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Had an accident last night

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sd80mac7204

sd80mac7204

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Driving through Indiana PA last night I heard a loud bang as I crossed a railroad crossing. My lights shut off and the floor under my feet bounced and there were several other loud noises under the car. An 18 inch long piece of reenforcement steel from the road surface of the crossing broke free as I drove over it and wreaked havoc on my poor Spitfire. Looks like damage to the wiring harness, exhaust, and driveshaft so far. Called the railroad and they said they would get back to me and recommended I call the police to make a report. Limped the car home but she was making a lot of scary noises.
 
Go back and take a photot or two of it in the light to show it's loose and do file a report. The cynic in me says they could quickly fix it and deny everything once it reaches the rail line attorneys. So best to have some sort of documented proof.
 
Yes.....pictures would be good proof. And file a police report.

My wife is in Indiana PA today. I'm going to tell her to watch out for any railroad crossings!
 
I agree, photos VIP. File police report. You need to be in the driver's seat. No pun intended but appropriate. This is a classic you pay, not me or my insurance. Sorry for all the stress and hoops you will probably go thru. Had a bad experience with local utility company. Driver agreed it was debris from his tires that cracked my windscreen but powers above him pled act of God. Fortunately Hagerty's came through and paid everything, no questions asked. Indeed they overpaid and I returned the overpayment. They paid my estimate not what it actually ended up costing. Good luck.
 
aeronca65t said:
Yes.....pictures would be good proof. And file a police report.

My wife is in Indiana PA today. I'm going to tell her to watch out for any railroad crossings!
Click to expand...

Oakland Ave Crossing. The metal angle steel pieces on both sides of the rail are coming apart. There is a hole where one is missing now.
 
Me: "My school is in Blairsville. About 20 miles South of Indiana Pennsylvania."
Grampa: "Indiana Pennsylvania? You know Jimmy Stewart is from Indiana Pennsylvania. His parents had a hardware store there"
Me: "Yes I know. They have a plaque in the park for him."
The next time I come home......
"You know Jimmy Stewart is from Indiana Pennsylvania." ......
I can hear him now. hehehehehehe. that was 20 years ago.
 
Glad you're okay and hope everything works out for you with the railroad.

I was visiting my parents when one of their neighbors backed into my Jetta Wagon and really nailed the left rear quarter. He was nice enough to immediately knock on the door and fess up to it and get the ball rolling with his insurance company. I was irritated, but I think the thought that kept me the most calm was that 9 times out of 10, I drive the Sprite to my parents, but on this day, I took the Jetta. In the end, it's just bent metal and paint.
 
sd80mac7204 said:
Oakland Ave Crossing. The metal angle steel pieces on both sides of the rail are coming apart. There is a hole where one is missing now.
Click to expand...

As it turns out she was driving on Oakland Ave and went over railroad tracks. I guess the Accord has more ground clearance than I thought.

She was out walking and noticed that the street crossings have buttons for the traffic lights. And when you press the button, Jimmie Stewart's voice tells you that it's safe to cross the street! :friendly_wink:
 
aeronca65t said:
She was out walking and noticed that the street crossings have buttons for the traffic lights. And when you press the button, Jimmie Stewart's voice tells you that it's safe to cross the street! :friendly_wink:
Click to expand...
But with all that stammering, you wouldn't know if was safe until it no longer WAS safe. ;)
 
aeronca65t said:
As it turns out she was driving on Oakland Ave and went over railroad tracks. I guess the Accord has more ground clearance than I thought.

She was out walking and noticed that the street crossings have buttons for the traffic lights. And when you press the button, Jimmie Stewart's voice tells you that it's safe to cross the street! :friendly_wink:
Click to expand...

If you press the button repeatedly "jimmy" starts to get a little annoyed with you.
 
Pulled the car over the pit last night. Put the exhaust back together. Lots of bumps and dents in the frame. Punched a hole in the frame behind the diff.
 
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