Hopefully I will NEVER, EVER, EVER have to request versed!

A couple of pics from the wrecker yard. Sorry they're not hi-res. My daughter took them with her cell phone, then sent via mms to her mother, then to me. Apparently, they got shrunk each time they got sent.

thats just nasty!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:eek:

i feel the pain of the z..... shes crying inside because she wasnt even able to be enjoyed by you..... at least she protected both you and your wife..... are you going to be getting another z?

I'm pretty sure that your car can be repaired. If you just use a Porter Cable and some Zaino it should buff right out.

Hahahahaaahah zaino hahahhhaahahhah

Hi Sundown --

Today was the first I'd seen in this forum. Glad you survived and are doing well! Try to avoid those painkillers, except when listening to Rush Limbaugh. ;p

I read through all the comments and news articles, and there isn't much about the 20-year old deceased couple. I'd be curious whether they had seat belts on, and whether that hindered their escape from the pickup.

The Chevy S-10 sold from 1982-2002, and was rebadged as an Isuzu Hombre 1996-2000. The stock gas tank holds 18 gallons. NHTSA crash-tested a 1996 Hombre; in a front impact it was "marginal" for the driver and "very poor" for the right-seat occupant. They did not do a side-impact test. The Isuzu was powered by a straight-four w/ 120HP or V6 with approx. 50% more. All models were fuel-injected.

Unlike some GM models, there was never a recall for location or function of the gas tank. (That's really why I was looking.)

So: a low-end, compact pickup, 10-15 years old, doing extreme road maneuvers right before the collision. Also: a youthful driver. That doesn't necessarily mean drugs or alcohol, but it does mean (1) relative inexperience behind the wheel, and (2) the truck was bought used (think about it -- did he buy when he was 9 years old?), and therefore (3) an increased likelihood of the vehicle not being in top operating condition.

(4) The handling, i.e., over/understeer, varies drastically with the amount of weight in the load bed. Severe overloading, for example, would likely have been an unusual experience for such a young driver. And once the violent driving maneuvers started, the driver would have been more concerned with flipping (high center of gravity) than where he wound up with respect to traffic.

Even though driver error will be the final listed cause of this fatal crash, it's worth considering whether a marginally designed, maintained, and operated vehicle should have been on the road in the first place. This was a young couple that maybe didn't have to die, if "the system" had been designed better. (And by that I mean, "the system" worked out fairly in your Z.)

:eek::eek::eek:

That is brutal man. Very glad you got out of there OK.

how ya doing man?

It's a long road to recovery with ups and downs. Yesterday was a good day, but today's been rough. My ankle and leg just starting hurting WAY more than it has over the last few days.

I got my hospital bill yesterday. A whopping $54,788 for four nights and two surgeries. I still haven't gotten the bills from the anesthesiologist, surgeon, ER physicians, pathologist, etc, etc, etc. I figure that'll be another $10k or so.

I spoke with my claims adjuster, and they're still waiting on the DPS report. At least all my bills will be taken care of. That's all I really care about at this point.

I have a follow up with my orthopedic surgeon tomorrow. Hopefully, all the staples come out, and he'll give me permission to take this damn boot off every now and then.

9 days down, 75 days to go.

That is incredible, you could have bought two used 370zs for that money! In all seriousness, you seem to have done the right thing by preparing for the worst but expecting the best in your recovery and that makes a huge difference.

Keep it up man!

Get better soon man! Sorry to see the Z gone....

gtr time?

I know im late chiming in, but I'm glad you made it out ok, and man, that is a terrible looking break.. wow..hopefully the recovery process isn't to long!
it's sad about the two youngsters, but again, glad you made it out!

UPDATE - Ok, if anyone cares, here's the update. I just got home from the orthopedic surgeon follow up. He said the X-rays look great, the range of motion in my knee is better than he expected, and no problems foreseen. I finally got all the post-op bandages and wrapping removed. A total of 13 staples and 2 sutures were taken out today. He said I only need to wear the walking boot when, or if, I feel like I need it and that I can start to transition off the walker whenever I feel strong enough for it. Next appointment is in 6 weeks, and no physical therapy needed right now. He's letting me manage my own range of motion exercises at my own pace. Apparently, he figured out that I'm an overachiever and will probably do more than the PT's would have me do anyway.

So, here's a couple of pictures right after hey took the bandaged off. Today is 12 days post accident, and 10 days post rod surgery.