[jljeeper]

T-Boned by 2014 Explorer at 30+ MPH. Mild concussion and mild whiplash due to the extreme pressure of the impact but I walked away in pretty good shape considering a 4" door vs SUV Bumper. The SUV driver was transported to emergency on a stretcher. She ran a stale red light. I never saw it coming. It was a loud and terrifying few seconds. It felt equivalent to being hit by a 70 mph freight train.
I hope the photos are visible

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1A-L26C9wnyKOArlY0k4Dz4xXSXiXlTwr/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ExxNSwDD0EXcSi00oySS3jpteDb9053i/view?usp=sharing
https://drive.google.com/file/d/13XEJ7MiRFni2BPj3pdm82S2uWwk_y94c/view?usp=sharing

 

[stonegate volt]

Glad to hear you are ok. Pretty amazing that the side doors did not push in more then they did considering the extensive damage to the front of the Explorer. Safe travels in your new 2018 Volt.

 

[Sly Bob]

Just glad you are okay, the car can be replaced.

 

[LANMAN]

Is this down in Tacoma by the Tacoma Mall?

 

[jljeeper]

Glad to hear you are ok. Pretty amazing that the side doors did not push in more then they did considering the extensive damage to the front of the Explorer. Safe travels in your new 2018 Volt.

I'm sure I read somewhere that the A & B pillars were beefed up (over the Cruz) because of concern with high speed rollover and the extra weight of the battery. This is why I believe the B pillar seemed to take the impact so well

 

[jljeeper]

Is this down in Tacoma by the Tacoma Mall?

You are correct. I was traveling West from I5 on 38th St. The Explorer was traveling North on Steel St from the mall towards Costco. She traveled across 5 lanes of a red light before she hit me. Very glad there were some witnesses that were willing to be late for work.

 

[LANMAN]

Sad to see your Volt is such shape, but good to hear you're OK. I have been living in Houston for the past year, and I thought I recognized that intersection. I hope that I will be able to get back there this spring.

 

[BoogetyBoogety]

Glad you're OK. Many many years ago, GM spent millions trying to build passenger cages substantial and heavy enough to protect the occupants by keeping a striking vehicle out of their cars. Cages were built and bolted to floors, then struck by sacrificial vehicles aimed at them on tracks. After many experiments, it dawned on their engineers that real-world, they didn't have to build huge, super-strong structures: They only had to keep the offending vehicle from entering the safety cage long enough for the tires to break traction. As you slid sideways before the SUV, the force of the crash was most likely transferred to the front of the Explorer... And you were spared from serious injury or death. Hoooray, GM engineers...

 

[El Dobro]

Wow, glad to hear you're ok. Give your Volt a big hug for sacrificing itself.

 

[DonC]

So sorry this happened but glad you you may be OK. I think EVs in general are pretty sold. I know the Bolt is built like a little tank. Just too bad you had to see the result of that. Hope your injuries aren't major and that you're back driving soon.

 

[viking79]

Trade off of having poor visibility, better safety in this case. Glad you are all right and I hope the other driver is doing okay too. The Volt (and most modern cars) are very crash worthy vs the 80s models.

 

[jljeeper]

Trade off of having poor visibility, better safety in this case. Glad you are all right and I hope the other driver is doing okay too. The Volt (and most modern cars) are very crash worthy vs the 80s models.

"Poor Visibility" Yes I was wondering why I never saw it coming. After driving through that same intersection several more times it dawned on me that the large A pillar and steep angle may have been positioned just right to masked the intercepting vehicle as we closed in. The way I see it, it is very much a possibility that it blocked at least the lights and most of the approaching vehicle. Especially if I was more concerned of the cars to my right making a right turn entering the intersection. I appreciate all the "glad I'm ok" thoughts. Thanks

It was very sad, I was on the last few payments. 53,000 miles and 91% electric, so the engine had about 4,300 miles. I dont think they can really accurately estimate the value of this type of car when the engine has such low miles and the odometer doesn't reflect this. I did put up quite a fight with the insurance company

 

[volt spain]

Eternal thanks to a sturdy 2014 pillar B which stopped a bullet from blowing my head off , in a gang initiation of firing randomly at cars as they drove down certain streets in Savannah GA...Build like a tank saves your life !!!.

 

[viking79]

I have missed vehicles hidden by the A pillar several times, not just in the Volt though (although it is a bit worse). It depends a lot on driver height, the other car position etc. So far I have always caught the car on a second glance in the direction, but that won't help much at an intersection where someone runs the light.

That is a bummer about the car being about paid off, I know my Volt would be the same if it were wrecked today, just about to 50k miles. I think prices have stabilized some in the last year though.

 

[JRRF]

Glad you are ok. I'm a little surprised that the other driver needed a stretcher. It looks like very early morning if you were on your way to work. Low light conditions like that are some of the most dangerous, as traffic lights can be hard to pin point. I'm wondering if she may have also been groggy. She may also not have had her lights on anymore which could be why you didn't even see her coming. And what is a "stale" red light anyway?

 

[TheBlueFlash]

Glad to hear you made it out okay.

Any ideas what you will replace it with? Volt, Bolt, other?

With such low miles on your ICE, a longer range BEV may suit you.

 

[llninja]

Like other’s, i’m really glad you were able to walk away from the accident. Look at it this way, you are now free to buy anything you want as a replacement car. So will it be a used g1, a new g2, or something else? If it were me, I would be shopping for a used ELR or a new CT6 plug-in (subject to change when other compelling EVs arrive - say a Mitsubishi Outlander Plugin). On really on the fence about a new Tesla Model S or X. Why they haven’t made the model S coupe yet is beyond me.

 

[Tacoma]

Glad to hear you are OK.
Thanks for sharing the pictures. It gives a really good idea of how hard the impact was.
I gather the lithium battery pack didn't have any issues?

 

[hellsop]

Take care of yourself now. What the car could do is done now. I'm glad that the Gen 1 continue their streak of "Nobody in one dies".

 

[jljeeper]

Eternal thanks to a sturdy 2014 pillar B which stopped a bullet from blowing my head off , in a gang initiation of firing randomly at cars as they drove down certain streets in Savannah GA...Build like a tank saves your life !!!.

Wow, that story takes the cake. Glad you are ok