Sport Trac hit

[David Bloyd]

My 2008 Sport Trac Limited was hit this afternoon. My wife and I were at Outback Steakhouse having lunch and a 64 year old lady did a hit and run on it. She was backing out of her parking spot and somehow hit it hard enough to break the KSU receiver hitch plug, rip off one of the license plate lights, dent the plate, and crack the bumper cover.



Her son saw it all and went and brought her back. She told me, "I looked back twice and never even saw your truck. I never felt anything, so I didn't think I hit anything."



How on earth does someone backing up in new Chevy Impala NOT notice a parked Sport Trac in daylight and hit it hard enough to do all of that damage and not feel it????? Wild! I will be taking it in tomorrow to get an estimate on the damage.

 

[FlipTrac_511]

Probably not looking over her shoulders. Dumb. Then again, I guess older people have a hard time twisting their necks to look back.



Sorry to hear KSU'. Get it fixed ASAP and get back in to happy driving.

 

[Dingo]

It's about a grand. I just had very similar damage.

 

[David Bloyd]

I figured it would be around a grand. I'm just stunned at how hard she hit the truck while backing up. She must have punched it instead of hitting the brakes or something.

 

[Dingo]

Mine was around $810 in damage. I didn't need a license plate light, though.



$810 for just a new bumper cover and paint and installation. How sad is that?

 

[Gypsy me]

Glad her son was honest! Interesting she said she ddn't feel the hit...??? odd...



How much damage was on her car?

 

[Doctor CAD]

Remember, you could kick the bumper cover and do that much damage.



She may not have hit it very hard.

 

[Todd Z]

It does suck...



My neighbor about 3 months ago backed out of her driveway, Living there 3 years, Hit my ST parked... gotta love it..



Todd Z

 

[Martin]

That sux David, I'm sure your tweeked over it.....I know I would be if I got bumped.....



I cringe everytime I have to park in a parking lot someplace. I always try to park out in the lots away from other cars for this reason.

 

[Thomas Rogers]

Another case of DWE...Driving While Elderly.



BTW. Unless a spot is an angled one, in which you are supposed to pull in and back out, I think there should be a LAW that states you must pull through or back into all parking spots. That way there is never any backing out.



Backing out in parking lots causes a majority of parking lot accidents, because you are left more exposed to traffic and other cars backing out (and in this case other stationary cars) than when you pull forward.



Now, I know what you are saying: "But most people can't back into a spot."



Well, if that really is the case, then they shouldn't be driving.



TJR

 

[Dingo]

In GA, it's actually illegal to pull through or back into a parking spot. It's not enforced, but still illegal.

 

[Kevin Lang]

TJR, while I understand your point, I have to disagree with for one reason common to most all of us here: If you can't have the back of the trac exposed, how do you plan to load, or unload, anything from the bed?

 

[Thomas Rogers]

Dingo,



That sounds like a bass-ackwards law to me. Pulling through is always better than forcing yourself to back out. I can see not wanting people backing in, I guess, but no pull throughs? That's crazy.





Kevin L,



As for having to load the vehicle, I suppose if you really have to load something of any real size you should use a loading zone...that's better than blocking parking lot traffic.



TJR

 

[Kevin Lang]

 

[David Bloyd]

I took the truck in for an estimate Monday night. The body shop estimate was $1,731.38. The list of damaged items:



1. KSU hitch cover/plug

2. license plate frame

3. One plate light

4. Fixing and painting the bumper cover

5. the HITCH!





She hit the back of the Trac hard enough to crack the the trailer hitch! Lucky for me the hitch cover and hitch took the brunt of the hit and saved the truck from being damaged even more. The receiver post is cracked where it attaches to the main structure of the hitch assembly and has to be completely replaced.



I was parked in a row all by myself. I'm still not sure how on earth she supposedly backed into it let alone hit it that hard.



It goes to the shop on Monday and will be in there for 3 days.

 

[Gypsy me]

Intersting she states didn't feel it though...wow I still say, it all means she was not paying attention at all.



Glad it's getting fixed pretty quick for ya

 

[David Bloyd]

I honestly don't think the lady should be allowed to drive. Anyone that can't see a Sport Trac or feel it when they crash into one shouldn't be driving.

 

[Gypsy me]

61 is still young though, there are many very alert 61 yr olds. However, in her case she probably should not be driving if she failed to see a bigger vehicle than her own. and was not alert enough to be paying attention. I have a feeling that even if she had a back up camera on her vehicle, probably would still confuse this lady, I'm thinking she is not good a judging distance either.