Coming back late at night from Placerville in my 2008 Subaru Outback wagon, after having dropped off some parts to a friend, on the last turn into Auburn I was going too fast and momentarily drifted across the double yellow, and heard a huge THUD as I lightly side swiped an oncoming car.

I immediately stopped, (horrified) and so did the other car. A 19 y o student was driving it. A nearby neighbor heard it, and called the Police, who responded immediately.

Miraculously ---- neither of us was hurt, and the other driver was in a 1996 Toyota Corolla and she was unhurt, though shocked completely and had never experienced anything like this, (nor had I).

But I IMMEDIATELY admitted to her it was 100% MY fault, and gave her all my information and STRESSED I would take care of EVERYTHING around this, and when the Police arrived there was nothing really for them to do, as we were well involved in exchanging contact information.


The woman's father contacted me finally, and I told him to get some collision repair estimates, then call me, and I would take care of it all.

He called back a week later and said some body shops thought the damage to fix it, was worth more than the value of the car. So I told him to obtain the value of the car, from NADA or Kelley, and I would pay him for it, either cash, money order, cashiers bank check, whatever he wanted.

He called me back and said he wanted what he paid for it, $2700, a year ago.

I told him I was about to call him, and asked him if he would accept $3,000, and a SIGNED RELEASE, like on the insurance company checks to claimants, and he agreed.

Few days later, I handed him $3,000 cash outsde of Starbucks in Auburn, and he gave me the keys and title to the car I hit. I have them here now.

Damage wasn't too bad:





The Outback is bigger and 12 years newer, it didn't do too bad at all; It looked like this the night I got it home; much of it I later touched up, all that were hit were rubber pieces, only the silver ones. This helped.




He told me he was impressed by my contrition and honesty.

When I gave him the money I also gave him a $100 Gift certificate for his daughter, at BIG 5 Sporting Goods, for the 19 y o driver, as I had overheard her tell a policeman at the scene of the accident, that she played volleyball at college, and to her father, a gift certificate for his (or daughters) next car service, too.


BUT: One foot more over the line and it would have been a horrible head-on wreck, each car going about 40, a closing speed of maybe 80!!! Don't want to even THINK about how lucky the girl, victim and I were, about that.


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For this $3,000, I got:

1. NO accident report made to the DMV


2. NO police report made


3. No report made to my, (or her) insurance company.


4. A valid signed release from the daughter, from any and all claims from arising from this accident.



5. A running 1996 Toyota Corolla 5-speed with 146k that I am trying to fix and sell.

6. NO salvage title on what would have been a total loss.

The dent and scrape is not that bad.

What is, was the filth and neglect I found. The interior looked like 10 junkies, EACH with a DIFFERENT habit, had lived in it for a week. Nasty, scummy filth everywhere, unspeakable; even dirt in the glovebox!!! Half removed window tint. Carpets beyond filthy... Circles of dirt on the windshield from when blower had been turned on, All door arm rests full of gum and candy wrappers..

Wrecked suspension (partly *my* fault); tires bald as eggs; Filthy oil down 2 and a half quarts -- on a 1.8 engine that holds only 4 quarts and filter - they almost let it go dry!!!

Coolant reservoir so bad, it looked to the tire guys that a head gasket blew , oil in water and water in the oil!

But in LA last weekend I went to some wrecking yards, and bought a hubcap for $5 and some owners manual supplements, and an overflow reseroir for $35 that was clean and refreshed the coolant. Aggressive vacuuming, cleaning over and over, lots of rubbng compound, and it looks decent inside and out, now.

2 new tires, an alignment, supension fully repaired, and have new pads and rotors, (car still judders when brakes applied). I bought new rotors and pads and spark plugs.

The CEL is lit, the OBD II diagnosed the codes it threw as a cam position sensor and a bad EGR ($216) so I am into it for $832 at the tire shop and $100 in parts.

It will have the CEL done today then that shop will do the smog test and pass it, then to the DMV to register it..

All in all I have about $4000 into the heap but it's cleaning up nice, I drove it to Folsom and back, 100 miles without a hitch.


And those Corollas are the best selling car in the world, and it should sell quick, even if I give it away for a grand.

I will have walked away CLEAN, acting as my own insurer this time, for just $3000 it's over and I will never look back.

They are happy and can set about to find a nice clean car to abuse neglect and make filthy again.

I feel happy relieved and VERY lucky, now its over. No hits on my insurance costs, or DMV driving record....


Except from now on I need to be a LOT more cautious driving.

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1991 560 SEC AMG, 199k <---- 300 hp 10:1 ECE euro HV ...

1995 E 420, 170k "The Red Plum" (sold)

2015 BMW 535i xdrive awd Stage 1 DINAN, 6k, <----364 hp

1967 Mercury Cougar, 49k

2013 Jaguar XF, 20k <----340 hp Supercharged, All Wheel Drive (sold)