Retrieving the Wreck

Can you tell my daughter rear-ended a utility truck? From the looks of the license plate area, she must have hit the truck’s hitch straight-on. Thankfully, no one was hurt, and no one was ticketed. The mishap occurred at rush-hour on Monday afternoon in a construction zone on busy University Avenue in Cedar Falls, not far from the college campus. The truck had to slam on his brakes for the car ahead of him whose driver had braked for a turn at the last minute. Not a good idea in heavy traffic……don’t do it!

The ‘96 LeSabre was given a lift to Deery Brothers, about a block away from the accident site. A $65 tow that turned out to be. Its funny, John Deere is a big name in the area, and so is John Deery.

Late this morning found me, half-dozing in the pickup cab, waiting while Husband went inside the Collision Center to pay the towing bill. Ho-hum. Day-dreams of a warm tropical island drifted into my mind. Well, ,my goodness……what a coincidence…….the van up ahead is adorned with an ocean sunset scene! (April Fool’s!)

Let’s take a closer look at the damage…..

Yipes! Scary eyes!

Fortunately, the car still runs and could be driven onto the trailer. However…..ahem…..the sides of the trailer prevented the car doors from opening. Haha……Husband had to climb out through the window. Hahaha. But, then he made me climb in to push the parking brake pedal into place.

Husband, a typical jack-of-all-trades farmer, made sure the car was securely chained into place on the trailer. Here he tightens the chain with a chain binder.

Longingly and with stomach growling, I gazed across the rows of dented vehicles to the McDonald’s beyond. Lunchtime was drawing near, but with a trailer in tow, a fast-food parking lot would be too complicated for us to negotiate. Sigh. Growl, growl.

Soon we were zipping along on the open road once again…..

At one point, for my own amusement, I tried to get a photo of all three flashing arrows lighted up. That’s the only purpose of this final picture.

We arrived home safely and found a place to stash the smashed up Buick. It was a good car with a very comfortable ride, but would cost more to fix than it is worth. Because of the car’s age and high mileage, we had dropped collision coverage from the insurance a few years ago. Maybe we can find someone who wants the engine. Daughter will have to depend on friends and parents for rides now. She’s supposed to go to Europe for the summer, thus she won’t be in need of her own wheels until August, anyway. We’re hoping to find another older LeSabre for her to drive.