- Neon's Glow – The Blog of John DeArmond - https://www.johndearmond.com -

That was fast

I meant for this post to signify my return to blogging.  Last April 7 I got married to the most wonderful lady alive, someone I met on farmersonly.com.  We decided to buy a motor home and start traveling a bit.  During the first week of June I found the almost perfect rig.

Our new Motorhome

Our new Motorhome

Right side

Right Side

 

I found it in Atlanta on Craig’s List.  A rush trip down to inspect the rig ensued.  It was almost perfect even though it was a ’95 model.  The price was right so I bought it on the spot.

The front tires were dry-rotted but I hoped that I could get it home if I drove slowly.  No such luck.  At the rest area on I-75 north of Atlanta, a tread separated.  Several hours and about $500 later I had new tires on both front wheels.  We spent the night in the rest area and drove home uneventfully the next day.

Since then I’ve spent a few thousand bux bringing it up to modern standards.  $1000 for new tires.  About $300 for a modern 4 stage battery charger and converter.  A few hundred for LED lighting.  Etc.

Monday July 3rd

We had a doctor’s appointment in Cleveland so we decided to take the rig to Cleveland, see the doc, stock up on food and then head off somewhere for a few days.

We headed out of Tellico on a winding country road known as Mecca Pike.  We were following a huge, dual steer axle mobile crane.  At least 50 ton capacity and probably more.  He was mortally flying, taking left hand turns on the inside and scraping the shoulders on others.  We’d catch him on steep hills but he’d jet away until the next hill.

We were in an uphil left hand turn and he was exiting the turn in the left lane.  Suddenly a little red car lept sideways into our lane, fishtailing wildly.    She finally lost it and  slid sideways into us.  BAM – a Head On Collision.

Praise the Lord for good seatbelts and no air bombs.  The impact knocked us sideways and pointed us down an embankment. After the first impact, I still had my hands on the wheel.  Old racing experience kicked in and I steered with the slide while the rig went down an estimated 10 ft embankment.  It slammed hard into ground at the bottom but it stayed upright.

I was not injured at all, except for some tightness in my lower back.  Deb, whose side bore the brunt of the impact, was smacked pretty hard by the shoulder belt.  She now has a nice bruise across her chest and possibly a broken rib.

broken

Our little rig where it came to rest

The little red car didn’t fare so well.

red car

little red car with air bombs exploded.

As you can see, air bombs came out from all over.  The driver was quite beaten up by the air bombs.  This graphically shows why I’ll never own a car with an air bomb.

The woman looked and acted like an alleged meth-head.  The Tennessee Highway Patrol whisked her off to the hospital for a blood test.  We don’t yet have the police report so I don’t know the results but the THP trooper told me she was being charged for the accident.  We feel strongly that the crane driver should be charged.

In an act of closing the barn door after all the horses are gone, I ordered a dash cam last night from Amazon.  I’d already been thinking about one.  Shame on me for not acting sooner.

So now starts the fight with the insurance companies.  Not what I’d hoped to be doing right now.

Our poor little RV is now sitting in the wrecker’s storage yard waiting on the insurance adjusters and on us to go get our personal stuff.  If it’ll quit raining for a day…

John