Y
YESZREE
Guest
Death of a King(rightfully renamed)
This is a sad story.:cry
I had to go to see a client of mine last Saturday morning in Ft. Lauderdale,Fl. I hadn't driven the Beast in a while, so the weather looked good and I said let's go!
I was driving for about an hour when the "sys" indicator started on the dash. At the same time, I couldn't power up. So I pull into the Advanced auto parts store and got a new Optima battery and replaced the fuse to the power up sequence.
All is normal now and we are running great. As I appproached the Florida Turnpike (this is a toll road that connects Orlando to Miami) the weather turns nasty...fast. I'm on the toll road for about 10 minuites and from nowhere I heard a thump under the car.
I couldn't tell what it was, but instantly I started spinning around. There was no other traffic, thank goodness. It was also raining very bad. Visibility was very poor. Instantly I lose control and begin performing about three, 360 degree turns and go into the soft shoulder on the passenger side. At this time I have no point of reference, only disoriented from the spinning.
Before I know it, the car completely rolls over and returns onto it's wheels. But now, facing in the opposite direction as when the roll started. It must have looked like a "Ballerina" spinning around as it turned over. The area that it stopped was inches from the wooded area on the side of the road.
There is now no glass left except pieces of the windshield, and the roof panel has popped off. When the car was rolling the roof came off before the roll was complete so I got pummeled into the mud as I was strapped in the seat. There was mud packed around my shoulders and in my face. Through all of this I walked away with bruses and a cut across the bridge of my nose from my sunglasses.
As I climbed out of the top of the car (the doors were jammed) some passers by stopped and helped me. They were great. Here I am bleeding and full of mud and they were kind enough to let me sit in their new Lexus SUV. We called the State Police and about 5 min's the ambulance was there and the Police showed up about 15 min's later.
I declined to go to the hospital as I was fully aware and very very lucky. Although I am a christian and am full prepared to leave this life, facing that possibility is surreal.
And to top it off the Doggone' Troupper gave me a ticket!!!! Failure to control my vehicle! Go figure.
It seems that the Beast has been reduced to parts. The engine and drive train is intact but the body is shot. The insurance company says it's a total loss.
Looks like there is going to be a LT5 on the market soon. I don't thing I am going to get involved in the salvage, it's too heartbreaking for me. It's bad enough I am looking at my"YESZREE" license plate here in the den.
I still do not know what happened since originally I thought that it was hydro-planeing due to the water on the road. All four tires are flat, with the drivers front completely off of the rim. So it could have been a blowout? Due to the instantanious nature of the incident I am tending to lean to the blowout theory.
Glad to be alive!!
Stay safe and help me find another beast! This time one that's already built, like a 368 or a 415 cu.in. motor.
Later...I'll be Back (as Arnould would say)
P.S. The Trouper tells me that if I would have gone into the woods (a few more feet) the water moccasins are breeding and they would have attacked me as they are very aggressive and if I would have layed there any length of time, the gators would have had their way with me.
Dangerous place this Florida!
This is a sad story.:cry
I had to go to see a client of mine last Saturday morning in Ft. Lauderdale,Fl. I hadn't driven the Beast in a while, so the weather looked good and I said let's go!
I was driving for about an hour when the "sys" indicator started on the dash. At the same time, I couldn't power up. So I pull into the Advanced auto parts store and got a new Optima battery and replaced the fuse to the power up sequence.
All is normal now and we are running great. As I appproached the Florida Turnpike (this is a toll road that connects Orlando to Miami) the weather turns nasty...fast. I'm on the toll road for about 10 minuites and from nowhere I heard a thump under the car.
I couldn't tell what it was, but instantly I started spinning around. There was no other traffic, thank goodness. It was also raining very bad. Visibility was very poor. Instantly I lose control and begin performing about three, 360 degree turns and go into the soft shoulder on the passenger side. At this time I have no point of reference, only disoriented from the spinning.
Before I know it, the car completely rolls over and returns onto it's wheels. But now, facing in the opposite direction as when the roll started. It must have looked like a "Ballerina" spinning around as it turned over. The area that it stopped was inches from the wooded area on the side of the road.
There is now no glass left except pieces of the windshield, and the roof panel has popped off. When the car was rolling the roof came off before the roll was complete so I got pummeled into the mud as I was strapped in the seat. There was mud packed around my shoulders and in my face. Through all of this I walked away with bruses and a cut across the bridge of my nose from my sunglasses.
As I climbed out of the top of the car (the doors were jammed) some passers by stopped and helped me. They were great. Here I am bleeding and full of mud and they were kind enough to let me sit in their new Lexus SUV. We called the State Police and about 5 min's the ambulance was there and the Police showed up about 15 min's later.
I declined to go to the hospital as I was fully aware and very very lucky. Although I am a christian and am full prepared to leave this life, facing that possibility is surreal.
And to top it off the Doggone' Troupper gave me a ticket!!!! Failure to control my vehicle! Go figure.
It seems that the Beast has been reduced to parts. The engine and drive train is intact but the body is shot. The insurance company says it's a total loss.
Looks like there is going to be a LT5 on the market soon. I don't thing I am going to get involved in the salvage, it's too heartbreaking for me. It's bad enough I am looking at my"YESZREE" license plate here in the den.
I still do not know what happened since originally I thought that it was hydro-planeing due to the water on the road. All four tires are flat, with the drivers front completely off of the rim. So it could have been a blowout? Due to the instantanious nature of the incident I am tending to lean to the blowout theory.
Glad to be alive!!
Stay safe and help me find another beast! This time one that's already built, like a 368 or a 415 cu.in. motor.
Later...I'll be Back (as Arnould would say)
P.S. The Trouper tells me that if I would have gone into the woods (a few more feet) the water moccasins are breeding and they would have attacked me as they are very aggressive and if I would have layed there any length of time, the gators would have had their way with me.
Dangerous place this Florida!
And am glad that you were able to walk away. I'm sure you'll find a Z in no time.
