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Evan F

Active Member
Joined
Apr 30, 2003
Messages
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Location
Boynton Beach, FL
Yesterday evening in the rain getting on I-95 south at Glades RD in Boca Raton I hydroplaned and rolled the Trac. It was all so strange because I was going so slow. I had my foot on the brake the whole time while making the approach onto the highway. It wasn't until I released the brake and began accelerating to get on that the back-end just came out. I was told by fire rescue that this ramp is notorious for accidents. The weird thing was it happened all in slow motion. When I began to hydroplane I was like OK no big deal I will recover, I've been in this situation before but it kept getting progressively worst. The bad thing was because I was right at the on-ramp to get on I could not allow the vehicle to spin into the direction of traffic going 70mph I had to make it go towards the grass and because of that the tires hit the grass horizontally and that was it the vehicle just toppled over onto the roof and back on the wheels. Fortunately everyone was OK. My shoulder hit the B-pillar pretty hard so it is sore. So the era of the Sport Trac is over. I had a lot of memories in this truck. It definitely did its part keeping me safe. Not sure what to get now.

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OUCH!!! Happy to hear that you and the your passengers were able to walk away! My two granddaughters were in a crash in my 1991 Ford Explorer and it rolled over and came to rest right side up. Some bruises and bangs, a cut in the scalp and a busted lip, a severely sprained ankle, and some good old praying made them okay and both are back at work and school so I am just thankful for their being blessed to come through without any major or serious injuries. So thankful that my 4 month old Great GD was not in the truck at that time!:banana:
 
The tires are only maybe a year old. 10 or 15k on them. I was think of get some steel wheels and tires and selling the rims. I will let you know what I speak to the Geico adjuster. Right now it is still sitting at the tow yard that FHP called. Geico is suppose to pick or up and take it to a salvage yard. I still need to pull my stereo equipment.
 
Let me guess, it was a cop who told you that you were hydroplaning, right? The police owe their allegiance to the government that pays them, and IME are more than happy to bully you into thinking it's your fault (often threatening to ticket you), even though you may well have a solid case against their employer for creating unsafe conditions and/or failing to post notification of the unsafe condition. (The particulars of public liability varies by state, county and local jurisdictions. Hire a qualified lawyer if you want real advice about this.)



To actually be hydro-planing, you need to be going so fast that you're literally gliding across water, just like a boat. Even with high speeds and worn-out tires, this is harder than you might think. If you were really hydroplaning, you would have not been able to use the steering wheel, throttle-induced over/understeer or any other kind of control to alter your car's path.



What you described looks like a classic case of throttle induced oversteer. That may have been compounded by environmental conditions, like petroleum-based substances that are forced up onto the road surface during rainfall, or similar substances like spilled or leaked engine oil that was not properly cleaned up.



The only time I experienced a throttle induced situation, then lost control, it was on an unmarked bridge (on large urban interstates, it's impossible to tell if there's no sign) in freezing conditions. I'm guessing that you didn't encounter freezing in August in Florida. ;)



Since your local fire/rescue people knew the place to be dangerous, it's possible that heavy trucks that are leaking too much oil are using this ramp, or there might have been a crash, and the people responsible for hazmat removal (this includes things like engine oil and any other fluid that can spill from a crashed car) failed to do the job right.



It is absolutely true that your safety is paramount. But that doesn't mean that you don't have the right to a fair resolution to your ongoing problem of a wrecked vehicle. Insurance companies have been known to refuse to keep their end of the bargain even though you paid your premiums in good faith. If you or someone who you care about might use this ramp again, wouldn't you want the assurance that there's not something faulty with that stretch of road?

 
Holy Crap, man!! You are really lucky. You better start going to church on Sunday's from now on! Glad you are OK, an angel must have been watching...BC
 
Well I managed to pull all the stereo equipment out and overhead TV. The only thing left on the truck is the wheels and the safari bar. Apparently I may be able to recover the cost of those items because I pay for additional accessory coverage with Geico. Hope that works out. Now the Trac will sit til Monday in the tow yard when Geico is suppose to pick it up to go to there salvage lot in Pembroke Pines. I probably will never see it again.



I think I am leaning towards a 08 Ford Edge Limited Black with Caramel interior with all the options. Second on the list is a 06 Lexus GS 300.



I don't think I can touch an Adrenaline for under 28k can I?



I may sell all the Stereo equipment so look out for:

Pioneer D3 double Din DVD/Navigation with Bluetooth module and iPod cable.

Planet Audio 5 channel Amplifier

JL Audio 10w3v2 in a C-Wells enclosure

Directed Electronic 10.1" DVD overhead
 
i would love the amp. sorry to hear and see about the trac. another one gone. my buddy also hydro planed his but lucky for him he just messed up the bumpers and now he has a noise. glad to hear you are ok.
 

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