Very glad I didn't drive my TJ today (got rear ended)

[WallyWest]

Almost took the TJ, but it looked like rain and my other Jeep (2008 Grand Cherokee) is better in rain.

Driving home it was indeed raining, traffic in front of me was slowing to a stop for a car trying to turn left. I was almost stopped and *bam*, car behind me that was paying zero attention to the road plowed right into me. I saw it in the rear view just in time to say "oh shit", nowhere I could have gone anyway.

Did not hear any squealing tires, I don't think she touched the brakes. Little old lady so who knows what was going on, cop did ask if she was on the phone or anything. She denied that of course.

Her car, an older Camry, was FUBAR. Pic below, didn't get one of her front end but the radiator was smashed into the engine. It's a goner. Mine on the other hand had a few scrapes and tears in the plastic bumper but the frame behind it looked fine. Drove it home with no issues, it'll need new plastic and maybe some straightening of tabs and such underneath. But otherwise looks fine.

Those WK's are pretty good at surviving rear end impacts. It sits up higher in the rear than the front, and there's two rails that run on either side of the spare tire back to the rear bumper underneath. They're pretty beefy and act like spears straight into anything lower than the bumper. I don't have a trailer hitch on it but it messed up her car about the same as if I had.

So freaking glad I left the TJ at home.

 

[Apparition]

Glad you’re ok

 

[Modoc Guy]

It’s always inconvenient to get hit, but I agree with being happy that it wasn’t your TJ.

Looks like the Cherokee took it pretty well, not much damage. Good luck getting it fixed back up. Hopefully the little old lady has good insurance!

 

[Zorba]

I'd say there was probably a fucking smartphone involved, despite statements to the contrary - EXCEPT - if its really an LOL, perhaps not. I had an LOL look me right in the eye as she turned left directly in front of my motorcycle years back...

 

[WallyWest]

I'd say there was probably a fucking smartphone involved, despite statements to the contrary - EXCEPT - if its really an LOL, perhaps not. I had an LOL look me right in the eye as she turned left directly in front of my motorcycle years back...

She was old, but didn't seem confused or anything. She just wasn't paying attention for whatever reason. The phone she used to call a tow truck was an old flip-phone, so I doubt it was that.

Crazy thing is earlier the same day I almost hit someone. Some lady driving a full size passenger van in the oncoming lane, puts her left turn signal on and slows. I assumed she would wait for me to go past, but no. She looked straight at me and turned right in front of me. I had to stand on the brakes and barely stopped in time. She never even flinched.

 

[JEEPCJTJ]

She was old, but didn't seem confused or anything. She just wasn't paying attention for whatever reason. The phone she used to call a tow truck was an old flip-phone, so I doubt it was that.

Hey, you never know. She may have needed both hands to flip it open and answer a call.

Whatever the cause, I'm glad you and your Jeep came out of it pretty well. You being "almost stopped" may have helped. I've been rear ended twice while "almost stopped" and both times the perpetrators had to be towed away while I didn't have enough damage to bother getting it checked out at a body shop or a mechanic. The worst was the end of tail pipe getting somewhat closed and when I got home I opened it back up with some Channel Lock Pliers.

 

[merrill77]

I did get hit in my TJ under similar circumstances. It was night and raining. Big difference is that the person behind me (also in a Camry) had been behind me for like 5 minutes in heavy stop and go traffic. Then BASH! Dunno WTF she was doing, but hit me going maybe 25. I have a Garvin bumper/hitch/tire carrier combo and I don't even think it scratched the paint on the bumper. She mostly went down under the bumper. Did bend the gate release handle a little (still using it, though). Probably totaled the Camry - looked pretty bad with my hitch through the radiator and much of her front-end pushed back onto the engine. I drove the TJ home and didn't even bother to file a claim. That was about 13-14 years ago. My older sons were in child seats in the back at the time. Now they're driving it.

 

[Zorba]

Reminds me of one of my mother's adventures. I was 3 years old, in the hospital for a hernia surgery. She was on her way to bust me out, driving our '63 GMC 1 ton with cab-over camper. The story goes that a flatbed, supposedly loaded with bricks, lost its brakes (or whatever) at a nearby intersection, and collided with the 1/4" diamond plate bumper. Pushed the heavy GMC into the middle of the intersection. The flatbed driver saw the enormous "Tour-Aide" trailer hitch and knew it was instant death for his front end, so he spun his steering and hit with the corner of his bumper on the flat part of the GMC's bumper. A tiny divot about the size of a half dollar was the only damage. If that bumper is still kicking around somewhere, it still has the divot I'm sure!