'Stormcloud' - victim of a hit-and-run driver - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

Alec300SD · #1 01-12-2022, 02:00 AM

I was so jazzed on Thursday when I picked up the Wavetrac differential installed by Ring & Pinion Service in Rancho Cordova.
'Stormcloud' was finally going to get a much needed rear axle and differential upgrade from stock.

I got up early on Saturday, eager to move 'Desert Rose' from the driveway and to pull 'Stormcloud' in to start work after the morning chill had eased.

Before I had my first coffee, my wife answered the phone at about 6:00 am, and said it was the Belmont Police calling to speak to me.
The courteous police officer informed me my car had been involved in a collision at about 1:00 am,
and had suffered damage to the left rear, and he that had waited until the end of his shift to inform me so as not to disrupt my sleep.
He also told me that he had left an incident tag, and his card with the case number for insurance reporting on the driver's side mirror.

From the photos in the link below, you can see the extent of the damage.
The whole left rear quarter panel has crumpled, as well as the bumper, trunk lid, and tail light assembly.
The potential cost of repairs (if the driver of the other vehicle cannot be found and held accountable) has put
a damper on my original plans to bring 'Stormcloud' from daily driver to "superturbodiesel" status.

Since I will need a car pronto, and 'Desert Rose' has engine and transmission issues, I think I will be doing a drivetrain
swap for now and mothballing 'Stormcloud' into PNO (planned non-operation) status with the DMV.
https://imgur.com/a/CvTNWQA

greazzer · #2 01-12-2022, 04:24 AM

That is horrible. Very sorry to hear this. I hope the police catch the person who hit your car and that person spends a few months in the county lock-up.

andersbenz · #3 01-12-2022, 07:02 AM

So sorry to read this. Can not imagine the level of disapointment

Junkman · #4 01-12-2022, 07:27 AM

That's a lot of damage. My 85SD had a much smaller hit in the center rear and it was difficult to even find someone competent to repair. There is a crumple zone in back and you will have to cut the back off another car and splice it in. There is likely damage on both sides.

The insurance company will total the car assuming that you have that coverage and the other driver isn't found with resources to repair it. You can buy the car back for the value of scrap which won't be much. Insurance companies and yards don't care about these cars so the price is low.

Texasgeezer · #5 01-12-2022, 07:38 AM

Can't imagine how you must feel, sorry for the loss.

You might put up signs offering a reward for info. Also check if you have a nextdoor.com in your neighborhood and post the info and pictures. Good chance the driver lives near and someone might notice their car has fresh damage.

psaboic · #6 01-12-2022, 09:45 AM

See if any neighbors have a Ring door camera or other outside camera that may have video of the collision. If it was a hit and run, then how were the police involved? Obviously you did not call them, so who did? It was either a witness/neighbor, the perp themselves, or?? A hit that big must have made a hell of a bang at 1 in the morning.....surprised you didn't hear anything. Good luck with the insurance and repair! I would definitely be doing a little detective work, starting with finding out how the police got wind of it.

Jarod · #7 01-12-2022, 09:57 AM

Alright, Everyone, its time to activate our Internet Sleuth Superpowers™
I see a silver bumper cover with a foglight assembly very close to the edge.
There doesn't appear to be a black inset around the foglamp, rather its molded directly into the plastic
That rules out a fair share of modern cars which have a black plastic inset around the foglamp.

If we can find out what car is responsible, that puts us one step closer to finding the person responsible, and then getting Alec fixed up with some insurance money, or at least some closure on such a beautiful car.

Shern · #8 01-12-2022, 11:15 AM

Ouch... Sorry to hear it =/

I hope you eventually get this thing back on the road.

Sugar Bear · #9 01-12-2022, 11:36 AM

Sorry to hear this.

Looks like you'll need a donor car to fix that. Can you do the repair or at least some of it?

Grab any parts laying around from the other car and look for part #'s to help narrow the possibilities.

Again sorry and good luck!!!

carson · #10 01-12-2022, 12:29 PM

Alec, I feel for you! That's so sad.

Alec300SD · #11 01-12-2022, 12:47 PM

Thanks all for the moral support and advice.

I will inspect the collected debris to try and identify the make/model of the other vehicle.
I also will contact owners of the adjacent residences to see if any images might have been recorded.
The Belmont Police are still investigating, I will see if they have any additional updates, and review the incident report.

Unfortunately, as 'Stormcloud' was a rescued beater from the Newark Pick-N-Pull with a salvage title, there is no collision insurance coverage.

Once the drivetrain from 'Stormcloud' is swapped into 'Desert Rose', 'Stormcloud' will go into storage mode for the indefinite future.
I am lining up a workspace for the swap, and tentatively will begin the process in about a week and a half.

Texasgeezer · #12 01-12-2022, 01:54 PM

Hopefully you'll be able to locate the driver and the car will have insurance.
My guess is they will be a teenager. That fits the time period for a lot of the accidents my teenage friends had while out joyriding. You might ask any neighbors with kids to check for damaged cars at their school and offer a reward to them. Maybe drive through the school parking lot before lunch break.

My favorite car for all around use was the 99 Olds Aurora. My last one of three was totaled by a teenage girl that thought talking on a cell phone was more important than stopping at a red light. It was a recent purchase and very low mileage. I had just completed the round of maintenance to make it safe and reliable. New Michelin tires, brakes, suspension, belts, hoses, tune-up and had $9000 into it. The parents insurance only paid me about $3700 for the total car. I talked with an attorney and he said that is the way it is. No hope of getting much more and I'd also lose the attorney fees. I came out ahead by being able to buy the car from the insurance company for about $200.

shadetreemechan · #13 01-12-2022, 05:37 PM

I am not sure it was a car. Notice that the rear bumper is unscathed so it was fairly tall. It also had a pretty stout bumper from the way its wrinkled in a very focused way.......

merc lover · #14 01-12-2022, 08:03 PM

those photographs are painful to see. There are so many texters and drunks out on the roads nowadays, it's a wonder this doesn't happen more often.

Alec300SD · #15 01-13-2022, 12:56 AM

I examined the collected debris, and a piece of the headlight assembly was marked R EAGLE EYES EE-CS289-H.
The part appears to come from a 2008-2010 Jeep Grand Cherokee.

An update call this evening from the investigating officer provided good news.
The driver (of the Jeep - as confirmed by the officer) has been identified,
and his insurance information was supplied to the police for inclusion in the incident report.
I will be able get a copy once the report is filed, approximately a week from now.

Fortunately, the driver sustained no injuries, according to the officer in response to my inquiry.
I reiterated to the officer, that I do not intend to press charges at this time.
The trauma of a collision can shake one's confidence in driving to a great degree. BTDT.

I believe in the Golden Rule...I might be in the same boat one day...just "paying it forward" as they say.