So I had this truck in my shop... 'cept it didn't belong in there.
It arrived at 2:30 this morning, made quite a racket too.
Wish I could get a copy of the 9-1-1 call, probably confused the dispatcher:
"911 What is your emergency?" "I have a truck in my garage!"
"You have a truck in your garage? What is the emergency, Sir?"
"Oh! It doesn't belong there! It just crashed through the wall!"
Everyone's OK though. No structural damage to the rest of the house so I dont have to relocate. My workshop and part of the business is completely out of commission, I mean I have heavy duty cast iron equipment that was just destroyed.
I have some other pics that need to be downloaded from the camera, they show the path this dude took.
He was DUI.
By the way, that's an F250. It suffered very minor damage - some scratches, dents in the hood and bumper. It even hit a trailer with 2,000lbs of rock on it. I do love my garage, that's a big truck and the big ol' garage makes it look like a little toy!
Posted by dave parr (Member # 3868) on :
FORD BUILDS TOUGH TRUCKS! hehehe
Sorry Mike, that would be quite a drag. Posted by kent moss (Member # 4295) on :
They sure don't make that sign foam & chicken wire as good as in the old day's.
Thank God it didn't hit your bedroom.
Posted by Donna in BC (Member # 130) on :
WOW... what a mess! Glad you are ok!
Posted by Mike Pipes (Member # 1573) on :
Yes, this could have easily been much worse. The other pics I have that show his path also show that if he had swerved a little more to the left, he would have hit a steeper part of my yard which would have sent him airborne, likely landing in the front bedroom, in the living area, or my bedroom which is in the back of the house behind the garage.
Yeah the way they build houses today is just pathetic. I thought I was goin overboard on my new place planning on 2ft thick rock walls (that's what the rock on the trailer is for) but after seeing this, I'm not overboard at all!
Posted by faye welsh (Member # 2524) on :
we just had a new mustang go through a neighbor's house ,mike. right into the livingroom,and partially a bedroom. thank goodness, no one was hurt. the car is trashed. another case of DUI. it was a young guy, he jumped out and ran into the woods. police didn't find him till they ran his plate. pink slip still on the seat. . dumb kid.
Posted by Dave Hunt (Member # 4637) on :
Glad your okay Mike....
Wish I could say the same for your house.
Posted by mike meyer (Member # 542) on :
what did he want lettered on it?
Posted by Rovelle W. Gratz (Member # 4404) on :
Give him a copy of your hours and tell him next time wait until the shop is open.
Glad nobody got hurt.
Posted by FranCisco Vargas (Member # 145) on :
Them Rush jobs suck huh? Hope you have insurance, or I should say hope the driver has insurance.
Posted by Bruce Bowers (Member # 892) on :
I wasn't aware that you had added drive thru service to Stickerpimp.com...
We are really glad that you are OK. No pity for drunk drivers. He deserves an asskicking, that's for sure.
Posted by Kissymatina (Member # 2028) on :
That's gonna leave a mark.
Glad you weren't hurt and hope the dealings with insurance aren't too painful.
We have drive-thru restaurants, banks, strip clubs....why not a drive-thru stickerpimp? Posted by Monte Jumper (Member # 1106) on :
So can you impliment Maritime laws and claim salvage rights?
That entire area was once ocean you know!
Posted by Harris Kohen (Member # 2139) on :
did you letter this guys truck?
<The guy> "I hate this lettering job so much I'm gonna drive my truck thru his door"
Glad to hear your Ok there.
Nothing a little duct tape, baling wire and fiberglass cant fix anyway
Posted by Jillbeans (Member # 1912) on :
Aw shucks, he just mistook your place for a Burger King. Don't you have a huge inflatable Sponge Bob on your roof? He wanted a Krabby Patty to go. Love....Jill
Posted by Suelynn Sedor (Member # 442) on :
Wow! Will your insurance cover your loss of wages while you are waiting to repair your equipment and workspace? That really sux!! Glad no one was hurt!
Suelynn
Posted by Dave Sherby (Member # 698) on :
You should have been ready for him, striper loaded with paint... in position.... one side striped in 3 seconds.
Glad you're not hurt. Hope he's responsible for any deductables and misc. expenses. Good luck.
Posted by Mike Pipes (Member # 1573) on :
Oh he's gonna get it alright.
The accident reconstruction officer came by this morning to measure and he had some additional legal insight to this. (Recons are required to attend law school)
The driver still has a chance of being charged with a MINIMUM Class 4 Felony. In Arizona this means TWO AND A HALF YEARS in prison. It also carries fines starting at $100k. This is all because he hit personal property, if he hit another vehicle it would be a different story.
The recon officer is coming by tomorrow with a copy of the report and the Victim's Rights forms to help spell everything out.
Dealing with his insurance company is the LEAST of this guy's concerns. His brother (co-owner in the business) stopped by yesterday to take pictures, he downplayed the whole deal saying "It's embarrassing for the company but nobody was hurt and we'll get through it." Gee dude, your brother is facing prison time, it's a little more involved than some minor embarrassment.
The police are ready to push this case to the limit.
This could be a rollercoaster ride.
Posted by Gavin Chachere (Member # 1443) on :
You should be ready to push it to the limit as well. All DUI's should carry mandantory jail time like that,make sure he gets it. Talk to the police and the DA on your own as much as possible and make it clear you won't be thrilled if he pleads down to a lesser charge...a common ploy with idiots who get DUI's is is to claim he has some kinda problem or some other BS and needs counseling or some other kind of crap.....baloney. Mighty funny he's 1/2 owner of a business,which by the way is still operational.....yours isn't. This more than likely isnt this a-holes first DUI and probably won't be his last and his brother knows that,thats why he came by and tried to downplay it and make nice....don't go easy on him and just be happy getting the garage fixed and your stuff back,,that doesnt make him pay for anything,it may cost him a few more $$$$$ each month in insurance but you and your business have already lost more plus you're out the inconvience and temporary relocation of your business. Pursue it
Posted by Mike Pipes (Member # 1573) on :
Yeah Gavin, if the police don't persue the charges, I probably will, just to make an example out of him.
This is his first DUI but possibly not his last unless he gets stung pretty hard. The recon officer already dug up his file and it's pretty clean....
HOWEVER... this story appeared in today's paper, in the section with all the other crime reports. This dude's blood alcohol content was .264% on the breath test (3 times the legal limit) and .206% on the Intoxilyzer. Can you believe that???
Posted by Bruce Bowers (Member # 892) on :
Mike,
The fact that his BAC was that high and he was still able to somewhat function tells me that he is an experienced drinker and has reached a level of intoxication many times before. It is probably by sheer dumb luck and circumstances that he hasn't had an incident before this.
It didn't happen to you, maybe it wouldn't bother us as much. The whole thing sucks for you. I really believe the guy deserves an asskicking.
Posted by Mike Pipes (Member # 1573) on :
Bruce, exactly.
This guy wasn't staggering at all. He had to climb a set of stairs to get from the garage to the door into my house, because there was no other way for him to get out. (the garage floor is about 4-5ft lower than the house) I didn't want him in my garage. He didnt stumble, simply amazing now that I see the blood alcohol content numbers.
Posted by Bob Rochon (Member # 30) on :
I'd let the law worry about his DUI, just make sure the Insurance Co takes care of everything Mike.
Just be thankful it wasn't you he hit or another human being.
I hope you get up and running soon.
Posted by Sheila Ferrell (Member # 3741) on :
. . . . Ever notice how many times the DWI perp never gets more than a bruise or scratch, but everything around their scene is destroyed, and people are seriously injured or killed . . .?
Thanks to a well-pickled, rag-doll body, many would-be carcasses of alcoholics are never scraped up by the meat wagon, only living to try to die again on some other knee-walkin' binge. . . . (myself and many others are living proof)
LOL . . Mike made us laugh on the CHAT sayin' here he is, a reclusive, keep-to-himself kinda guy who dosent bother anyone . . .and someone just pounds into his place this way??
. . .MADD . . . Mike Against Drunk Drivers
A life turned over to the Highest Power is the only sure preventative . . . A manslaughter charge is the only (temporary) preventative, assuming the perp actually does any real time . . .
Around here, fines don't seem to curtail DUI's, nor losin' the driver's license. I watched a coupl'a repeat offenders in court simply walk up there, answer a coupl'a of the judge's questions, pay their $500 & $600 fines, and walk out free . . . repetative men . . .
Huh . . imagine that
....if you got $$$ you can pretty much buy your way out'a ANYTHING...
Oh yeh . . .Bruce . . .not to be negative about your VERY positive motto . . . but some of my greatest regrets . . . are the chances I took . . . True enough, the regretable risks were my strongest catapults toward reality . . .but they still remain as what's left of my worst memories . . . .
On a positive note, my worst memories will never allow me to go back and repeat them. . .
[ December 13, 2004, 01:03 AM: Message edited by: Sheila Ferrell ]
Posted by Bill Dirkes (Member # 1000) on :
Mike, Glad everyone is OK. Does Arizona's insurance law allow for 'no-fault'? The couple of times I've had to deal with accidents the PIP (no-fault)in Ky, my insurance co. paid out for damages, lost wages, etc. Then the insurance cos. fight it out to recover their expenses. The only time that it didn't apply, it took four years and $34k to get it settled. I was left with a $68k settlement. Good Luck nailin this guy!
Posted by Jeff Spradling (Member # 1615) on :
This is just one of the consequences of owning a garage near a road.It looks like the original construction wasn’t done properly.My garage has steal siding and I’ve never had this problem.I think the guy should just have to drop off some new building materials,Mike can just redo the garage and move on with business.
Jeff
Posted by mark zilliox (Member # 3873) on :
it looks like you'll be having christmas dinner by headlight instead of candellight!@**$##@!!!1
Posted by Rovelle W. Gratz (Member # 4404) on :
I have no patience with drunks.
I drink quite a lot myself, probably almost a 6 pack each year.
I was watching a TV show about drunks one evening.....this one guy had 27 DUIs on his record. He should have been poured in the foundation of the new jail.
Posted by Kimberly Zanetti (Member # 2546) on :
Back in '93, my mother was sitting in her car at a red light. All of a sudden this big truck comes hauling a** around all of the other cars waiting for the light oposite her and slams pretty much head on into her.
Turns out the guy had a blood alcohol level of.32 (nice,huh?)and he's standing there yelling that the cars stopped at the light were "in his way!" so he drove around them, doing about 60 and plowed through the light.
He of course walked away with nary a scratch and my mother barely made it out alive. She's still not 100%, or even 70% for that matter.
This was the guys 6th (!!!!) DUI. Different states so they never got lumped together for a longer sentence. I think he got about 5 years that time.
The people at MADD were amazing. They went to every court hearing with her for support, helped her fill out all the forms to get new glasses and other insurance stuff. If anything like that ever happens to you, call them!
Good luck Mike!
Posted by Doug Allan (Member # 2247) on :
Jeff, you must be joking?
Posted by TransLab (Member # 470) on :
Don't let go of this Mike...
This joker was playing with the lives of you & your family...
Posted by Bruce Williams (Member # 691) on :
Be prepared for the other side fight as if they have everything to lose, and thus nothing to lose. Meet with your insuror's attorney ASAP and see that he is prepared for a dirty fight. It is in your interest for your insuror to win.
Posted by Mike Pipes (Member # 1573) on :
quote:Originally posted by Jeff Spradling: This is just one of the consequences of owning a garage near a road.It looks like the original construction wasn’t done properly.My garage has steal siding and I’ve never had this problem.I think the guy should just have to drop off some new building materials,Mike can just redo the garage and move on with business.
Jeff
It doesn't matter. The police report states he was traveling 60MPH. No wood-framed structure will withstand that. He wiped out so much stuff before hitting the house, some paper thin steel siding wouldn't make a difference.
By the way.. so far it's been 4 days... I've put in several calls to the insurance companies involved. No adjusters have called, none have stopped by.. Must be a west coast lazy-ass thing or something because any time I had an incurance claim while living in St Louis I was able to meet an adjuster the same day I called the insurance company.
Damn insurance robots. I did talk with one agent at the driver's insurance co, the one handling this claim. I had to email pictures for her to wrap her mind around the severity of this incident - they just have absolutely NO clue!
Tell ya what, the digital age is probably making insurance adjusters pee their pants. Everyone and their brother can now shoot high quality images so insurance companies cannot rely on themselves having the only photos, which conveniently only show very vague detail.
[ December 15, 2004, 01:47 PM: Message edited by: Mike Pipes ]
Posted by Michael Latham (Member # 4477) on :
do you at least get to keep the truck?
Posted by Scott Pagan (Member # 2507) on :
just read, glad to hear you're all ok.
Posted by Curtis hammond (Member # 2170) on :
them pics.... send em to bob s,, let him make you a life size poster and use it for an exterior coating..
Posted by Cam Bortz (Member # 55) on :
A few years ago some drunken stumblef*ck like this went off the road down near the beach. Went through and over a 3' high stone retaining wall, across a lawn, and destroyed a sign (snapped off two 8"x8" posts), then fled the scene. He was a realtor who was out celebrating a six-million dollar sale; driving a borrowed Jaguar with an expired Florida license and no insurance. I replaced the sign (it's at a B&B) and was asked to testify against this slimeball in court, that the sign he destroyed could not have been repaired (it was a redwood sign and was shattered in six or eight pieces.)
My client spent two years chasing this case. The driver had multiple DWI charges - but no convictions - and didn't show up for several court dates until a judge finally issued a bench warrant. Because he had no insurance, they ended up settling the case for $14,000, and as far as I know, no criminal charges were filed - this guy was from a well-connected Rhode Island family, the sort of people who pretty much get a free pass in that corrupt little semi-Third World state.
Some drunks never quite get it. Another guy I know from around town holds the current Connecticut state record for number of DWI convictions (somewhere around twenty or so). He hasn't had a license in years, will never have one again, has spent three months - just once - in jail, and been threatened with a five-to-ten sentence next time.... but he's from a wealthy family whose lawyers have greased the skids over and over. Apparently it hasn't been taken too seriously because he hasn't killed anyone. Yet.
Posted by Mike Pipes (Member # 1573) on :
No I don't want the truck. Damaged goods. If I was offered a new one at no charge with 5 years of free gas I'd take it but those things are pigs.
Cam, in AZ just because someone loses their license from DUI it doesn't mean they cannot drive. Get this, if driving is part of daily operations in your job (delivery, carrier, contractor, etc) you are allowed to drive on a suspended license if it's business/work related. You can't make any personal trips, but how hard is it to squeeze personal errands in with business stuff? Basically completely negates the whole DUI/license suspension.
That's what really makes me mad. I lose thousands in equipment and a vehicle. I'm stripped of a portion of my income-making potential because I obviously have no place to do some of my work. On top of that I get to deal with the insurance robots and lose income having to deal with them on the phone constantly. Compounded with that frustration is the emotional overload that comes with thinking this guy could have easily come through the house and made things worse.
All this damage he caused, what's his punishment? His brother and co-owner of their business comes in and drops $1,000 for his bail within an hour of going to jail. He gets to continue on with his work and daily life as normal - it's not his house or shop area that was destroyed. His business has several vehicles he can use plus he has his own personal vehicles.
It's just a little blip of embarrassment for them.
We'll see what the judge says in court next week, but I definitely think I'm going to bring him a big stack of photos so he can see exactly what kind of damage this guy did. Seems everyone has a hard time wrapping their brains around the concept of a truck driving through a house.
Posted by Kissymatina (Member # 2028) on :
This idiot didn't just drive through a house, he drove through your business, your livelihood, your method of putting food on the table and paying the bills. It would be no different than him driving through the courtroom except that the judge would still get a paycheck while he was unable to work while the city was given this porking by the insurance companies.
Perhaps the insurance agent, adjuster should be prompted to consider it this way. Exactly how long should they have to wait if this drunk driving piece of feces drove through their office, shutting them down and they were bent over by the insurance company for how many days now?
Posted by KARYN BUSH (Member # 1948) on :
what the fuk is wrong with people???
Posted by Mike Pipes (Member # 1573) on :
Today is day 6, if you don't count most of the day left over last Saturday when this happened.
Finally getting an adjuster to come out today.
Talked to him on the phone earlier, I asked him "Are you going to look at just the vehicles or the damaged structure too?"
He says "I'm only looking at vehicles. Wait, there was a damaged structure too?"
"Yes, he crashed through the garage on my house."
Adj: "How did he manage that?!?!"
Me: "He was drunk. REAL drunk... and going 60MPH on a residential street."
Keep in mind, the adjuster is from HIS insurance company... and didn't know anything about the damaged building.
None of these people have any stinkin' clue!!!
Posted by Michael Latham (Member # 4477) on :
by providing yearly income statements for the past few years I bet you could sue for loss of income. Also property damage. Who knows, maybe the brother will cough up money for you!
good luck
Posted by Gavin Chachere (Member # 1443) on :
Thats why I told you to not let up and press the issue as hard as you can with the police and the DA. He deserves to serve time,what he did is inexcusable. I think lawsuits are for the most part trivial and ridiculous but find a lawyer and sue him and the business civilly independent of the settlement for equip etc and be careful about accepting a settlement that that ties the 2 things together. He's a piece of sh*t who makes a premeditated choice and this aint the first time if hes functioning at a BAC that high. If he has to lose everything he has thats his tough you know what.
Posted by Bruce Bowers (Member # 892) on :
Gavin... the word would be tough s-h-i-t.
...and I couldn't agree with you more.
Posted by Mike Pipes (Member # 1573) on :
Gotta love it when the adjusters come out and they say things like "f'n idiot", "holy sh!t", and "I can't believe this"
It's even better when you're talking to the adjusters outside and the DUI guy happens to drive right by, on the way to his house (he lives right up the street, literally only seconds away) and you can point and say "That's him, can you believe he's still on the road?"
I gave the adjuster prints of my photos for him to send to the home office so they can see what their guy did!
Posted by Pete Sharkins (Member # 4525) on :
Mike, the level of incompetence in the professional world is astounding. I see it every day, understand it, but don't accept it. I mean, everybody makes mistakes, but businesses like insurance companies should have their stuff together, communications wise, *much* better than they do (referring to the adjuster not knowing the whole story behind the claim). It really can't be that hard, ya know? It's supposed to be their JOB to know!
Myself, I have been fighting with the Yellow Pages for THREE YEARS to get my bill straight. Three years. Finally went to the BBB, and had to mention a harassment suit in order to get some (verbal) satisfaction. And this is with "the" supervisor. I still don't have paperwork stating that i'm in the clear, nor an apology of any kind. Absofreakinlutely amazing.
Keep pounding on those knuckleheads. Pound hard, and don't be afraid to get ignorant. I have to dig reeeeally hard to do so myself, but it had to be in the YP case. It may be a long road to the end from here.
And as for that jerknut still behind the wheel... ooooh man...
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. dumb kid.
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