Car Wreck Friday Taking It On The Chin

The one and only car that is running that we depend on is gone! My new as in I've only had it for about 18 months car is totaled! My Lulu from Honolulu destroyed. We bought her used. She came from Honolulu as a gently used rental car. I loved this vehicle and would joke about what a fun party car she was! We would bump with her kick ass stereo down the road. I would frequently take my teenager and her friends to lacrosse game venues as the kids played DJ from their phones...

I could tell you many sappy things expressing my love, appreciation and great joy of owning this Chrysler Town & Country Van. I realize she was just a car but to me, she was much more! What gracious luxury and space to move and travel in... Stow and go configuration possibilities making life and packing the car easy. The class and attention to small detail and functionality she had. The elaborate safety features she had including the headrests installed in the front that surely saved our necks from whiplash and possibly worse injuries we could have right now...

Thank God we had gap insurance to pay the car loan off. We are out all 7K worth of payments we have made, $650.00 for the new tires we put on her just last week! Also, a full tank of gas as we had just filled up.

Taken out by an uninsured motorist! I was taking my husband to work yesterday as we are down to one car. He was driving. We were at a stoplight almost to his place of employment. He watches his mirrors and saw the gal in a jacked up black Jeep Cherokee looking down at her phone. She was in the left lane, we were in the middle lane. She didn't really even brake, she just slammed into us going pretty darned fast! She came through the back hatch window and 
pushed us into the car in front of us. I was drinking coffee and my ceramic travel mug ended up injuring my chin. Either that or I hit the dashboard with my chin. I literally took it on the chin...

bruised and cut my chin. Doused both of us and the whole front of the car in coffee... As with most crashes, it felt endless, the noise the impact and distorted perception of what was happening as if I'm slow motion...

When we realized we were ok ish and it was over, we tried to figure out if we should stay in the vehicle or get out... Rush hour traffic was crazy and uncaring. Not one person came to see if we were ok. The person whom we hit in front just took off when the light turned green! The 25 year old gal that hit us got out of her car and went across the street. She never asked if we were ok or showed any kind of remorse. She appeared to have no injuries and didn't appear to be shaken up.

The police told us she has no insurance. She bought the vehicle a few days ago. We could see the temporary plates on it. How did she leave the lot where she bought it with no insurance?!!!

So we just have to eat it. All of it... Our insurance, our deductible, all of our payments, the one week old tires, the full tank of gas...

*The Collision shop texted me that just their visual assessment of the damages is around 16 thousand dollars. That's without full view and tearing into it. With the depreciation on a 2016 vehicle, I'm sure they are going to deem it a complete loss...

I'm beyond perplexed and frustrated! I'm pissed!!! I should probably focus on being grateful that my kids weren't in the car. My teenager sits back there on the side that really took the hit. My second grader would have been jolted badly had she been with us as well. We could have been in serious pain had it not been for the safety feature of the headrests that both deployed at impact. I should be glad to be alive! Instead, I am so sad for the loss of my car and all the stress that this is. All due to texting while driving or whatever distraction her phone was. Not to mention her driving without insurance...

Maybe tomorrow I'll be feeling grateful rather than furious? Today I'm just so sad...

R.I.P. Lulu, you were an awesome vehicle!

Rear Camera view.