going to hit you (which at that point it was emminent) don't swerve... I didn't...

But yeah, I'm more or less going to be repairing all of this myself...

But such is life...

 

Come to Arizona my friend, you will love your roadways...

Man, thats kinda **** gets people killed. What a *****.

 

Oh I know... I bought my '74 260Z in Phoenix and drove it home from there on Route 66 most of the way... Was a great drive!! =)

 

retard road ragers, sometimes you need to just let the other person win, find his plates, and then report him. thas all. sorry to hear about what happened, but the damage doesnt look all that bad, if you were looking to mod your car, now would be the time to collect the money and do it.

 

That kinda stuff rarely happens on the 101 here in AZ, HEAVILY patroled by DPS.

 

He did nothing wrong. While I would have hit the brakes to avoid him, I wouldn't have slammed on them--think of it this way, either way you're potentially going to be involved in an accident. The other person (who will be greatly inconvenienced, at the least) will either be the moron who's trying to "teach you a lesson" or some random guy behind you minding his own business... which would you rather?

Oh, and it also really pisses me off when people don't stop, if you see an accident right in front of you and you keep going, you need a smack upside the head unless you're needed somewhere else. It's not every day that you witness an accident.

Anyway, at the moron who spun out... you know who I'll be rooting for if you go to court, and you know who I'll be laughing at when you win.

 

Not sure if you can do this in your state, but
1. Ask for a printed police report on the incident
2. If it backs you up, is there a small claims court option?
Otherwise just get the paint equipment ready.
Sorry to see that happen to you.

 

Thanks for the support... I'm still just letting things set in at this point... I mean I don't want to teach this guy a lesson in a personal grudge way... I'm more concerned about where his priorities lie... I mean I've seen lot of people do crazy **** when I'm driving with my entire family in the car and I just shake my head and ponder the classis "where is a cop when you need him" thoughts...

I'm really just glad nothing more came of it... it could have been really bad... I mean I watched a LOT of people just fly by long after the accident happened just BARRELLING by in the right most lane right next to us... some really cutting others off... its just crazy what some people don't care about... namely being the lives of others... =( I'm the type I try and move over a lane when I pass an emergency vehicle on the side of the road or a disabled vehicle, and I've been known to stop for people when it looks like I might be able to lend a hand or if I think they might not have a cell phone... but yeah this time... no one stopped... no one even asked if we were ok... nothing... everyone just kept driving like they'd seen nothing out of the ordinary... =( I mean I had just seen a guy about nail another poor guy similar to this about a week ago (he cut over two lanes of traffic and about wrecked this poor guy in a Volvo who almost over reached to trying to get out of his way). The nutjob actually clipped the volvo (pulled the bumper cover out at a 45 degree angle from the front of the car) and took off... I passed the Volvo after he'd regained control (I had been slowly passing him anyway before all this happened but hadn't yet reached him thankfully as I'd been staying behind the nutjob watching him in traffic) and attempted to catch up to the other car (he happened to be getting off at my normal exit) and I was going to right down his plate number and call it in as a hit and run, but he cut off some other traffic, jumped over from the offramp into a left turn lane around some traffic and disappeared before I could get a look... =( People around here are nuts man... =( I must have passed at least 4 accidents prior to mine occuring, and there was already at least two other majors ones that were causing for all of the backups (I subscribe to Traffic.com Traffic Alerts for my daily commutes). I drive this route every day, Monday through Friday, each morning, and each night... 20 miles each way... =( should be interesting tomorrow.

Side note:
Checked the lights on the car... everything works suprisingly, except for the front right turn signal (inner most light out of everything, and it doesn't work, go figure!) I mean even the corner marker lights up... but the turn signal burned out... go figure... Maybe i"ll win the lottery tomorrow with my luck and I'll be able to afford to fix the car...

Well I really wasn't looking for support, or trying to rile anyone up... was really just trying to vent... which everyone does... but thank you all for the support and/or comments, despite which side they're bias towards... I know I didn't do the most intelligent thing in the world... most would say I should have tried to avoid it... but like I said, I'd already almost been rearended about 3 times PRIOR to this even occuring, and that was just when I'd mildly braked and left a lot of room in front of me (braking early) and I was still almost rearended... I'm about 99% sure if I'd slammed on them for this, I really would have been rearended... but it still doesn't justify things... my only hope is that the other guy thinks twice before ever putting anyone, especially his family, in jeopardy like that again. =(

 

Cops here won't file a report unless the damage is severe enough or vehicular charges are filed... neither of which occured (our stories while similar, conflicted on key points, mainly being who was at fault/caused what etc, and there were no other witnesses to testify to either of our accounts of the events other than our wives, which obviously they would back their husbands up, at least I know mine backed my story, and I'm fairly certain his would back up his). So, I'm up a creek on that one...

=( I'm not sure yet if court is an option... to be honest, the only thing that might come of it is teaching the other guy a lesson of sorts, at my expense... which I'm really not looking to do... it would be a lot of time and legal fees up front, without the guarantee of a win on my side... Really my only chance would be if the guy has a history of this sort of thing and my insurance company finds out from speaking with his... but we'll see where things go...

 

I hate people that do things like that just because they are mad you are getting a head of them. I personally though do not think it was a good Idea for you to hit him. VA law states that If you hit someone in the rear it is your fault.

 

That sucks, sorry to hear.

 

yup.....when ppl cut u off most of the time cops will see a 50/50 fault......cause u cant prove it wasnt u who did it.. they say it could b either of u who did it....i had 2 accidents already where u bump sides (i was cut off twice =/....) and insurence than later say.......police report didnt really specify whose fault it is....and judgin by pictures either of u could of done it.....so we r only paying u 50% of the damage...
so hopefully none of u will have to go throw this.....but make sure police report will clearly state whose fault it was.

 

I'm sure you felt it was right to stand your ground but is it really worth getting into an accident for?

If traffic was bad I'm sure you weren't going fast enough that you needed to worry about being rear ended if you slammed on your brakes.

 

was there a passenger in the truck? if not you have the upper hand because you have your wife as a witness. no witness you loose. Thats why i believe every car should have a camera, just for situatiions like this.

 

You did hit him, "stand your ground" and "wasn't about to slam the brakes" sounds like you could have avoided this but didn't. Why didn't you just stop and let him go by? You don't need any room L or R to do that. This accident will either be 50/50 or your fault...was it worth it to " stand your ground"??
This is what happens when road rage takes over......

 

i had a similar accident when some guy on my left side just decided to move into my lane and hit my left front fender. it was 100% his fault in the end.

good luck.

 

That is crazy man! I had the same exact thing happen to me cept I had enough room to swerve so the guy didnt hit me. Then at the next stop light he started to get out of his car and tell me he was going to kick my **** I was just about to hop out and educate this dood when I noticed his baby in a car seat in the back. My only reaction was "you did that with your child in the back? you are a effin moron." He just looked at me didnt say anything, and got back in his car and drove off.

Anyway, hope it all works out for you.

 

That sux bud. Start checking the F/S forum there are always part outs going...

 

that sucks, your a better man than me, I would have got out and stuck him right in the mouth for driving like a idiot and make him pay to fix my car.

 

i have structurally identical damage on my max, right between the fender and the bumper. the only difference is no tire marks. id be interested in hearing how youd go about fixing this. from what i can see there is a metal bar thats bent in on my car.

 

Z31 turbo 16" wheels FTW. Sorry about the accident. This is what happens when people just assume everyone will get out of the way.

 

Yeah... brother had wrecked his '86 Turbo a few years ago... had them laying around with tires so I started driving on them a while ago... tires are shot though.

I've already talked to a few people I found on eBay for parts... one guy is quoting me $238.90 shipped for a fender, and both bumper covers (brand new OEM quality replacement parts) which I might take them up on... =) Its an eBay vendor, but eh... I may end up painting it myself in the end... I've got all the equipment laying around and a few old body parts in the attic I could play with... we'll see...

The major kicker... I just checked the front turn signal on that side because it wasn't working... cracked the bulb socket and blew the bulb... I changed it out and its working now, but the socket is going to have to be replaced... I also cracked my washer fluid resovoir because I just tried to fill it and I've got a nice little stream coming out from under the car... joy. I'm tempted to fix the fender to be honest... but at only $238.90 shipped for it and both bumper covers (which I needed anyway)... f' it. lol. But then I'll need new corner markers, new bumper lights, possibly a new headlight... hood was already tweaked from before... argh. Oh well, it will all work it self out in the end.

To be honest, as most are saying, I should have braked and tried to avoid things... but it just happened to quick... it wasn't like he'd been swerving at me for 5 miles or something... I literally drove up behind him, moved over, he attempted to cut me off, I honked, he gunned it and moved over into it... I mean it literally happened as quickly as you read that sentence and it was over... =/ But to be honest, today I found myself keeping my distance from pretty much everyone on the highway... including this crazy old bat in a Catillac Deville that was swerving around in her own lane on her damn cell phone... then I saw a Z06 and a Cobra attempting to road race in rush hour traffic... fools... I actually considered calling the state police... I can't believe I even had that thought... man am I getting old... =(

 

damages dont look too bad... btw i just bought a brand new fender it costed me only 49$... so the parts shouldnt be a problem. If you lived closer to me ii could even help you paint them But good luck with your car and you should definately take him to court, get a good lawyer and u will have a great chance to win this.