I was reading this story on my Volvo forum... this guy survived a brutal car accident in a S40, being hit by two cars, and rolling over 5 times (from the impact of the second car) and being stopped by a third car:
QUOTE
First let me say: Thank god It wasnt my car.
I took my car in for service on friday. I was having an issue with the carpet smelling from when they replaced an a/c drain hose. I didnt know it would take more than a day, but of course they gave me a loaner and I was on my way.
The loaner was an 08 S40 T5 pretty basic, auto, sunroof ect. I was driving down a large arterie highway locally thats 6 lanes wide with a turn lane that runs the middle of it. I was going across an intersection at a green light with light traffic when all of a sudden all I here is a giant WHACK! Any one who has been in an accident knows the noise. All of a sudden the car is spinning out of control. I thought I was dead. I just closed my eyes leaned back in the seat and grabed the oh stuff handle. Once the car came to rest I didnt know what the hell was going on or what the hell place I was. I opened my eyes to findd out the car is laying side ways and all the airbags have gone off. The windows rolled themselves down and the car alrarm is going off. I had no idea what to do so I took off my seat belt, I was kinda sitting on it and the center console) and pushed the curtian airbag asside to get out of the window. I pulled myself up and onto what was left of the door pannel, sat there and cryed. Some one then quickly ran over and grabbed me and asked if I was ok, then a whole bunch of people lifted me off the car and down into oddly enough a Volvo S60Rs back seat to gather myself.
I must have been there for more than 4 minutes when the entire police force of my city and the emts are there. I get up finally and walk around and ask some one finally that saw the accident, what the hell just happened.
I was in the intersection and got T bones in the rear quaterpannel by a Chevy Trailblazer SS. It sent me spinning off into oncoming traffic going 50MPh where a Mercedes benz CLS 63 AMG hit the driver side broad side (t bone) which sent me in a set of 5 rolls from the middle lane of opposing traffic, to the parking lot of a resturaunt. I guess when the car was rolling it rolled 2 times hit the drainage curb, kinda caught on it and rolled on top of two other cars and then finally came to rest up against those concrete polls they have out front and up against a Subaru Legacy Wagon.
There isnt a part of that S40 that doesnt have AMAZINGLY severe damage to it. No one could even indetify the car besides the mangled grill emblem. The rear end is nothing. The lady in the SUV hit me so hard (50-60MPH) that the trunk lid literllay flew off and there is basically the rear and is smashed to the left. When they flipped the car over, I saw the side the Mercedes hit me on (pass side) Which Im suprised I didnt notice when I was climbing outa the car. The whole side is obliterated. The side impact door beams are basically the only thing that is holding the doors in place. The roof looks like ocean waves its so rippled. There is no front suspention. 2 Wheels are missing. and not a body panel doesnt have to be completly replaced.
The amazing part. I survived.
The paramedics got over to me, I had after conversing with the person who owned the S60 about the accident who informed me what happened, went back to the car. The paramedic asked if I was ok. I said I have no damn idea to be honest. I looked down at my arms about this time and notices I was bleeding alot from my arms and my shirt was pretty well stained with blood. They took me to the truck and found I got some pretty good cuts from the flying glass during the role overs I assume. I sat in the ambulance for a bit, asked if my god father was on duty (he is a paramedic) they sent him over, he was attending to the lady that was in the CLS 63 AMG and her friend. He came over and asked If I had called my parents. My phone was in the center console so I said I dont even have my phone. I called the rents. My mom not 2 minutes later (she is 5 min away at the hosp) pulls up cop style and runs over to where I am, She was pretty upset, in tears, I admit I was still kinda cryin I didnt know what the hell had happened still. So I kinda gather myself and my godfather send over the state trooper and a police officer to ask what happened. I told them I didnt know much cuz I closed my eyes. But the S60r owner came over and was checking on me and told the officers and me again what happened. I guess he was in the lane next to the Merc and about 300 ft behind them. He introduced himself his name was Andrew, he worked for a local law firm here, and he had always owned volvos, he was from NY. He asked me a kind of odd question which was "did you think that, that car saved your life?" I didnt quite think about it but then I look outa the back of the ambulance and see what kinda damage was done to that little S40 and I said, Oh my god, that car is the reason im still living. The cop and my godfather look at me and said, you know your really lucky that these damn volvos are some of the best built cars on the planet. The cop (who was pretty young) said he was expecting to be calling the corener to have my body tagged because when he saw the car and what a disaster path it left. He was expecting me if not the mercedes benz owener to be dead.
I survived last night with only about 16 cuts and some scrapes and a really soar neck, because of that damn Volvo. I really owe my life to it. I just figured now that I got home, Id share my story. I am so beside myself with these Volvo cars, that I cant belive just choosing a different car brand saved my life. I have had ford Focuses all my life and I was never really worried about getting hit, esp not like this. I am so impressed with this company I dont even know what to say. That car gave itself till its last being to save me and I am alive because of it. I really dont know what to say, but thank you Volvo, you saved my life, my 22 year old life, you saved my mom and dad from loosing a child, my brother from loosing his, my sister from loosing his brother, and my god father you saved from having to burry his god son before his time was up.
And also thank you to the S60 owner who I basically destroyed his beatifull blue leather in so I could regain myself. That guy (andrew) was prolly the best person in the world. He not only was the first one to come over to see if I was ok when I got out of the car. But he called one of his friends who works at our local dealership, and they came and grabbed me another loaner car, and drove it out to the accident at 11 oclock at night, so I would be able to get home, and have a car to use today. I will always have the image burned in my head of the tow truck pulling that bright red 08 S40 onto the tow truck with the shatter rear glass that had the slogan, drive a volvo and save your life, on the back, with the red reflection of the ambulance lights and the blue of the police light.
I dont have any pics, as my camera was flung several feet from the car, but I can tell you that the S40 is totaled, the Merc AMG is totaled, needing a new front end and roof. The trailblazer is totaled needs a whole new front end. The two cars my car kinda rolled on top of need new roof pannels as they are dented pretty heavy and one needs a new sunroof. The subaru my car came to rest up against just needs the back bumper repainted. All in all i think there is about 250 grand in damage due to the AMG being 110 and the other car that the trialblazer hit when it spun after hitting me was a 110 Range rover supercharged.
The accident by the way was caused by the trailblazer, running a red light because she was text messaging on her cell phone, and didnt look up to see the light had changed to red.
His story will be featured on Volvo's website as one of the survivor stories in one to two months.
Posted 16 September 2007 - 05:55 AM
