Figured I'd post this here for those of you who don't go in the B5 section.

At about 1:00AM on Sunday, January 24 2010; two years and eleven months to the day after I purchased my car, it was destroyed.

I was drunk, and we all decided to have my friend, who was perfectly sober, drive me home in my car. Another sober friend would follow us and bring him back to the party after dropping me off. We made it about a mile down the road, when for some reason or another, my friend decided to get a little carried away. With the accellerator floored in 4th gear for about a quarter of a mile on a straightaway, we came to a quick S-curve to the right.

Piecing together my memory of the incident with what the car looks like now, what I think happened is the front end nosedived under heavy braking and the front valence rammed into the curb on the left side of the S-curve. This put the car in a lateral spin in a counter-clockwise direction and bounced the front end up and then over the back end. The car then rolled once all the way over, the rear window and roof taking most of the weight. We came to rest on the wheels sitting on the sidewalk on the left side of the road, facing back the direction from where we had come.

The A and B pillars held up beautifully and we were both wearing our seatbelts. Both front doors opened normally and we both walked away from the accident. My friend was unhurt, and I have six stitches in a gash in my left palm.

I would like to say to you all, be glad that we drive an incredibly safe and strong vehicle. That said, remember always that even a perfectly sober driver who normally is very level-headed and of sound judgement, on dry pavement with no other traffic around, can cause a hellacious accident.

And for the love of Pete, always, ALWAYS wear your goddamn seatbelt. I would not be here today had I not.

Gratuitous photographs follow. R.I.P. Helga, December 1996 - January 2010.

 

quite the accident. glad everyone was ok and hope your and heals up

 

Thanks Jeff - should be a pretty gnarly scar!

 

Good, safe car. You probably could have drove better, drunk, than your sober friend-not that I condone it. He owes you big time.

 

Friends don't let friends drive..., their cars.

Glad you are (relatively) unharmed, and that all returned home alive. Yeah, you'll be drinking FREE off of this one until you're MY AGE!!!!!! Wait!??!? Aren't you, like, 50 or something? (after the accident, I mean. they tend to age you... But, being lit like you were, maybe not)

That'll buff right out!

 

Damn the C and D pillar on the driver's side caved in, you must of hit the roof with some serious force. Glad you're ok, you would have been in serious pain/toast if you were in a crappy sport compact.

 

Lets not wish that on anyone and just say he's stupid and leave it at that.

 

Wow, that sucks, like you said, glad we have this cars a bit more resistant than others. I wouldn't like to find out how much weight my car can take on its roof though.

 

Wholly guacamole!!! Damn lucky indeed!