Wrecked my baby...

Driving home from the tax preparers office after work I had a little accident. Ok, a bit more than little. I was driving north on Research approaching McNeil when a guy in a big panel van towing a trailer decided to make an illegal left turn in front of me. I plowed into the side of his van doing about 40MPH. I tried to turn with him to keep from hitting him to no avail. As we rounded the corner, he seemed to gun his engine as if to try to run. Doing this only caused his trailer to run up the side of my Defender and lock itself to me. He was going no where with 5,000lbs of Land Rover with its brakes locked attached to his tail. My son was riding with me and got to watch the trailer climb the side of the truck inches from his face. Needless to say he was a bit freaked out as was his mother who was following us home in her car. She got to witness the whole thing.

The damage is quite extensive. The right front wing is toast as is the rear. Every light on that side is broken. The heater was punctured by his trailer. Three tires are messed up, one by puncture and two by front end misalignment. Brush bar and bumper are a write-off. Plus whatever else I haven't noticed. It's not a total loss but it'll cost his insurance good. If his insurance isn't bogus that is. The paper he had had no policy number on it. The cops got all his info for me to pass onto my insurance company. Let them fight for the money to fix it.

I have no idea what it's going to cost or what I'll do without it while it's getting repaired. Matching 10 year old faded paint will be tough. The whole thing might need to be repainted. I might go for a nice Land Rover G4 Orange.

More pics of the wreck scene and damage can be seen here.

*sigh*