My 4:15 m Wake Up Call...

[caseydog]

It's 4:15, and I'm sleeping like a baby. Then, I wake to the sound of a roaring V8 and tires squealing. It gets louder as it gets closer, until it reaches a crescendo --- and then BANG.

My first thought was, "than wasn't good." And, it sounded really close.

I got up, looked out the window, but couldn't see anything. So I put on some clothes, and while getting dressed, I hear the same engine, and tires squealing again.

I ran outside, and 100 feet from my house, something looked funny. It was a leyland cypress tree laying down.

I walked up to the scene as my neighbors joined me. The car was gone (minus some parts) and this was the damage.



The red line shows the fence line before impact.

CD

[Juneaudave]

Looks like he had to downshift to get that far

[caseydog]

My house backs up to a street with a 4-way stop. He came off one street, turning left onto the other with the tires lit up. He lost it, and launched over the curb and into the fence and tree, sliding sideways toward the drivers side. The impact actually broke bricks 20 feet away where the iron fence meets the brick post.

Somehow, he got the car started, and backed out, and took off.

CD

[High Desert]

Could you identify the make/model by the left behind parts CD? Looks like most of the front bumper stayed on scene, sure would be nice if the plate was on it. As torn up as that car had to be it would probably be possible to track it to a body shop within a few days. I'm sure that's not a cheap fence to replace.

[rebapuck]

Lucky it was only a fence. The car had to be torn up.

He knocked down the 35mph sign too.

Was it your fence?

[rockinrobin]

Exciting place you live there! Glad no one was hurt! Ronnie

[S. Heisley]

Wow! That's pretty bad. I hope you called the police right away. Chances are, the driver either stole the car; was high; or was a kid, feeling his oats; maybe all of that. Anyway you look at it, the police would want to nab the guy and set him straight before he does that again to somebody else. The others are right. It shouldn't be too hard to find the damaged car and collect on the owner's auto insurance (if they had any) to get your yard and fence fixed.

It's kind of a sad chuckle to see the speed limit sign lying next to the damaged fence. There's no way that I can see that someone could do that kind of damage and be going 35 mph.

[Kevin A]

We had that happen a number of years ago, fortunately the perp left their front bumper complete with license plate in the yard when they drove off.
Didn't take the police long to find them and the BMW.

[caseydog]

Could you identify the make/model by the left behind parts CD? Looks like most of the front bumper stayed on scene, sure would be nice if the plate was on it. As torn up as that car had to be it would probably be possible to track it to a body shop within a few days. I'm sure that's not a cheap fence to replace.

Funny you should mention. Based on a witness statement, some silver paint left on the fence, and the huge piece of the nose left behind (with manufacturer's web site), I put together this Photoshop composite. I am circulating it among my car-nut friends to see if anyone knows who owns it. I have one "maybe" lead, so far.

This is what the car looked like before the wreck.



CD

[caseydog]

Was it your fence?

Yes and No. Not my personal property, but it belongs to the HOA, so it is partly mine, from a financial burden standpoint.

CD

[caseydog]

We had that happen a number of years ago, fortunately the perp left their front bumper complete with license plate in the yard when they drove off.
Didn't take the police long to find them and the BMW.

We looked all over for a plate, but no luck.

A Camaro took out a fence and light post at the same intersection a couple years ago. That car wasn't drivable. That kid went to jail for the night.

A four-way stop in a lonely suburban neighborhood brings out the boy racer in a lot of nimrods. Friday and Saturday nights always promise a symphony of revving engines and squealing tires at my house. I generally sleep through it.

CD

[doug hodder]

What a nuisance that anyone has to put up with that crap. Too many dopey kids think they are "drifting" champions. I've live on a road that some kids love to race down for some reason...many have found that 10' dia. trees are very unforgiving when thumped by a car. Hope they catch the idiot! Doug

[S. Heisley]

I have heard that some towns now have equipment that they will lend speed-troubled neighborhoods so that you can video tape the culprits and their speed will be tracked and printed on the tape. It enables the people to help the police and, with the financial difficulties that some towns are in and the police layoffs, etc. ...It wouldn't hurt to ask.

[martha24]

What a pain to have to deal with the fence and all
I hope they catch the driver.

The street I live on, is a fairly major street and drivers sometimes either drive too fast or too drunk. My old neighbor had their cars hit twice. The first time they plowed into the back of a van and unfortunately there were two cars parked in front of it which created a chain reaction. The cars all belonged to the neighbor.

Another time two teenage boys were driving too fast and clipped the back corner of a pick up truck. There was a huge bang and knocked the parked truck across 2 lanes and about 30 feet. The boys didn't flee from the accident.

There are other parts of the road where yards get crashed into fairly regularly as the street has some curves in it. Again people either driving too fast or too drunk or both and lose control.
So far nothing of ours has never been crashed into though I prefer not having vehicles parked on the street.

[Shadow Catcher]

I witnessed a 16 year old die a few years back, his grand parents had given him a crotch rocket (motor cycle) and he was scheduled to take a motorcycle safety course and not to take the bike out until. Parents went to a function and he went for a ride.
He must have been going pretty fast ran a stop sign and hit some gravel. He hit two trees and flew at least 40 feet. I heard the crash went about 30 feet to the end of the street and saw the blood coming out from his helmet, and saw his last breath. The trees recovered nicely.
Teen age brain, is an oxymoron!

On a lighter note one of my uncles had problems with some one knocking his mail box over. Working for Bethlehem ship yard he took some anchor chain welded it into a nice S curve and planted it into a substantial amount of concrete and mounted a mail box on the top. A few mornings later he found a bumper chained to the mail box, with license plate!