BAAAAAMMM!!!

After I taught my Wednesday class and had office hours Valerie came with Jeremy to pick me up to return me home. We were on Sauk Trail about two blocks from the nearest light and just over a little hill. Traffic was stopped, I do not know why, so we slowed and stopped. We remarked that it looked like someone was making a left turn into a driveway and then; SCREEEECH----BAAAAM. We had been hit from behind. Jeremy was crying, Valerie pulled onto the median to get out of traffic. I grabbed some paper and a pen to get details and went back to the offending car. It was a 2005 Chrysler Sebring with significant damage to the front end. A young woman was in the driver's seat with the door open. There was smoke coming out of the car. For a moment I feared fire but soon realized that it was the powder from the air bags, both had deployed. I looked in at the woman who said to me "My brakes didn't hold." She had a cell phone in her hand and began explaining to someone that she had just been in an accident. I assume that she was talking to someone with whom she had been already conversing before she hit our car.

I was hoping to ask for her information but she continued to jabber on the cell phone. I wrote her licence number on my pad and checked the damage on my car. She continued her conversation. Within a minute a police car arrived, we were less than a half mile from the police station, and he may have been on his way there. He did a U-turn and placed himself behind her car. He got out to speak with her, asking if she was alright and asked if there were anyone hurt in our car. She kept talking on the cell phone, I think she called someone else. The policeman got her ID and Valerie's. He called things in, checked the licence information, etc. She kept talking on the cell phone. She did not get out of the car. She had been stunned by the air bags and did not move much. The officer came over to ask additional questions as a couple of ambulances came up. Some of the ambulance people came to our car to check on Valerie and Jeremy. I think some of them hung around because Jeremy was being so cute. She blabbered on the cell phone. She would give the officer short answers between explaining things to the party on her cell phone. The people from the ambulances attempted to ask her questions to determine her state, she answered them while still on the cell phone. Finally the police officer said: "Ma'am, I am going to have to ask you to hang up the cell phone." You should have seen the look she gave him, it was as if he had asked her to eat the head off a live baby. It took her a minute to say good-bye and end the conversation.

Finally a tow truck arrived, so did someone who looked like they were affiliated with her. This person took some of the personal effects from her car. She got into the ambulance and went off, the tow truck picked her car up, the officer gave us a police report, we refused transportation to a hospital, and we drove home. As she drove off in the ambulance I would not be suprised if she made another phone call.

Here is a clue Sharee Anderson: HANG UP AND DRIVE. Shut up! Do you really have anything to say or are you just blabbering?

I called my insurance company to report the thing as required. They took all my information and recorded it. But since I do not have any collision on this car they will not represent me against her insurance company. I called her insurer but since it was after 5:00 PM by then they were not there. Oh, no, a little local insurance group with no after hour claims. I called them on Thursday morning and they told me to take the car to Blue Island next Wednesday. Why should I drive around in a car with a bent bumper, jammed trunk and bent fenders and missing taillights for a week, I asked. Eventually I got thru to an adjuster who sent me to a repair shop in Crown Point (nearby) for an estimate. He walked out the door of his shop, took one look at the car and said "They are going to total this car." He ran his estimate thru a computer program and it confirmed his guess.

I called the adjuster when I got home, but had to leave a message. He has not as yet retruned my call. I expect to have to fight with him about the value of the car. It runs very well, just got new brakes and has pretty new tires but it has a lot of milage. If they offer me $1500 or $2000 for it I would never be able to replace it for that kind of money for that good of a car.

In the meantime, Valerie started to feel the effects of the accident. She began to feel neck and back pain Wednesday night. By Thurday she was in full discomfort. When we tried to set up an appointment with her doctor the office told us that since it is an automobile accident that they would not see her unless we paid the visit up front ourselves. We called the my health insurance company and they confirmed that the doctor should accept our card, they would cover and later attempt to collect from Sharee's insurance. After several calls we found out that there are different rules for Illinios and Indiana. Since we live in Indiana (bearly) we are covered by those rules we have to pay up front. Valerie called around and found a doctor that will see her and let us pay later. She will see him this morning, I do not know the result of it. But I do know that she is in pain, her neck and back hurt. She did not sleep well. She moves slowly.

So, now, I have to run around and get estimates. I have to drive a bent car and if given some money for it I will have to look around and find a new one. Valerie is in extreeme pain, she will not be able to pick up her grandson, she had to reschedule her monthy bunko party at our house Friday because she cannot prepare for it. We have to pay for the doctor visits and hope to collect from Ms Anderson's insurance. All because some young woman was too busy chatting on her cell phone. Hang up and drive.