Sep 18th, 2003
Highway 12 in Santa Rosa, CA at around 12:30 PM
Dry clear day

I was slowing down because traffic was coming to a stop at a red light. When I was going about 10 mph I heard a loud crash and saw smoke all over my car. I tried to open the doors but they wouldn't budge so I just rolled down the windows. Amazingly the engine was still running. Somehow I managed to pull myself out.

Apparently a 54 year old guy had run his fairly brand new 2002 Chevy S-10 pickup into me at 55 mph according to police. I in turn hit another Chevy pickup in front of me and he hit a Ford Escape in front of him. 4 cars total, and I was stuck between two pickups in a tiny sports car. I spent a day and a half in the hospital for observation and was released the other day.

All I have to say is Honda makes some great cars. The trunk was relocated to the rear seats and the front end just crumpled up nicely. But the cockpit otherwise remained intact. One gripe was the heavy rear deck cover came loose and smacked me in the back of the head. Now should that thing come loose? It landed on the passenger chair. I shudder to think if someone had been sitting next to me.

Anyway, the future will probably fall on a WRX.