In this album is pictures of the car after it was taken to the scrap yard, also is a map that demonstrates my terrible MS Paint skills, but I thought it would help paint the picture. The little white blobs on the red rectangle is to show where the front of the car was facing.http://ift.tt/2sHgY9H I graduated High School I started working as a Lube Tech for a Cadillac dealer, pay was decent for an 18 year old high school grad in 2002. After about a year of working there they made me Lube Tech / Used Car tech. Finally I got the opportunity to take on more technical jobs and prove I was a capable mechanic. I really liked this because changing oil all day was getting boring and I got to road test, diagnose, and repair most of the vehicles that got traded in. Fast forward to February of 2004. It was a cold morning, the temperature was around 10F. I walk in and go through the work orders of used cars that need inspected. There were some Devilles, Sevilles, an Escalade... OH HELLO! 2002 Corvette with 13k miles. "I'll start my day with that" I thought, after all what 19 year old lead footed male wouldn't jump at the chance to drive a sports car. As I make my way to the used car lot I pass my Service manager. "You getting ready to grab that Vette?" he asked. "Yep!" I replied. He told me "I've already driven it, its basically brand new. So just bring it straight over and give it a LOF (Lube, Oil, Filter), no need to road test it, we want to get it out on the lot today.". I continued to the lot thinking "it's 10 degrees, I need to get that oil warmed up for the LOF to be done correctly" and that was going to be my excuse if he asked me why I took it down the highway."There she is" I said to myself as I approached the car. I get in and fired it up, and start going through the interior as I would any used car. Everything functioned like brand new, as I expected. I sat there debating on putting on the seat belt (at the time I wore a seat belt about 50% of the time driving anything, it was a random decision and little did I know that morning that roll of the dice would most likely determine on if I would live to see another day), I decide to put the seat belt on.I turn off traction/stability control and put her into drive (yes it was an auto). As I start up the entrance ramp I roll into the throttle and the back end steps out. This is where some people are smart enough to make the connection that 400hp sports car, summer tires, and 10 degrees are a recipe for disaster. Not this guy, all I could think is how much fun this is and roll into the throttle a little more to see how far I could go with the rear end stepping out. Alright I'm on the highway just before rush hour, which in my mind was the green light to open her up. The stretch of highway I was on had a long sweeping right, then long sweeping left, then a short straight with a slight bend at a bridge then it had a long straight (you'll see what I'm talking about on the map I made). The speed limit there was 55MPH so I was doing around 90MPH waiting on my opportunity to go WOT, I pass the only vehicle I see, a white van with some graphics, I didn't pay attention to what the van said. Alright coming onto the short straight I give her all the beans and off I go. Watching the road and HUD I see my speed climb, 100, 110, 120... At this point I was at the small bend on the bridge, going from the concrete bridge back to blacktop there was a bump. "I'm sideways" I say to myself. At this point I'm calm cool and collective, I roll out of the throttle a bit and start correcting. I start to bring her back straight and I say to myself (I talk to myself a lot when I drive) "Holy shit! I can't believe I just did that". I was fully confident that I had just recovered from a slide at 120mph in a Corvette. How many people my age can say that! Just then the car whipped the other direction. When you realize that you have just fucked up and you are sure that you are getting ready to die time really does slow down just like you see in the movies. The rest of the slide and crash all happened in seconds, but in my mind I can still play through it remembering every little detail. It seemed like it took minutes, not seconds. I am spinning to the left now, steering wheel is full counter lock, but it is too late. I have lost 100% control of the vehicle, but I haven't given up. As I go through the grass median backwards with the leading rear tire not even touching the ground (according to the police report) I have my right arm on the back of the passenger seat looking through the rear window, my left hand is working the steering wheel because at this point I am going towards the oncoming lane and all I can think is I need to avoid any other cars. No matter what I do with the steering the car is not responding, there is to much momentum and not enough grip, I realize at this point that I am just along for the ride. I turn back to sit straight in the seat, and mash the brake as hard as I can. Remember how I said time slowed down? I look at the steering wheel "that air bag is coming out" I thought. I reach down and recline the seat just before I slam into the drivers front of a Cadillac (talk about irony). CRUNCH! I don't even know how to describe the sound it made, but it was horrific. I see white front the airbag and everything goes dark. IDK how long I blacked out for, but it couldn't have been more than 10-20 seconds. I come to, steam and smoke billowing out of the front of the Corvette, the dash is a Christmas tree. I put the car in park and turn the ignition off. The road I am on runs East to West, I am facing North. I look to might right (on coming traffic) and see a semi truck stopped in each lane, "I'm glad I didn't hit them" I thought to myself. I look left to see a steaming trail of car parts and fluids... "Is that?... FUCK FUCK FUCK!" I try to get out of the car not even knowing if I am injured or can even walk. The door is stuck, I start slamming my shoulder into it and finally get it opened. I go to get out but I can't... I'm trapped!... Nope I just needed to undo the seat belt. I get out of the car and start running. I'm crying at this point, there sits the car I hit up against the guard rail. Another new feeling that I hope I never have again, I may have killed someone. I run up to the car and look inside, 2 ladies sit there looking like they have just seen a ghost. "Are you okay?" I asked them. They did not say anything, but just looking at me and shook their head yes. "I'm so sorry" I reply. Then I turn around and look back at the disaster I have created. I lean up against the guard rail and take a deep breath and feel like puking. Just then someone approaches me. "Hey buddy, you okay?" The stranger says. "Yes, I'm fine, get back into your car and go about your day, you don't need to involve yourself with this." I said to him. He informs he that actually he cant go anywhere because I also crashed into him. I look over to see a Blazer sitting in the median with heavy front end damage. "I'm so sorry, I'm such a idiot... GOD DAMN IDIOT!" I say. He tells me to calm down "everyone makes mistakes, don't beat yourself up" he tells me.At this point police cars start to file in, I lean back against the guard rail and stare at the cars on the other side of the highway, they were letting people through one lane over there. Just then I see a coworker drive through, he looks like he has seen a ghost as he sees the Corvette and realizes who was driving it. I yell and wave my arms to get his attention so he at least knows I am alright, but he is fixated on the pile of what used to be a Corvette. Roll back shows up and the driver starts sweeping crap off the highway. I walk up and take the broom from him "Go sit down, it's my mess" I tell him. I can't even explain the level of guilt I have at this point, I felt terrible for everyone involved from the people I crashed into to the police who had to handle it. I give the police a statement and they tell me "alright sir, we are going to take you back to your work now" I ask them "can't you just take me to jail?" They laughed and took me back to the shop.As we pull into the parking lot everyone in the whole dealership files out onto the sidewalk. I didn't want to get out of the car. I was so ashamed. I get out and look at the ground as I walk into the service drive. Time slows down again as I start hearing everyone asking questions. "Are you okay?" "what happened?" "how did you do that?" "what is wrong with you?" "do you realize you could have killed someone?" "do you know how lucky you are?" "did you learn your lesson?". All of these questions seemed to run together, yep tough guy here is crying for the second time today. I get back to my tool box and start to lock it up. "We thought you were dead" one of the shop guys said. Then more guys from the shop come over "are you sure your alright man" "we heard and we all stopped working, we didn't know if you were even alive" "we couldn't go back to work until we knew you were alright". That was the third time I cried that day, but that was a mix of shame and joy that they cared that much. Then my service manager walks up "come with me" he says. We sit down in his office and talk. He was cool about the whole thing. Then he says "Jon wants to talk to you.". Jon was the general manager, he was known to be a bit of an asshole. I had never talked to him in the near 2 years I worked there even though I seen him almost daily. My service manager knocks on his door and tells him I'm waiting to talk to him, then my service manager walks out of the room. Jon walks in, his face is bright red. He walks up to me, takes a deep breath and turns to walk away. At this point I thought I was off the hook for this conversation when he turns back around unexpectedly. "WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU? DO YOU KNOW YOU COULD HAVE KILLED SOMEONE? DO YOU EVEN FUCKING UNDERSTAND HOW BIG YOU FUCKED UP TODAY, DO YOU? GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY SHOP, NOW!" He was inches from my face during this ass chewing. I thought for sure he was going to punch me, and I had no plans to do anything but except said punch.I actually had to do one more thing before I could go home, I had to go take a drug test. No big deal I knew I'd pass that, but I just wanted to go home at this point. The service manager told me he take me so I didn't have to drive. We get in his truck and pull up to the first traffic light. He says "Eh, you gotta watch those Vettes, they ain't no Mustang, they'll get away from you.". He had a Corvette almost identical to the one I crashed and would always given me shit about my Mustang.That's pretty much the main story. The others involved were all okay, they had very minor injuries. I could type much more but I figure it will just get too long, so AMA. via /r/cars http://ift.tt/2tZmaK0
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