Wrecked my truck! (PICS)

911Rob · 911Rob's Garage

Yeah, my Ford F350 has been killed.

I mostly drive the H1, but the truck comes in handy for development/building biz, I bought it on one of those silly 0% interest gigs, financed over 4 years with a small down. Never liked the payments, but it was all a write off for me anyway. Now my truck is a write off!

Left it at the showhome one weekend and my boy decided he'd take it out with some buddies instead of the beater Explorer that he drives. Friday night at 4AM he hits some black ice and takes out a telephone pole. Fortunately everyone (3) was OK and only minor cuts/bruises and my kid suffered a broken arm, no DUI either.

I can't help but love the kid and I'm certainly very thankful that he's OK, but he had no business running down the highway with my truck at that time of the night. He does use it often for running materials. He works for me supervising my construction crews.

I'm gonna sell off the H1 now and replace the truck with a cash purchase; the insurance company paid off most of the financing and the kid is paying the balance. Not a good time to be selling an H1, but also not a good time to paying truck payments and I really need a truck; often. Whatyagonnado? What would you guys do?

Here's whats left of it, it's a write off:

slakjaw · 03-13-2009, 04:18 PM

WOW

Glad everyone was OK...

From the look of the truck, I think I would count my blessings

911Rob · 911Rob's Garage

Yes, him and the other two passangers are all OK, thank God.
My wife broke out crying when she saw the truck; we're lucky! Very lucky!

BGCarrera32 · 03-13-2009, 04:19 PM

I'd say from the looks of that truck he's lucky to be alive.

Hopefully the balance due and the broken arm will be more effective than any lecture...

Moses · 03-13-2009, 04:29 PM

First, I'd say a prayer of thanks and give my son a hug and a kiss. Then...

If he had been drinking, it would be the last time he ever drove one of my cars. How old is he? If he's still living at home, it might be time to stop the night driving for a while.

aap1966 · aap1966's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by bgcarrera32

i'd say from the looks of that truck he's lucky to be alive.

Hopefully the balance due and the broken arm will be more effective than any lecture...

+1

HardDrive · 03-13-2009, 04:33 PM

Say your prayers and hug your boy.

Oh Haha · 03-13-2009, 04:35 PM

WOW!!! Glad everyone is ok, Rob.

Isn't your son around 24-25YO?
If so, he is an adult and I don't think "Dad" woul.d be the right hat to wear for this.

I'm thinking more of the business owner who now has to buy a new truck because of an employee's mistake.

My .02, of course. My kids aren't old enough to drive and I'm not a business owner.

Maybe a hug followed up with a dope slap would be effective?

gprsh924 · 03-13-2009, 04:35 PM

I'm surprised at how badly the cab caved in. I have seen a lot of rollover pics on the Xterra forum I am on and I have never seen anything that bad.

syncroid · 03-13-2009, 04:37 PM

Wow Rob! Lucky indeed. I'm glad everyone escaped with only minor injuries. I think their gaurdian angels were working overtime that night.

Zeke · 03-13-2009, 04:38 PM

Sorry to see that and +1 on him being alive.

That having been said, chop, cut, rebuild! Viola! F 350 cabriolet.

911Rob · 911Rob's Garage

He's 25yo, rents a house on his own.
He works for my company but reports to my Project Manager, not me. Still bosses kid syndrome; but he's a good worker and a happy kid.

From what I've been told there was a couple beers around midnight, but he's not a drinker and his track record is very good for NOT driving if he's had too many.

This happened a month ago now, so I'm getting over the thank God he's OK stage and moving into the dumb ass stage. My wife is now 50% - 50% worried that I do too much for the kid; only boy and all. My other 4 kids, all girls are no challenge in comparison.

911Rob · 911Rob's Garage

Quote:

Originally Posted by gprsh924

I'm surprised at how badly the cab caved in. I have seen a lot of rollover pics on the Xterra forum I am on and I have never seen anything that bad.

Normally these cabs hold up very well; however they hit the ditch going backwards, the truck tilted up on its side and the power pole hit the drivers door and roof; you can almost see the line of the pole. The truck took out the pole. They figure my kid got half thrown out the window to escape death.

Anyway it was pretty much the roof that took out the power pole.

Jaws of life tore all the doors off to get them out.

Moses · 03-13-2009, 04:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 911Rob

He's 25yo, rents a house on his own.
He works for my company but reports to my Project Manager, not me. Still bosses kid syndrome; but he's a good worker and a happy kid.

From what I've been told there was a couple beers around midnight, but he's not a drinker and his track record is very good for NOT driving if he's had too many.

In that case, tell him you love him and let it go.

m21sniper · 03-13-2009, 04:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gprsh924

I'm surprised at how badly the cab caved in. I have seen a lot of rollover pics on the Xterra forum I am on and I have never seen anything that bad.

Yeah- sheesh! That's terrible passenger compartment deformation. Ford obviously needs to do a redesign- that should not happen at any kind of reasonable speed.

widgeon13 · 03-13-2009, 05:04 PM

Very luck guys and lucky parents as well. He only has one broken arm, I'd probably break the other, (just kidding).

FastCarFan · FastCarFan's Garage

Rob,

Very glad to hear your son & his passengers are okay. I assume (hope) they were wearing their seat-belts. I have 2 boys -- 18 & 22 -- & I have told them that they are not allowed to have any passengers in the car who are not wearing a seat-belt. Period. No exceptions.

I have been lucky with my boys. I sent them both to the Mid-Ohio Teen Defensive Driving School. They practiced hard braking & steering in the wet with ABS off & on, emergency lane changes & spent lots of time in the skid-car. I was able to observe the classroom sessions for son #2 & it was great. They talked about contact patches, not making the tires do more than one thing at a time (stop, turn or accelerate), weight transfer, etc. It was taught by Tommy Byrne, an ex-racer with a lot of experience. It cost me $315/kid & I figure if its prevents even one accident it is $ well spent. Heck, my deductible is $1,000!

As an interesting topic of discussion, ask you son what he would do differently if he were in the same situation again. Make him think about the situation & what contributed to the accident. What did he learn? We all make mistakes -- it is important to learn from our mistakes so we don't repeat them. I have heard mistakes referred to as "tuition". It sounds like it was too much speed for conditions. Hopefully he has gained a healthy respect for cold weather & ice.

Again, I am very, very glad he & everyone else is okay. Wouldn't it be terrible if one of his passengers had been seriously injured or killed?

t951 · t951's Garage

Can you get a trailer to hook up to the H1? That way you don't lose on the H1, and you dont have to spend a lot of $ for a new truck.

MBAtarga · 03-13-2009, 05:31 PM

Wow - Rob, do count your blessings. Someone is watching over him for you.

I can't help but think, if this had been a Porsche, how many would be offering to buy the fuchs!

Don Plumley · Don Plumley's Garage

Seems to me one option is to say, "Son, I'm grateful you were not injured worse. Congratulations, you've just purchased a truck."

If his father was not the boss, he would have lost his job for taking a work vehicle out without permission, especially for social reasons. Since you are probably not going to fire him, I'd work out a payment plan over four years to pay the blue book value of the truck.

Since you said he is 25 and living on his own, why should you be the one to have to sell your H1 because someone else broke your truck?