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liam
24th June 2010, 06:17 PM
Hi guys,

Last night around 10 I encountered a wombat.

swerved for the bloody thing and still hit it with my front left wheel, it threw the car over to the right hand lane. I managed to get myself out of this and straighten the front end up with alot of opp lock and tapping of the throttle. The road was slick and the backend spun a full 360 leaving me facing the edge of the road again. At this point I blacked out - I suspect my HR went too high-.

Looking at the scene I collected 4 trees took two with me, which completely destroyed the ends of the car flipping it around and over on its roof mid air as the road also dropped away to a 10m drop.

I woke up upside down strapped to my seat with lights and hazard alarms going off and smoke everywhere.

The car without question is totalled, the rear wheel ripped out of the axle taking with it the brake/hub, the other side is very very bent. all the doors wouldnt open and I had to kick out of the rear driver side door.

Complete freak accident, the roads were wet and I purposely went slow, only travelling around 70km an hour.

Im perfectly fine, a bit of glass in my hands and alot of shock but otherwise fine. My heartrate 45 minutes after getting out of the car was still in the high 180's.

http://i667.photobucket.com/albums/vv38/Getoutandride/IMGP3049-1.jpg
how it was

http://i667.photobucket.com/albums/vv38/Getoutandride/IMGP3349.jpg
http://i667.photobucket.com/albums/vv38/Getoutandride/IMGP3351.jpg
http://i667.photobucket.com/albums/vv38/Getoutandride/IMGP3357.jpg
http://i667.photobucket.com/albums/vv38/Getoutandride/IMGP3360.jpg
http://i667.photobucket.com/albums/vv38/Getoutandride/IMGP3364.jpg
http://i667.photobucket.com/albums/vv38/Getoutandride/IMGP3366.jpg
http://i667.photobucket.com/albums/vv38/Getoutandride/IMGP3367.jpg
http://i667.photobucket.com/albums/vv38/Getoutandride/IMGP3370.jpg

liam
24th June 2010, 06:18 PM
http://i667.photobucket.com/albums/vv38/Getoutandride/IMGP3406.jpg
http://i667.photobucket.com/albums/vv38/Getoutandride/IMGP3412.jpg
http://i667.photobucket.com/albums/vv38/Getoutandride/IMGP3413.jpg
http://i667.photobucket.com/albums/vv38/Getoutandride/IMGP3445.jpg
http://i667.photobucket.com/albums/vv38/Getoutandride/IMGP3454.jpg

The inside of the car was pretty intact, the rear end completely exploded and the rear vision wiper motor threw itself through into the dash :O

sooty
24th June 2010, 06:23 PM
Glad you're safe mate!
Big crash, the car's easily replaceable!

PS88
24th June 2010, 06:24 PM
Holy shit dude are you okie ? Bad accident bro do you have insurance ?

liam
24th June 2010, 06:25 PM
Thanks mate, I pity the removal guys, because the car had just dropped down that 10 or so metres it was stuck pretty bad in the ditch. Ribs are sure sore now!

EDIT: fully insured, wont even lose no claims because it was natural causes thank god!

Vectramatic
24th June 2010, 06:29 PM
What a mess. The car's done a good job protecting you, glad you're ok

PS88
24th June 2010, 06:34 PM
Good that you are safe bro

guy 27
24th June 2010, 06:37 PM
ouch dude. looks like that would of hurt.

liam
24th June 2010, 06:39 PM
Its steadily hurting more and more, ribs are just because the pretensioners fired from what ive gathered. Its still setting in that its gone, ive been walking into the garage missing my baby :P

jastra
24th June 2010, 06:55 PM
Glad to see your safe out of that. Looks as though the passenger side copped more damage :s did you have a passenger???

liam
24th June 2010, 07:12 PM
thank god i didnt, 15 minutes before i did. Once I crashed I forgot Id dropped her off too. Shock does very very strange things

But as a tip guys I reccomend a window smash hammer in the glovebox. I didnt have one and even hammering the window with my amp wouldnt work, I had to kick the door until it gave way enough to escape

get a hammer seriously

Wraith
24th June 2010, 08:05 PM
OMG...thank your lucky stars your all right !!! that's the main thing after any such innocent accident.

On a side note car glass break hammers or whatever they're called have been around for decades, they also feature a cutting blade or edge to cut seat belts off if need be, but personally I've never bothered getting one because it could always be used in the wrong manner or for the wrong thing if other people get their hands on one, probably is used by alot of smash n grab thugs...it's always a case of catch 22 with such items.

greeny
24th June 2010, 08:06 PM
oh my god u look at the car and its lyk how did i walk away from that but the main thing is your fine

kabel
24th June 2010, 08:33 PM
Good news you are fine,but you should still get a medical checkup.
I was a passsenger in a roll over many years ago,about three days after I just passed out.Had delayed concunshion and whiplash.
Be safe and get yourself checked out.

Sorry about your car also !

BradstaMS
24th June 2010, 08:44 PM
Dude thank god youre okay, thats huge!

phatmax
24th June 2010, 09:35 PM
WOW man..glad your ok. That looked pretty big. A new beast will soon fill that gap in the shed. Whilst you wait deff get yourself checked out. plus 1 what kabel said.

Ice
24th June 2010, 09:54 PM
Brilliant that your ok buddy ! phew....

Corsa_Rob
24th June 2010, 10:13 PM
shit mate, lucky your ok

What you needed was one of these:

http://www.firetrader.com.au/category22_1.htm#62

its a seat belt cutter and window punch, i recently got one that i keep on my keyring. I mainly got it for if i came across a car accident as i'm a CFA vol but having read what happened to you mate, everyone who drives a car should have one!

droodles
25th June 2010, 12:41 AM
to be honest, if that was me i'd probably would've run over it given the options of either killing myself + my car or a wombat.

gmonkey
25th June 2010, 12:49 AM
At the time it's all down to reactions but u don't think of wat it is and what it will do you just think dodge it..

Glad ur ok mate!! Get a checkup for sure.

Guess positive out of it is u don't have to sell it anymore...

sooty
25th June 2010, 12:49 AM
to be honest, if that was me i'd probably would've run over it given the options of either killing myself + my car or a wombat.
In that split second you have to see an object in the middle of the road and react I highly doubt you could just choose to hit it, instinct dictates you'd swerve. And have you seen what a wombat does to a car? Very not pretty anyway, can cause ridiculous amounts of damage that could endanger the driver.
Not having a go, just saying liam did what most would have done and was just very unlucky

ChrisMaz
25th June 2010, 01:27 AM
Shite! :eek6:

Glad you got out with little injury, thats a pretty hectic crash mate.

liam
25th June 2010, 06:25 AM
Drooles, If ONE MORE PERSON tells me i should have ploughed through it Im going to go apeshit. Its the middle of the night and something runs out, BEFORE you even know its a wombat your reaction has happened, the car is swerving. THEN you manage to work out its a wombat, Remembering aswell once in a blue moon some very drunk men walk home along this massive road and end up asleep in the roadside. Its not the other way around when they run out quickly anyway reaction takes over and youve then got to work out what it is and what you are going to do.

The state it managed to make of my suspension strut would have been pretty severe over my front end, the car quite possibly could have still been a writeoff had i managed not to swerve. Im going back today to the car to retrieve some things, it looks like the suspension strut has pushed out of its anchor mounts



Unless you have had the situation face you you cannot tell me not to swerve, I KNEW that was the best option, but my REACTION didnt allow me not to swerve!

Keep'emRunning
25th June 2010, 06:46 AM
did they find the wombat?

When we were on our P's a schoolmate lost it in very similiar fashion because of (his story) swerving to avoid a roo.. and he got charged with neg driving (3 month suspension) because he couldn't prove it...

Good to see you're safe, how many airbags deployed?

btm
25th June 2010, 07:28 AM
damn not being able to see at of the pics!

but glad to hear you're safe and well

liam
25th June 2010, 08:02 AM
Wombat was there still warm and fresh thank god Id have been pissed if i hadnt killed the bloody thing!

both seat bollard bags went nothing else though

nuggz
25th June 2010, 08:20 AM
good to hear your ok mate!

and that astra is roooooooooooted!

hazrd
25th June 2010, 08:28 AM
im glad you are ok liam
i know exactly how you feel about reaction time etc. i experienced this on the freeway the other day (chep pallet board.. 2 smashed rims.... close encounter with the wall). you dont realise what needs to be done until u actually hit it, and it scares the shit out of u

once again, im glad ur ok, and im also glad ur insurance came out ok :)

Ice
25th June 2010, 08:32 AM
and that astra is roooooooooooted!

Nooooo !


Nothing you could have done about reaction mate......even an F1 driver would have done the same.....only difference is theyde be driving a Lambo or something and be able to swerve and still keep the road, haha

Infact its probabaly the best thing to do to lessen the impact, the longer it takes until impact the better you chances of survival.

gman
25th June 2010, 08:37 AM
Mate def get a life hammer! I've had two big accidents (one with a petrol tanker and a Swift GTi and the other in an STi against a kangaroo).

I had it for one and not the other and it made alot of difference to the time it took for me to get out.

As for the swerve or hit thing, sounds good in theory but your first impulse is to miss it so you don't damage the car. It's a hard thing to just mow down something as big as a wombat or roo and not try to avoid them.

When all said and done, you walked away from it. Do what I did, buy a lottery ticket! :)

So, a VXR next for your garage? ;)

liam
25th June 2010, 08:44 AM
Thanks guys! the insurance are inspecting the car next wednesday so its a hire car until then and car search. Dunno about another astra being honest, it saved my life no question and handled amazingly well but having come so close to dying in one im not sure i want to chance fate again.

no idea what to look at though, thinking maybe a a3/a4 or a a japstyle car :P

Ice
25th June 2010, 08:46 AM
Mate def get a life hammer!
As for the swerve or hit thing, sounds good in theory but your first impulse is to miss it so you don't damage the car. It's a hard thing to just mow down something as big as a wombat or roo and not try to avoid them.
buy a lottery ticket! :)

So, a VXR next for your garage? ;)

Yes to the life Hammer, Lottery ticket and the VXR, haha

and as mentioned its best to swerve in anycase, hitting something head on is only going to increase the likely hood of damage and injury.

liam
25th June 2010, 08:46 AM
and im buying a lottery ticket now $40 mil this weekend, if i win im buying a ferrari:lol:

liam
25th June 2010, 08:47 AM
so true ice,

I was lucky the steering wheel bag didnt have to go off, I have spinal problems anyway and im sure that the frontwards jolt would have done alot more damage to myself. Id much rather write a car off than myself

Ice
25th June 2010, 08:47 AM
Thanks guys! the insurance are inspecting the car next wednesday so its a hire car until then and car search. Dunno about another astra being honest, it saved my life no question and handled amazingly well but having come so close to dying in one im not sure i want to chance fate again.

no idea what to look at though, thinking maybe a a3/a4 or a a japstyle car :P

Thats understandable Liam, would take a while before you got used to it again and its always a good wakeup call. Stick with Euro mate, they are generally the safest and have good road holding safety features etc etc

EAS51
25th June 2010, 09:00 AM
Wow, Glad to see your ok, And only minor inguries. Ribs etc..
Sad to hear about the car and what happened. Lucky your insured.
Good luck on getting better and finding a new car.. Hopefully insurance can help out a fair bit,.

btm
25th June 2010, 09:14 AM
and its $50m on tuesday night for ozlotto :D

liam
25th June 2010, 09:24 AM
Well itl be a ferrari and a Lamborghini then :D

btm
25th June 2010, 09:30 AM
can someone post up a pic or two in anything other than photobucket... work blocks the site and can never see pics :(

sounds like a pretty insane accident!

lithium
25th June 2010, 09:56 AM
glad you're ok mate, that's one hell of an accident and you're damn lucky to get out of it in good shape
your Astra goes to the car graveyard knowing it's done it's job well :thumbs:

i assume you've gone to the hospital to get scans etc.?

next car: Impreza or Forester? then if it happens again instead of going off the road it'll become a fully hectik 4-wheel drift then donut around the wombat, Ken Block style. wildlife everywhere will thank you for your AWD grip :swg:

gmonkey
25th June 2010, 10:25 AM
Hummer h2 squash the fuker and u will try to swerve but yanks forgot to plug the steering wheel up...

brc
25th June 2010, 10:57 AM
Don't hesitate. Go to a chiropractor immediately

JR
25th June 2010, 12:03 PM
looking at that wreck, i'm glad to here that u came out of that relatively unscathed!!
thank ur luck stars.

i travel up to sydney quite often, and that's one of my biggest fears - encountering a wombat/roo on the road. even dead ones would clean me out, thanks to my "not much" clearance.

maloo97
25th June 2010, 07:31 PM
Dont know how you made it out, Well done!
Glad to hear you ok, Hope the insurance pays out quick so that you can find your new car,
Take care!

MitchSRi
26th June 2010, 11:19 AM
Youch .. sorry for the loss, and glad to hear you are okay.

I've had a big one like that before, except I put it wheels up in a creek bed, and it required a crane to get it out *oops*..

Natural human reaction is for the driver to distance themselves from accident damage, but on a wet / slippery road (specially if it's a main road and oily) you've got slim to no chance of recovering the front end (and thats coming from one of Australias top rally drivers - not me).

You can take advanced driving courses till the cows come home but it will only serve to potentially imporve your split second options.

If it was me I'd probably have taken the risk hitting the wombat, or (a there are two sides to the road), taken it into the shoulder/other side of road.

If you have to wreck your car to remain safe, so be it.

Also how you managed not to cop that as an at fault accident is strange. Single car MVA, insurance regardless of animal or not, will normally have you at fault.


thank god i didnt, 15 minutes before i did. Once I crashed I forgot Id dropped her off too. Shock does very very strange things

But as a tip guys I reccomend a window smash hammer in the glovebox. I didnt have one and even hammering the window with my amp wouldnt work, I had to kick the door until it gave way enough to escape

get a hammer seriously AFAIK the doors are meant to pop out and up in a front on collission in the AH.

Also windows are pretty thick. If it's tinted/laminated glass you'll need a pretty damn big hammer to break the window (speaking from experience on that one.. even with a glass breaking hammer thingo from SuperCheap).

Apparently Window Punches are where it's at though!

poita
26th June 2010, 05:32 PM
WOW mate, very lucky to come out of it relatively unhurt.

Glad to here you are OK.

As people always say mate, cars can be replaced, lives can't

MatsHolden
26th June 2010, 06:10 PM
Bloody unlucky mate, but at the same time extremely lucky to get out of that.

ASTRAY
26th June 2010, 06:44 PM
geez thats a mess! good to see your still here to tell the tale mate.
where abouts in the southern highlands? i kind of know the area, got a mate in thirlmere.

JohnBu
28th June 2010, 09:51 AM
Glad you're all ok.

could have ended up much worst for you if you were in a lesser car.

liam
29th June 2010, 08:24 PM
Thanks for all the kind comments guys. Insurance are inspecting the car in tomorrow so we shall see what they say...

Sorry but the replacement wont be another astra.... maybe a BMW 120i (****** I know) or a Mazda RX8

Always loved the rx but the 120 is a whole lot more practical

BradstaMS
29th June 2010, 08:41 PM
You wont be disappointed with the RX8 if you choose to go down the path of Dorito power ;)

liam
29th June 2010, 08:47 PM
HAHAAHA being honest its part of the negative and part of the positive to the car, pain in the arse to keep but a real drivers car for the very same reason haha!

PS88
29th June 2010, 10:16 PM
Beware!

Rotary engine tend to require quite a bit more maintenance..


+1 For BMW 120i

gman
2nd July 2010, 07:18 PM
Rotaries are also heavier on fuel, maintainance and low on torque.

The RX8 is a great car to drive, just down on power IMHO.

The turbo one that Mazda Oz has done for Targa (which has just been converted to run on E85) would be a good thing with more power and torque...Finally be able to use that chassis!!

liam
2nd July 2010, 07:37 PM
Went looking at cars today, the best appears to be a 2008 mitsubishi lancer VRX in blue :D might go test drive on sunday

poita
2nd July 2010, 07:49 PM
Went looking at cars today, the best appears to be a 2008 mitsubishi lancer VRX in blue :D might go test drive on sunday

Nice choice, I don't mind the newer VRX Lancers


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

UNEEQ
2nd July 2010, 08:00 PM
Thank god you are ok and thank god your passenger wasn't in the car any more.


get a hammer seriously
I just had to quote this :)

Sounds like you're recovering pretty well and having fun looking at cars! (I know I did when the Pulsar was written off)

I've had SOMETHING run out onto the road on me before. It was daytime. It was a dog. It was in Peak Hour traffic. I swerved. That is all.

maloo97
2nd July 2010, 08:21 PM
One of my mates just bought a new Lancer vrx, Farking sweet aye, Good choice!

PS88
2nd July 2010, 10:23 PM
I wouldn't mind a new Lancer VRX.. XD

BradstaMS
3rd July 2010, 10:25 AM
Go the VRX! lots of modding potential too ;)

http://i782.photobucket.com/albums/yy107/BradstaMS/21012010334.jpg

Keep'emRunning
4th July 2010, 06:55 AM
brad is that the one going around engadine which sounds like it has no exhaust.. can almost hear it in the next suburb!

Damn p-platers and their 3" canons :lol:

maloo97
4th July 2010, 02:38 PM
Go the VRX! lots of modding potential too ;)

http://i782.photobucket.com/albums/yy107/BradstaMS/21012010334.jpg


brad is that the one going around engadine which sounds like it has no exhaust.. can almost hear it in the next suburb!

Damn p-platers and their 3" canons :lol:


I have also seen it in the shire! Ass end looks alright aye. Dropped too ?
You know the owner Brad ?

liam
4th July 2010, 03:38 PM
thats nice!

Went for a test drive today and found its already had an aftermarket exhaust, the previous and only owner was a mature lady so I dont have worries of it being flogged probably just an enthusiast like ourselves (also had been detailed, custom car bra ect ect)

So I bought it! Picking it up on wednesday after its had its service and window wind covers removed ect but its nice to have alittle more grunt than the 1.8!

Already planning mods, thus far leather, coilovers and carbon evo bonnet are a must :P

UNEEQ
4th July 2010, 04:20 PM
Congrats on the new car mate! :picsorban:

BradstaMS
4th July 2010, 04:51 PM
I have also seen it in the shire! Ass end looks alright aye. Dropped too ?
You know the owner Brad ?

Yeah its my mate Anthony, or Peanut - Gee that was hard to tell from the plates haha :p
I told a lie, its a regular VR, with no back seats, leather front seats and yes, its dropped - heres the result of being too dropped :p

http://i782.photobucket.com/albums/yy107/BradstaMS/21012010333.jpg

PS88
4th July 2010, 05:07 PM
Congratz on your purchase liam .. Bring on to the cruise on Saturday if u have time haha !

maloo97
4th July 2010, 09:51 PM
Nice purchase, congratz. now:picsorban: :p

liam
4th July 2010, 10:29 PM
haha i get the car weds morning when the insurance have paid out. Ill warn you all its got the ugliest chrome 18's on youve ever seen, but I can assure you they will change!

JohnBu
5th July 2010, 09:36 AM
Went for a test drive today and found its already had an aftermarket exhaust,

Already planning mods, thus far leather, coilovers and carbon evo bonnet are a must :P

Congrats they are decent looking cars, but please don't put a evo bonnet on it.

You'll look like a loser who wants an evo but can't afford it.

Plus an evo bonnet won't help with a small brakes running 18s.

A harsh, but fair comment.

liam
5th July 2010, 04:47 PM
haha fair comment but its atleast getting a carbon bonnet, it looks awesome, probably same weight if its a skim job but on a blue car i love it (also going to do the same to mums scooby) :P

rjastra
6th July 2010, 01:17 PM
haha fair comment but its atleast getting a carbon bonnet, it looks awesome, probably same weight if its a skim job but on a blue car i love it (also going to do the same to mums scooby) :P

Carbon fibre bonnets are illegal as far as I know.

liam
6th July 2010, 01:50 PM
Not if its a carbon skin ontop of a fibreglass body it isnt :P

boorny88
6th July 2010, 01:57 PM
then its weaker then the original bonnet which is why i think anything like that to a car is illegal but dont quote me on that

liam
6th July 2010, 02:02 PM
Carbon fibre body panels are illegal for two reasons. the first being they obviously can cut huge weight off of a car raising its Kw/tonne value which being a p plater can become a problem.

the second is that in a collision carbon fibre can splinter if hit the right way which can prove fatal to a pedestrian, if however the panel is made of fibreglass then "skinned" with a single layer of carbon cloth it is still structurally fibreglass and will break in the same fashion which is legal. ---> think how many Fibreglass body kits there are out there

Or atleast thats my understanding from what ive been informed

guy 27
6th July 2010, 06:51 PM
check you state laws regarding bonnet modifications. In qld, any aftermarket bonnet requires ADR compliance (If fiberglass or carbon fiber) or a modification plate (if metal).

poita
6th July 2010, 08:26 PM
check you state laws regarding bonnet modifications. In qld, any aftermarket bonnet requires ADR compliance (If fiberglass or carbon fiber) or a modification plate (if metal).

full aftermarket bonnet or modification to standard bonnet?




<--- 7,777 posts :)

liam
7th July 2010, 07:31 AM
It would be a full replacement, the other option being a 3m wrap like i did to the astra

PS88
7th July 2010, 08:07 AM
where did u get 3m wrap installed on your Astra ?

liam
7th July 2010, 07:36 PM
Did it myself, unbelievably easy stuff to use, I did the chrome boot strip, window seals, interior handles and some switches :P

maloo97
7th July 2010, 09:36 PM
So did you pick it up ?
Where are your pics lol :P

PS88
7th July 2010, 10:48 PM
Interesting, but don't u need heat gun for the Tape ?

liam
11th July 2010, 05:52 PM
A good hairdryer gets hot enough :P

Finally some pics! (with its twin too!)

http://i667.photobucket.com/albums/vv38/Getoutandride/IMGP3503.jpg
http://i667.photobucket.com/albums/vv38/Getoutandride/IMGP3512.jpg
http://i667.photobucket.com/albums/vv38/Getoutandride/IMGP3516.jpg
http://i667.photobucket.com/albums/vv38/Getoutandride/IMGP3519.jpg
http://i667.photobucket.com/albums/vv38/Getoutandride/IMGP3520.jpg
http://i667.photobucket.com/albums/vv38/Getoutandride/IMGP3546.jpg
http://i667.photobucket.com/albums/vv38/Getoutandride/IMGP3548.jpg


Im a happy chappy, definitely needs new alloys and a few other mods but its alot of fun

Cheers
Liam

liam
11th July 2010, 06:10 PM
Exhaust note :P
http://s667.photobucket.com/albums/vv38/Getoutandride/?action=view&current=IMG_0244.mp4

PS88
11th July 2010, 06:17 PM
Lol need new Rims + get it lowered
Nice colour + Car though

liam
11th July 2010, 06:21 PM
Yeah im thinking something like this:
http://www.tempetyres.com.au/products_closeup.asp?part=&part_no=1199

And I want it alot lower than the astra was, coilovers are a must!

poita
11th July 2010, 09:44 PM
very nice pick up mate.

nice colour as said

gmonkey
12th July 2010, 12:53 AM
Exhaust note :P
http://s667.photobucket.com/albums/vv38/Getoutandride/?action=view&current=IMG_0244.mp4

See that's what stopped me buying a vrx.. Didn't like the noise it made and was very droney In the cabin, I know it's easy enough to fix but just put me off the car. (unless ofcourse was just the one I drove mighta had a hole in exhaust or something.. it had paddle shift auto and that was terrible to..)

Nice colour choice but love the blue

liam
12th July 2010, 08:16 AM
Thanks for all the comments guys,

Gmonkey, this ones had a new muffler put on it. Im not quite sure i like it, under hard acceleration from outside it almost sounds like a 2stroke, inside all lancers give that weird engine noise almost exhaust note from the front, but with the muffler it gives a growl from the back too... its hard to explain lol