Texting?

So, the car accident I was in turned to a 'no fault' status because it was their word against mine. Neither insurance company will pay for damages to my vehicle. When I got my senses back after the collision and after all the smoke/powder filling my vehicle I got out and breathed. I walked over to the other driver's car and looked into their window to see if they were ok. They were sitting there texting. They saw me looking in then got out of their vehicle. I asked them if they were ok... they said in broken English that they don't speak English. They kept texting. I did not have my cell phone on me, so, I couldn't call 911. They still were not calling 911 and they didn't try to ask me if I were ok. A few strangers asked me if I needed them to call 911 and I told them yes because I didn't have a phone on me. The other driver kept texting. When 911 first responders arrived the other driver still kept texting whoever. After the initial look-over by EMT and I said I was fine, and gave the gist to a cop, I stood there waiting. The cop then said to me, "it's raining, do you want to sit in my car?" I said yes. While I sat in the cop car I saw first responders taking A Lot of time with the other driver. The first responders took about 2 minutes total with me, while they took about 30+ minutes with the other driver who was also Not severely injured. They stayed with the other driver as they got their belongings out of the damaged car once someone showed up to pick up the other driver. Both vehicles were towed. I had nobody to pick me up. The cop asked me if someone could as I said no. If the cop didn't give me a ride home I would have been walking home about 2-3+ miles in the rain. I don't mind the rain - what I mind is the damn texting. I wonder still if the other driver was texting while driving - not paying attention. Now, I'm out of my only vehicle which is a Huge deal for me in My life.

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hippyjoe1955 · 70-79, M

Do you carry collision insurance?

Phire1 · 51-55, F

@hippyjoe1955 Couldn't afford full coverage. I am aware that this makes a difference, however. There was no fault on either party due to word against word

hippyjoe1955 · 70-79, M

@Phire1 Yeah that can happen. Most collisions are very cut and dried. If you rear end someone regardless of what they are doing you are at fault. If you T bone someone running a "stale yellow" you have shared blame. If you are T boned by someone because you took off at a green light without checking for red light runners it is partially your fault. The last collision I was in a lady turned left in front of me into an imaginary driveway or street. I hit her broadside because I was on glare ice and couldn't stop. It was determined to be 100% her fault. There was no turn allowed where she turned.

Phire1 · 51-55, F

@hippyjoe1955 I called the businesses and school that are at the area of the accident. They said their security cameras don't cover the intersection where the accident happened. I know that if someone rams the back of someone else that the person who did is their fault. Without witnesses and cameras, shit gets tricky. I KNOW there were witnesses but no one came forward in that sense. So important to do so but I suspect many people just don't feel like it.
At least the investigators were able to say she had nowhere to turn to, which sounds odd.
Where I live, can't have a green arrow to turn left and have a green light to go straight for the opposite traffic at the same time. That's what the other driver claimed... that they had a green arrow. BS!

hippyjoe1955 · 70-79, M

@Phire1 I know a fellow who received a ticket when he was involved in an accident. The fellow in front of him stopped for unknown reasons and my friend slammed on his brakes stopping a few inches away from the other guy's bumper. Unfortunately the guy behind my friend was not able to stop in time and pushed my friend into the car in front of him. My friend was charged with following too close. Rear end accidents are blamed on the guy following not the guy in front.

Phire1 · 51-55, F

@Phire1 ...the cop told me the other driver claimed they had a green arrow

Phire1 · 51-55, F

@hippyjoe1955 Yes, they are. Because people are supposed to follow the car in front of them at a certain distance. I think it's 3 seconds behind or 3 car lengths behind...

hippyjoe1955 · 70-79, M

@Phire1 A wise man once told me that there are no accidents but rather two or more people drove their vehicles into the same space at the same time on purpose.

hippyjoe1955 · 70-79, M

@Phire1 Two seconds behind on a clear and dry roadway. Ice and rain will require a greater distance.

Phire1 · 51-55, F

@hippyjoe1955 LoL! There are accidents. Not all people do things 'on purpose.' I just tend to think this particular matter happened based on the other driver texting due to seeing them text for the whole duration once upon contact with them personally. They did not give a fuck about calling 911. Why is that? hmm?
Just gonna stand there with an accident, ey? Not giving two shits if the other person is injured or not?

I used to own a '69 Chevelle. I'm aware that some vehicles do not stop on a dime...

hippyjoe1955 · 70-79, M

@Phire1 I do a lot of driving. I average over 100,000 miles a year in all kinds of conditions and many different cities and highways. There are no accidents. Two or more people drive their cars into the same space at the same time on purpose. I drove a 69 Chevelle 300 miles to a funeral one day. There had been an ice storm the day before and there was several inches of black ice on the road for the entire trip. The car had biased ply summer tires and it was not my car so this was the first time driving it. I passed several accidents including one fatality where the driver missed a curve and hit the ditch. She was not wearing her seat belt and went through the windshield.

Phire1 · 51-55, F

@hippyjoe1955 Two or more people driving their cars into the same space is not an accident or on purpose? I think I see where you're going with this. But, sorry, no, it was an accident (other than the other driver not paying attention).
There were no Chevelles harmed in this story.

hippyjoe1955 · 70-79, M

@Phire1 No both people were doing what they were doing on purpose. It is not that they were completely out of control for no reason what so ever. It was their actions and decisions that put them into the accident situation. Sometimes one of the persons was completely innocent. I was rear ended by a semi while stopped at a red light. I saw him coming but was completely boxed in and couldn't move. The semi driver decided not to stop in time. His choice and my choice. I saw an collision yesterday where a truck turned left in front of a car on snowy street. The truck couldn't turn fast enough and the car couldn't stop soon enough. Both drivers were doing what they were doing on purpose. Not an accident at all

Phire1 · 51-55, F

@hippyjoe1955 I think you're trying to define "accident" more than anything else. Pardon me if I am wrong about that.

Sorry to hear about messed up situations you have been in and I thank you for taking your time to converse with me about this matter. :)

hippyjoe1955 · 70-79, M

@Phire1 The trouble with the term accident is it lets people off the hook for their bad driving. The young woman that was killed on the glare ice was doing 60 miles an hour on glare ice and couldn't make the curve in the road. I was doing 30 miles an hour and I was at the edge of losing control of the vehicle. Hers was not an accident so much as it was bad driving choices. The guy in the truck also made a bad driving choice and the car driver that hit him was well within the rules of the road. When the truck driver made his move the car driver was already committed and could not stop on the ice. Obviously the truck driver was at fault but both drivers deliberately drove their vehicles into the same space at the same time.

Phire1 · 51-55, F

@hippyjoe1955 I've wondered why people think a 4x4 does well on ice. I've been accused of not coming into work just cause.... even though I HAD a 4x4 vehicle. Well, ice is ice.

Speeding is an issue in that scenario and does make a difference. In my case of this particular accident, no one was speeding. There was no ice or snow. It was just a matter of the other driver claiming they had a green arrow and me claiming I had a green light. Can't have both at the same time. It would be a case of them not having a green arrow but a green light as well as I did and they still made their left turn thinking they could make it across. Here, can't have a green arrow to make a left turn while oncoming traffic has a green light to go straight. I would have had to run a red light in order to hit the other driver IF they had a green arrow to make their turn. I had a green light! I saw other drivers making the same turn they did and other drivers going straight from their direction upon mine, but once I got into the intersection, they turned, and I hit them. It was so sudden.
In my opinion, no matter what, they did not yield to oncoming traffic no matter what. I cannot prove I did not have a red light. Arrrrrrrgh!!!!!!

hippyjoe1955 · 70-79, M

@Phire1 Yes I know the frustration of having the right of way and having some idiot taking it away from me. I also realize that I must be aware of them and while I would be right to take my space my space is being taken by someone else. I simply tap the brakes and let them proceed. I know if I get hit I will never be fully compensated for the damage or loss of my vehicle no matter how well I am insured. Insurance companies never give you replacement value and a damaged car is damaged no matter how well it is repaired.

Phire1 · 51-55, F

@hippyjoe1955 Truck drivers have a hard stance on the roads and highways just for the aspect of 'blind spots.' I thought about becoming a truck driver a while ago. I love driving! Long haul wouldn't have been my thing, though. I have encountered tow companies who want to ransack a vehicle in their lot just because (looking for money or whatever valuables). Some tow companies do not give a shit. Luckily, this tow company that my vehicle has been sitting at for a little over a month now has not done such and they will waive their storage fee! So odd, but I am thankful for that! I can at least get the fucked up vehicle out of there and either sell it "as is" or part it out. I will never be fully compensated about this accident. I am aware of how some people think when it comes to having full coverage car insurance. But, I will never forget how much the other driver was TEXTING!