UKMyers

Well here's a good story to share with you all. Today I pull up in my buddies driveway that has a slight slope and slight curve to it. We are shooting the breeze for about 15 minutes in the front yard when all of a sudden he yells. Dude your truck is leaving! I turned around and it took both of us a second to realize it was cooking down his driveway backwards. It missed a Beemer across the road, barely missed sideswiping a huge metal pole, skipped one more car and finally smashed into a little Ford Escort. The guy was sitting in his car laying on the horn. He saw it coming but thought someone was actually driving it. He figured it out when we came running after it. It went about 40 yards or so and I don't know how in the world it missed all the stuff it did. I got really really lucky. First time I have ever ever had any kind of of an accident in 8 years of driving. Oh well Sh$t happens. Just hope the damage is little enough it wont' effect my insurance rate. Here's the pics

The Escort



My Runner



I am glad I drive a truck sometimes!!! Scary to think it did all that to that Escort at about walking speed maybe a little faster. I have a bubble in the chrome plating on my bumper end piece that's going to rust so I am going to replace it. 65 bucks plus shipping. I was going to replace it anways beacause of some oxidation where the exhaust comes out. So go ahead and bring on the ridicule and for those that remember yes my truck left the parking lot at work once too but didn't hit anything that time. I know it was in gear.... I don't use my Ebrake much.. Will NOW! I think that it had to jump outta gear since it sat there for 15 minutes before it decided to roll away...:pat:

Andrey

Its really strange that your truck started to roll while in park. I hardly ever use e-park brake myself, but looks like I will now

And you're right, driving a truck makes things way beneficial for you in a long run and hitting small things doesn't really do that much damage to your car. Gotta love it!

UKMyers

It's a 5Speed. I always park with it in first gear. Think with the pressure on the gearbox it may have caused it to jump out. Either that or it was sitting just right that it took it that long to roll in neutral

TDiddy

WOW!! I wonder if they consider that collision or comprehensive, since you weren't actually driving.

Looks like that Runner has a mind of its own! Call in a priest, time for an exorcisim!

rimpainter.com

Wow. Glad everyone is ok. Mine starts to roll on my sloped driveway sometimes, but not when in gear.

I am now thinking that Reverse is the best gear to keep it in for 5 speeds. Not sure though...

Nolan

I work in the claims department for an insurance company so i will take this one.... It is a collision claim and he is considered the driver because it was his responsibility to secure the vehicle so it is an at fault accidnet. Only way it would not be is if there was a mechanical defect.

Considering what happened you got really lucky it just hit the escort, sounds like it could have hit a couple of cars and a pole!

tomus1000

Keep it in reverse if you are parked on an decline. Keep it in first if you are parked on an incline.

Also, when parked on a decline, remember to point your front tires towards the curb. If it pops out of gear, the cusb will prevent it from rolling.

seafarinman

UKMyers,
Wow. I am just glad that no one was hurt. All the other stuff aside, the vehicle damage can be repaired after all. I am glad that the damage to your 4Runner was minimal as well. I have to pull my parking brake all the way out where I park as I park on a small hill, and my clutch (Centerforce Dual Friction) won't hold unless the engine is running. It just slips out. I am not sure whether that is a clutch or transmission issue though. Good luck, and I see your experience as a wake up call for everyone to always practice safety.

Bob_98SR5

Joey,

Gawd, I just had to laugh when I saw the damage to the Escort compared to yours. I know, not a laughing matter but it reminds me of all those "You should of seen the damage my TJM bumper caused!" posts.

S@#t happens. Glad no one got hurt.

Bob

TheLaw

Where are you getting that price from? My GF backed mine into another car and put a nice little dent in the rear piece.

Los Gatos?

He has a 5 speed. YOu definitely need to use the ebrake. I can't believe you don't...I use the ebrake even though I have an auto. Better safe than sorry!

aviator

UKMyers
that escort driver should have moved when laying on the horn did no good...There does'nt seem to be that much damage just two broken lenses and some metal dents...a good body man should be able to fix it right for not a lot of cash...maybe you could work it out so the insurance vultures ( no offence) don't get involved a screw the both of you...Britain has no-fault insurance don't they?...I always put mine in second to park it because the shifter seems to set in the gear better then in first...and if i'm on a slope i always set the P-Brake...hope your day gets better aviator

Bean

Reverse is the only gear I have that even comes close to holding my truck in any direction!! Kinda scary...

Albuquerque Jim

Sorry about your expereince man.

I did notice that you have an exhaust pipe sticking out of the left side of your 4runner. Is it functional?

Wild_Bill

He has a 2nd gen, they're all on the left side.



Nice one UK, do you have USAA for insurance? If so they shouldn't hurt you too bad, I backed into a deuce-and-a-half a couple years ago and had to replace my whole tailgate, my rates never went up.

UKMyers

I figured this thread would spark some intrest!


Yup sure do. A buddy of mine totalled two cars before they raised his I think I'll be alright


I just want to clarify that this driveway is barely a slope just enough so that something would roll on it. It's not like I was parked on some huge hill in which case I WOULD have used my E-brake when I was parking. Another thing is I just stopped by real quick to show my buddy my Electric fan that came in from Summit. You guys can't tell me you've never just whipped in somewhere and jumped outta your truck.
Law take a look at this site
They tend to screw you with the shipping and handling though.

My insurance company told me the same thing.
Oh well it's off for another day. Have my Summit fan sitting here so that's something to look forward to. I'm hosting a Kegger this afternoon and going to the British version of Nascar races tomorrow but hoping to get some time next week to install it!

NCSU-4runner

two years ago i backed into my dad's lx-470 in our driveway, hit his rear bumper but i had the exact opposite problem , his bumper only got scratched, and the chrome on my got all dented in :pat:

i still say it was his fault for parking behind me, one of those things where you pull out 1490723091287 times and nobody is there so you dont bother looking ONE time

mark from uk

man that sucks, i dont think it is worth not going through the insurance as i bet it will be a costly repair , most places just rip off on body work these days.

TheLaw

Thanks.