How I Wrecked My Car by Forgetting My Sunglasses

It's been about two months now, hard to believe, but around mid-January of this year I had my first official car accident. I have always prided myself on never getting into an accident, getting a speeding ticket, or even so much as a citation for my driving. I guess after hitting 30 years old this past year I was kinda pushing it, I mean it had to happen sooner or later.

Well, I can say this much for myself, when I do it, I do it right - I hit, count 'em, not one but two cars. And might I add that they were parked cars. I realize that whenever I say this I sound like the most incompetent and dangerous driver ever to be unleashed on the road, and well, maybe even after hearing the story you'll still feel the same, but what can I say, it's what happened. Here following is the sad tale of the demise of the first car I owned outright.

The little silver Toyota Matrix had been good to me, she saw me through a few long road trips, took the banging of a drive-by curbside hit while I was safe inside a local eatery, tolerated my endless mashing of her ever compliant gas peddle (till I finally wore out her get-up-and-go, that is), and even withstood the humiliation of having one of her hubcaps stolen. She was a trooper but the fury of the morning sun and the lack of consideration of the placement of the 2 parked cars in her frenzied path of escape all proved too much for her.

Yes, at the hands of the owner she trusted, she met her demise, with fire truck, cop, and onlookers present to confirm time of death.

So how did it happen? Simple really, I was driving to work as per usual, and literally like 10 feet from my office crossed through the last intersection before the company parking lot, and boom blinded by the sun I veered off to the right just outside my lane and hit the back end of a little parked Chevy Truck, which in turn ran into the car parked in front of it.

One huge bang and jolt forward later and I could feel the front left side of my car sagging down and the front driver's side wheel scraping against the asphalt. I knew it was bad.

I drove it a few feet ahead and parked along the curb just to be out of the line of traffic so I wouldn't get rear-ended on top of everything else. As I got out to check the damage to all cars involved began making the necessary phone calls to the cops and friends and family I noticed liquid pouring at a rapid rate out of the underside of the front of the car. I told the police about the liquid, they didn't seem concerned. About 20 minutes into my wait for the cop to show up I started to smell a burning smelll and got more worried about whatever it may have been that was leaking out of the car, so I called the police department back and asked if they could send a fire truck out as well, just incase.

All I needed at that point was for the car to up and expload in the middle of an office complex. There's nothing like a Monday morning spent on the side of the road, gazing at your rumpled car while firemen are pouring salt all over the road, your co-workers are driving by staring at you, and the police are asking you what in God's name happened?

It felt so anticlimactic to respond, " I came through the intersection and was blinded by the sun. And no I didn't have my sunglasses on, I was running late and forgot them." If only it could have been the result of some heroic deed like swerving to miss a child darting out in the road or at least to be rear-ended by someone else. Nope, not me, I hit 2 cars that weren't even moving.

I do have to say though, it did feel a little better to learn that I would get nearly $6,000 dollars for my destroyed car and to hear shortly after of the massive Toyota recall. Gave the whole event at least a sense of fate/destiny.

And I must say, following my interaction with what had to be the nicest and ironically the most philosophical Policeman who could have reported to the scene of an accident, I managed to get myself a mighty fine new car - a little white Kia Optima. I will always remember what that cop said to me as I stood there literally shaking in disbelief and panic after my accident, "It's not what happens to you in life, it's how you react to what happens."

Well said sir, well said. He eased my mind that morning when I really needed it and probably gave me the fire I needed to march into that dealership and purchase my first car all by my little lonesome - and for the price I had in mind too.

Farewell little Toyota, it was nice riding with you...