I guess I piissed him off when I flashed my lights at him. I've got the car on cruise (55) on 419 in Winter Springs. Limit is 55. The guy pulls onto 419 in front of me about 150 yards before our intersection. So I hit the high beams. I always ride with the regular lights on anyway. I guess that's where I piissed him off because he went 25 for the rest of the way up to 434. Just before we get to 434, there is a turn lane for Eckards. Just after that the right turn lane for 434 starts. The center and left lanes both turn left on 434. So I get in the right turn lane. He stays in the center and slows for the red light. I speed up to about 30 cause the turn lane is a long one. Just before the intersection, all 3 lanes curve to the right. I was about half way up his trailer as the road started to curve. At that point, with no blinker he turns sharply to the right in front of me. His right side tires, up until now, have been completely in the center lane. I lock 'em up an go into the curb with the horn blowing, high beams still on. He continued to cut straight across the right lane and his trailer's wheels took out my rear quarter, smashed the door and caved in my rocker panel under the door before catching my side mirror and not quite ripping it off. Then he stopped. Finally!

He said that he was covering both lanes because he had to make a wide turn to clear the curb and that I shot up beside him. Somehow the cops felt that his BS sounded more logical than my story and gave me the ticket for careless driving. I'm so piissed right now I could eat a hornet's nest.

Primarily because he had a witness show up and said he saw the truck in both lanes with a blinker on. The funny part... the guy wasn't even there until at least 20 minutes after the fact. I figure he was probably somebody's buddy and they needed a witness.

I got tons of pictures and video and everything I could.

Who knows a good lawyer. I mean a really good "nasty" laywer?

 

What a jerk!

I'd have kicked his *** real good if he knowingly did that to my car.

That cop probably thought it was your fault because you're driving the Camaro.

Give Morgan, Colling & Gilbert a call, I would not let that guy get away with it.

 

Well, if someone did that to my car right now, I would actually be happy, cuz it'd probably be totalled and I could get a new one. But if I had a beautiful SS like yours, I'd have a real hard time not popping the hatch, removing my breaker bar, and bludgeoning him to death with it. Sorry to hear it man.

 

That is messed up!

I would look for a lawyer defintetly. Not sure Morgan, Colin and Gilbert will do a personal case like this I think they mainly do little person against a corporation stuff. And they might be busy they have 4 cases agianst a certain movie theater in the Orlando area, not mine because if it was mine I would not be allowed to speak of the case without a lawyer present.


We should have a car show in front of the guys house. I mean is it illegal if say we get 30-40 f-bodies and park along the street in front of his house and jsut hang out and talk cars, would freak him out but not sure it would be illegal.

 

Go get him man... Don't forget that if I remember correctly (maybe not?) his insurance is not only responsible for the repairs, but also the estimated depreciation of the vehicle, and since yours is one of 41 (on the last year of production)!

I've seen trucks go wide for turns all of the time and wouldn't cut inside, but if he didn't have a blinker on so that you could tell what he was doing........ sounds like an ***@#$ to me!

 

Not sure if you been to court you probaby know all this stuff, but where soem nice clothes full suit if you have it, you are clean cut looking, your story is you only take the SS out on weekends, not your daily driver, but your collector's item. Might get more out of it for that.

But definetly get one a$$hole of a lawyer

 

Yeah I'm definately lawyering up. I just had to take the accident report back to the police station cause they said there was damage to the L/F and L/C. That would imply that I actually plowed into the truck. They changed it to be L/C and L/R like it's supposed to be.

So nobody's ever had to use a lawyer before huh?

 

I have on more then one occasion, but they were free campus lawyers, not sure I would pay for there services.

 

If you're looking for an attorney, I'd stop discussing the matter until you consult with one, unfortunately. Posting this stuff can bite a fella in the a$$. You know how they can twist things in the legal system.

I've used an attorney before, but it was for traffic violations. Technically I'm still using them since they extended the case 180 days But they've reduced the reckless to careless, so it's going in the right direction.

I've retained Skubiak & Rivas on my RD/Speeding tickets. Seem to have a good record with clients, but I don't know if they handle your scenario.

The postcard I received implies they handle accidents. Their number is 407-894-4449. Although I ended up with Rivas, Skubiak appears to be more aggressive based upon the initial interview. They definitely aren't cheap, it cost me $1300 so far.

If possible, I'd go back to where he pulled out and either make a movie or take a lot of photos all the way until the accident scene. Make note of all the traffic control signs that may assist you. I'd sure as hell point out the time discrepancy between the time of the accident report and the time the affidavit was signed by his witness. Get that witness on the stand!!!

I don't know about Florida, but some states need a special type of drivers license depending upon the style & length of trailer.

Write down everything NOW so you don't forget it later. Make notes to yourself as you think of new items.

I'll let ya drive my car if you want @ Gainesville. Hopefully the tranny & rearend last that long

 

Well, as much as I'd like to say that everything will work out in court, the ""witness"" throws a wrench in that machine. I hope it works, otherwise...take a look at his ticket and send me his name, tag #, DL #, and address.......I know a guy that knows a guy

 

sorry to hear about this man, I would have beaten the guy to a bloddy pulp. Then I would have cried cause I would know that I would have lsot my car and my freedom, off to jail I go!!!

Good luck with the hunt for an attorney

 

More proof that winter springs police are ****ing worthless.

If nothing comes your way out of this its time for guerilla justice. Is the guy from winter springs or around here? Also, who was the cop?

 

Thanks guys. 12 hours later now. I could still eat bees. But at least I can almost think straight again.

Thanks for the ride offer Jim. But I'll still drive mine most likely. It's not twisted or too beat up. Just cosmetics for the most part. I am more worried about getting it fixed right and on time for the HotRod Power Tour at the end of May. Body shop recommendations are welcome. I don't want a rushed job. I want it to be rebuilt, not repaired. New door, quarter panel and rocker panel, make sure all the seams look original and replace the door jam stickers. At least it doesn't look like any of the convertible top mechanisms got bent even though they were down in the cavity where the tire first hit. If nobody knows of anybody, I'll go to Daya's up in Longwood. They do a lot of high end stuff and did a nice job on my mom's car a few months back. Not quite good enough for my standards on an SS Convertible... but it was only a Geo Prism.

 

In most cases I'd have to agree. But they had a guy saying he was a witness so they went with him. Even though I think that the visual evidence said otherwise, they went with his account of what happened. But then again I'm more than just a bit biased too. When I went back and talked with the two officers later we BSed at the station for about 20 minutes. They were sympathetic and civil, but basically had to go with the witness.

And guys, if we were gonna go knee cap crackin' this isn't the place to plan it. lol

The guy was out of Tampa. Just dropped off a load at Cast Crete next to the tire shredding plant on 419. The officers were Abraham and Wickman. I got lots of pictures and video too. The only one I still need to get is a picture of my car with my tires at the start of my skid mark. That will show that I was not hugging the curb to shoot around the truck like they said. I was centered in the lane. That can show that the truck had to have been in the middle lane prior to the collision. I'll probably get those tomorrow morning before the marks go away completely.

 

I can't believe they had a witness show up to lie for them. What a crock of ****. Did you bring up the fact that that guy wasn't even there? and how did the witness show up before the cops?

Shoot first and ask questions later.