You guys HAVE to look at this crash photo. This is UNBELIEVABLE.
http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061111/NEWS/61111012 Click the pic to enlarge it. Poor woman. I hope the find the dragsters and beat the bejesuses out of them.

This is the newspaper I work for, and when I came in to work tonight, everyone immediately informed me that a Mercedes had been split in half (knowing my bizarre Mercedes obsession). I assumed it was a newer model (post DC merger), and when I saw this photo I went "Oh my God it's a 126!," which caused my co-workers to laugh at my nerdiness. They really groaned when I said "It's definately an early or mid 80s model; look at the bundtcake wheels." The I wondered allowed if the engine was viable, and whether it might be a diesel or not. No wonder they think I'm weird ...

But really, what an absolute nightmare. After seeing that, I won't sleep tonight.

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1987 300D, arctic white/palomino--314,000 miles
1978 240D 4-speed, Euro Delivery, light ivory/bamboo--370,000 miles
2005 Jeep Liberty CRD Limited, light khaki/slate--140,000 miles
2018 Chevy Cruze diesel, 6-speed manual, satin steel metallic/kalahari--19,000 miles
1982 Peugeot 505 diesel, 4-speed manual, blue/blue, 130,000 miles
1995 S320, black/parchment--34,000 miles (Dad's car)

That is too clean, it looks like it was CUT in half (Probably by the rescuers).

Either that, or the car was a "cut and shut" job - when two "good" halves of a wrecked car are welded together.

I agree. There is no possibility of shearing the vehicle in two pieces as shown in that photo, no matter how fast the opposing vehicle was travelling. The unitbody construction won't allow a failure of this type.

I wouldn't be surprised if it's a reconstructed vehicle from two good halves.

I can't imagine anyone would sell a car composed of two halves welded together ... but I guess there's no accounting for morals... I suspect it's more likely that our reporter got it wrong, or the police report was wrong. It just doesn't make sense, unless it was hit by an Amtrak Accela train. And how could the dragster drive off after that much impact? It does seem a weird way to cut open a car to rescue someone, but maybe she was thrown from her seat and into the middle of the car, and they needed to get her out from the middle. This news broke early today, so I'm surprised there isn't more detail by now in terms of how the car got that way.

It doesn't take a physics major to sense that something is off about the dynamics of the crash ... which is why I'm totally WOWED by this one, for now at least.

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1987 300D, arctic white/palomino--314,000 miles
1978 240D 4-speed, Euro Delivery, light ivory/bamboo--370,000 miles
2005 Jeep Liberty CRD Limited, light khaki/slate--140,000 miles
2018 Chevy Cruze diesel, 6-speed manual, satin steel metallic/kalahari--19,000 miles
1982 Peugeot 505 diesel, 4-speed manual, blue/blue, 130,000 miles
1995 S320, black/parchment--34,000 miles (Dad's car)

Actually, it's quite a common practice. Two vehicles that are trashed can be put together and one vehicle with some value is the result. If it's done "properly" then the vehicle is perfectly acceptable. However, properly welding sheet metal so that it has the same strength as the parent is not an easy task. Proper doubling strips are required along the entire length of the joint.

If it was hit by a train, it would not shear in half cleanly as shown in this photo. In fact, I'd bet that the train might crush is badly from one side, but the resultant wreck would remain largely intact.

The vehicle that drove off, the Nissan, was not involved in the accident. That vehicle was drag racing the Saturn.

The rescuers would never cut an entire vehicle in half to rescue someone. It would take them way too much time for this. As you mentioned in a separate post, they certainly wouldn't cut the vehicle in half and then move one section 30 feet from the opposite section.

Nope, this vehicle was most certainly assembled from two halves or the story is fabricated.

That sure does look like a cut-and-shut...wouldn't be the first time. Anyway, if the rescuers cut the car in two, why are the two pieces sitting thirty feet apart?

FWIW, I knew a bodyman who made a damned good living in the mid 80s by connecting the two 'good' halves of 'totalled' Rabbits and Sciroccos. He used the front and rear windshields as positioning templates.

__________________
Never a dull moment at Berry Hill Farm.

One thought, though ... if they did indeed cut it open, why would they move one half of the car so far away from the other? That's heavy stuff. Maybe it really was a "FrankenBenz" chop job.

__________________
1987 300D, arctic white/palomino--314,000 miles
1978 240D 4-speed, Euro Delivery, light ivory/bamboo--370,000 miles
2005 Jeep Liberty CRD Limited, light khaki/slate--140,000 miles
2018 Chevy Cruze diesel, 6-speed manual, satin steel metallic/kalahari--19,000 miles
1982 Peugeot 505 diesel, 4-speed manual, blue/blue, 130,000 miles
1995 S320, black/parchment--34,000 miles (Dad's car)

Hello everyone I just joined the site. I have recently purchased a 1983 300sd. Thats pretty scary how people can just weld 2 diffrent cars together. Any clues to look for to check for this kind of stuff on the 126 ? Thanks.

Yeah,

There's more to this pictoral story...Even with a magnifying glass there's not
enough parts to make a complete W126.

Have you ever seen any Mercedes "separated" as this one is by impact?

Just sad. I hope they find that Nissan that was involved. They're probably gonna charge that Saturn driver with vehicular manslaughter, well, at least I hope, and that Nissan driver needs to be charged with something as well.

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'81 MB 300SD, '82 MB 300D Turbo (sold/RIP), '04 Lincoln Town Car Ultimate

Sooner or later every car falls apart, ours does it later!
-German Narrator in a MB Promotion Film about the then brand new W123.

Thats just bizarre, there is not any way in earth a flimsy saturn ion could slice a W126 that weighs 2x as much, in half like it was a plasma cutter. If you look at the edges where it was "cut" it looks waaay too clean, I agree also that this car was probably a hack-job welded together vehicle...pretty horrifying. Had it been a normal 126 it'd have just buckled a little bit on the side, and the interior would have been intact...and said saturn ion would be smashed beyond recognition.

I want to know what the forensic anaylsis finds on the MB once they've inspected it.

__________________
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'15 GLK250 Bluetec 118k - mine - (OC-123,800)
'17 Metris(VITO!) - 37k - wifes (OC-41k)
'09 Sprinter 3500 Winnebago View - 62k (OC - 67k)
'13 ML350 Bluetec - 95k - dad's (OC-98k)
'01 SL500 - 103k(km) - dad's (OC-110,000km)
'16 E400 4matic Sedan - 148k - Brothers (OC-155k)

When John/Jane Doe's are committing a criminal act, drag racing in this case, and someone dies, all persons can be charged with MURDER, because if they had not been breaking the law, this person would be alive today.

Should the prosecutor feel generous, it may be lowered to involuntary manslaughter.


From the Mayors statement; I suggest they will demand the MAXIMUM possible penalty for this crime.



Have a great day.

__________________
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1983 300D
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Here's a follow-up:

Here's the article (don't know how long it will be active though): http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070307/NEWS/703070372/1006/NEWS

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-justin

1987 300TD, 1987 300TD
2008 R32, 2000 Passat Wagon

G'mornin',

As you work for a news organization, perhaps you can get a reporter to pull a carfax on the Benz? It would be interesting to know if, in fact, it was a "Frankenbenz"......and if it was, it may make a neat story relating to shops that do such work......it's not illegal as far as I know......

SB

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Diesels:
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'84 190D 2.2, "Eva, Brown Benz", 142K, 40.2 MPG
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