Honda Fit - The crash I walked away from.

[arunsakda]

This is an update to a post I made in a closed topic, Finally found the pics again Happened a couple years ago during the Holiday season. Always reminded that there is nothing more comforting that being in one piece, healthy

and together with friends or family. Warm Cheers to all!

***This didn't happen in Thailand just another location where the cops are fairly ineffective, are apt to side with "locals" and has a subculture of ladyboys who are involved with thefts and drugs.

I'm doing about the speed limit (about 45 mph) down a wet empty road at night. Suddenly I am rear ended by a vehicle going so fast the rear end of my Honda Fit is crushed in like a beer can. All I ever saw were rapidly on rushing headlights lights in the rear view mirror. I momentarily imagine myself in hospital as I realize I cannot steer out of the skid and I am now about to depart the roadway. I jump a curb and briefly fly though the air, narrowly missing a head on collision with widow maker of a steel electric pole. The entire underside of the front end is destroyed by a concrete block as I am briefly airborne, coming to a screeching halt in a parking lot with two pancaked rims and an air bag in my face. Once I pry my hands off the wheel I am glad to realize I'm ok other than a sprained and abraded finger. The engine is still running somehow. I turn off the ignition and evacuate fearing a fire. It is obvious the damage is total. I' m swearing up a storm and kicking the tires. This happens to the one day I left my mobile at home. There are few vehicles on the road, being late, but nobody stops. A few minutes later two pedestrian bystanders arrive. They did not see the accident, but did see the speeding vehicle. I borrow their phone and call the cops. A few minutes later I calm down, I'm just so glad I am not seriously injured. At the same time I cannot believe somebody could hit and run and leave me, maybe to die. In most jurisdictions failing to stop and render aid is a serious offense you WILL get locked up for.

The cops and quickly locate 3 individuals arguing at a nearby restaurant parking lot. It turns out they already got a call about a car speeding dangerously. One is a 22 year old local boy in a pink miniskirt. Lets call her "Miss Cho" The impact was so strong the front end of the vehicle was crushed, the cooling system was compromised and the vehicle stalled. Miss Cho was reportedly messed up and was taken to Hospital. Cops told me she was drunk. The bystanders tell the cops about seeing the speeding vehicle.They haul the vehicle over, confirm the damage points match up and assign blame to the other party. This is where it gets interesting. A young couple show up in the wrecker that brought the other vehicle. They say the ladyboy, who is their "friend", took their car without authorization. They were not in the vehicle but only came to assist their friend who called them to the restaurant. They tell this lie to the cops also, but now I see the bowing and double clasp handshakes. "Don't worry Brah, it's a rental car here's the insurance card". Cops tell me the guy will be charged with leaving the scene of an accident and reckless driving.

I get the police report and we make a claim with the other parties insurance. Wait about 10 days and I get a letter, "Payments delinquent, no policy in force, so sorry". Now I have to make an uninsured motorist claim on my insurance. Meanwhile I am in a rental at own expense that can only be reimbursed once the whole case is finished. Too bad replacing my Fit will cost me about $5000USD out of pocket. So sorry.

It turns out the car was a rental from one of the small hotels these types frequent. Find out the owner is a minging old hag with a bad reputation in the community. Her dump has such bad reviews on TripAdvisor they are comical. What some people do here is apply for minimum insurance once a year to renew registration on their car, making only one month payment to get a certificate, then stop paying. My insurance company later finds the vehicle is not even registered, the hotel owner claims she sold it "last year". Of course there is a regulation that rental vehicles must carry insurance. I write the Attorney General. No response.

Still outraged I go to the police Highway Division to follow up on this case. I am interested by the police official accident report. It says some strange things such as the speed of my vehicle and the other vehicle were both 45mph. So I ask the Highway Division, if Miss Cho was going the same speed as me, how did she crush my vehicles rear end so dramatically and run me off the road? "This isn't CSI sir, we have to go by what people tell us". I see. Now the couple says they were not in the vehicle, by what means of conveyance did they arrive so quickly at the restaurant parking lot. No answer. The incident report says "Driver Vehicle 1 brought to hospital and released, BAC test pending" So I ask, will she indeed be charged with DUI? "Well sir, that is private medical information, in order to prosecute, we have to get a supoena for the hospital to release the BAC records, we will get back to you". Nobody ever does. despite repeated inquiries. I finally get a higher up in the Department to answer my call. He basically asks me "You have insurance right?, what do you care?" Two weeks later I see a mugshot in the local rag. A young man in a pink miniskirt has been arrested for bag snatching from a Japanese tourist and fighting with the cops. I recognize the name from the accident report, unbelievable!

Here is what I eventually found out. Nobody cares and people are evil and irresponsible. Miss Cho is already known to the police and is going down for felony offenses. Karma yes, but no charges whatsoever related to this accident were ever pursued.The cops cant be bothered to prosecute for driving offenses with no serious injury, especially when the victim is a "wealthy outsider". Oh, but if the same pale face gets stopped at the weekend check point with beer on the breath, straight to the pokey, where you chill at least until the magistrate is in on Monday. My insurance company is out about 14000 bucks. The woman with the crap hotel has cars, property, and money, but pursuing her takes time and legal assets. It is all written off as the cost of doing business. The only ones who pay are responsible persons like me through constantly increasing insurance rates.

[CobraSnakeNecktie]

I lived in Hawaii for a few years.

RULE #1 in Hawaii... Don't ever call the police if possible.

Hawaii is a lot like Thailand except LOS is not as hot headed and violent.

Beautiful nature. I have a theory that a place with really good qualities has to have really bad qualities to keep the yin/yang in balance.

Some call it a paradise tax.

[crazydrummerpauly]

Funny, i thought i was on THAIvisa.com ? Oh, i am - so why is this story ?

[mrdome]

A nice reminder that messed up handling of accidents isn't exclusive to any specific country. Glad to hear you were not seriously injured, someone could have gotten killed here.

[PhillyBoy]

Well, I am happy you were not seriously injured.

This is a good reason to make sure YOU have adequate insurance. No way it should have cost anything more than a deductible.

[Ulic]

WOW. Interesting story. Thought it was taking place in Philippines before I saw the photos. Glad you were OK.

Similar on a smaller basis happened to a buddy in California. A pickup truck made a turn across the path

of a buddies mini van. His wife was driving. She hit the brakes, impact was not high speed but set of the

airbags. Beside that no serious damage. As the van was older it had no collision insurance just 3rd party

liability. Police report showed other guy 100% at fault. Similar to your story the guy had cancelled his insurance

1 month after getting it. He went to the police. They new the guy, new were he was but could not give a rats ass.

Bottom line is police everywhere really don't give a dam if nobody is seriously hurt.

[onthedarkside]

Inflammatory reply removed

[Paangjang]

Funny, i thought i was on THAIvisa.com ? Oh, i am - so why is this story ?

Have to agree. How is this Chiang mai related? Mods...

[onthedarkside]

It's not CM related...

//CLOSED//