Thanks for the pictures. I was already in the intersection, making a left turn. It was yellow, about to change red and immediately go into the left turn green arrow. She was not in the intersection at the time, I was. She hesitated, looked like she was going to stop, and then gunned it to beat the light. My witness confirmed this fact. Speeding up to beat a light is illegal, at least here in Arizona. I'm hoping I have a case, at least to where I am not held responsible and have to get raped in the butt from insurance.
Dont worry, you wont get raped, itll probly go up 4 to 6%. though. But hey, what did you get cited for? Theyll probly rule fault on both people invloved. I hope they do, at the very least you should get them to do a 50/50 split verdict. then you could total your car under her insurance and not yours. And then keep the car, and post it on a mustang forum and sell some parts. If you had liability, would be nice to have premium ins. in that scenario. Just dont sign anything, and don't be quick to accept an offer from the insurance company.
Those pictures make me want to cry. I love those new Mustangs. The only good thing is that there's one less muscort on the road. (I hate those fox body 'Stangs) I'm confused on one thing. I can't tell how many lanes there are in those pictures. Was she in a lane next to you (in which case, one of you was doing something you shouldn't have been from the lanes you were in) or was she behind you, and tried to go around you, as you made your turn? Or, am I totally confused, and she was on the other road trying to run the red light. Assuming you weren't making a left turn from a lane you shouldn't have been, I don't see how it's your fault. You were already in the intersection, and making your turn. How could she not see you? Hope that ankle heals up properly. Good luck fighting this.
Yeah, a yellow light doesnt mean speed up so you can beat the red light....it means slow down and prepare to stop for the red light
You should go back and take pics of the skid marks she might have made with her tires if she slammed on the brakes. Sometimes that helps determine a vehicles speed. Because if a vehicle is traveling at 30mph, the skid marks should often be between " and " and so and so. But at 45 the skid marks would be " and " But you may need a traffic expert to testify on those facts if you want to introduce speed into your case.
To me, if the light is yellow and I'm going straight, I still have every right to go on through. It is the responsibility of the person turning to yield to oncoming traffic unless there is an arrow. If it's yellow for you, and yellow for her, you have to yield. Doesn't matter if she sped up to beat the light. Of course she should be cited as well for no stopping with you already in the intersection, which is wreckless driving. Edit: This is ChldsPlay btw.
Sucks balls man, and you were on the opposite town from me. So sorry that happened and I'd go straight to her insurance right away and say what happened. Tell them what happened and you have already talked to an attorney. Even after you've healed you still could be in for a LONG legal battle. Yeah, your Mustang looks totaled. So sorry.
It sounds a lot to me like it was 50/50. You turned in front of her, but she ran a red light. If the arrow was coming next, why not wait? It sounds like you were cited right, but she wasn't cited when she should have been. Sorry, but that's how it sounds to me. Good luck.
Hope you get well soon. Fight the citation and get her insurance company to pony up the cash. Sue her if you have to... get a lawyer and expert in car crashes to inspect the pictures. Good luck.
You HONESTLY and OBVIOUSLY have never driven in Tucson, have you? I'm not saying who is or isn't at fault but we do have some wacked out intersections and lights where you have no choice but to pull out on a green light and wait for a yellow light to go and HOPE the person stops. I have had to many times. My Dad was in a similar accident where he was making a left hand turn on a GREEN light and was t-boned by some young asshole in an old 80s car. He had no insurance and skipped town. My Dad, on the other hand, had both of his rotator cuffs torn and because he had his left arm out the window got severe road rash when his Nissan truck (pre-Frontier name) was knocked into the air and landed on its side.
Dude!!! I am so sorry to hear about that accident. After seeing those pics, it really looks bad. I hope you get better. I wonder if those cameras on top of the light posts record anything passing through the intersections?? I can vouch for My03Tundra. Driving on the streets of Tucson is a battle and a half. That intersection (Oracle Rd and Wetmore Rd) is one of the top 10 worst in the city for the amout of traffic and accidents.
Thank you for saying so. Unless you've been here, you just don't know our roads. I live near an intersection where you practically have to TURN LEFT on a red light and turn QUICKLY. It can be nerve racking, especially when Tucson leads the nation in red light runners.
I used to live in Tucson for nearly nine years. I had to drive through that intersection everyday to get to work. It's no picnic to drive anywhere in the city with so much traffic with those snowbirds who don't know how to drive. Almost everyday, I see or pass by an accident on the streets. It's no wonder buying insurance for an automobile is rather costly in Tucson or even in Phoenix.
*Cries out a line of profanities in response* I can't believe kids these days! Lying their way out of getting a ticket for causing a car accident. At least I was being truthful when I told the cop what happened when I had gotten into a car accident, which I was at fault and luckily no one was hurt, back in February of this year. Hope things go your way in court. Teach that brat a lesson.
QFT - I drve through Oracle Rd and Wetmore Rd everyday for work, Hell I work 1/2 a mile way from there! Tucson drivers are nuts, but with left turn arrows after the red light it confuses the hell out of everyone that is not from here. Now that the snowbirds are coming I have to watch out for grandma in her aircraft carrier of a car going 20 in a 50 with her blinker on! Sixshot I feel for you bro! I have been in 3 car accidents that needed TDP (Tucson Police Department) to show up and it was ALWAYS a hassel. One time I was the victim of a hit and run (guy hit me from behind while I was at a stop light and then left the scene) and the TPD officer was a motorcycle cop. The MC cop shows up and start hasseling me cause I pulled onto a side street and not left my car in the street! Anyways, make sure you have written everything down before you start to forget. This saved my ass in the hit-run accident I was in. I wrote down everything, time, date, weather, position of the sun, how many cars where infront of me, etc.... I had to make a case with TPD and get a detective but the guy finally got sent to jail. Also good luck with your recovery. If you need anything PM me and I will see if I can help!
First of all, glad you are okay and noone was seriously hurt. Second That is CRAZY! Tucson is a big enough city that what are the chances that one our board members was at the same time and place? Third, being a Tucson resident and knowing how people in this city drive, I drive very defensively. Almost to the point of parnoia. If I am approaching in intersection I assume that some asshole is going to turn in front of me blindly, or run the light when I am turning. I have avoided a lot of accidents this way. She should not have run the light, but most likely I would have assumed she was going to and not gone. Sorry to say even with witnesses your still probably going to be found at partial fault. Unless the light was RED when she went through. Again most importantly no one was seriously hurt. Sorry about the wreck and I hope you feel better.
Update! Just talked to my witness. He said we HAD the green arrow, and he is sure of this because he was once in an accident like this where he got cited and it was just a yellow light. He was in the left turn lane just to the right of mine. The girl has already filed a claim, and apparently she is having back and neck problems (oh noes!). At least she can fucking walk. Currently dealing with insurance and all of this bullshit.
Up here, at an intersection with no arrow, its illegal to run a yellow unless you're already IN the intersection or you're traveling at 50 clicks and you can't possible stop without sliding half way through the intersection. Everyone up here pulls out into the middle of the intersection when making a left turn. You pull out on the green, and wait for the cars to stop coming so you can go. The light eventually turns yellow, signaling the other cars in the oncoming lane to stop, then you finish your turn as the light turns red. If a car runs the yellow or the red and hits you, its their fault. If you've got arrows.. then there really should be no reason for anyone to slam into you, it'll totally be their fault 100% you were going through the yellow arrow right? It looks like she either jumped the gun on the green and ran the red, or it turned green while you were still in the intersection and she decided to just plow right into you on purpose.
If you have a witness that shows you had agreen arrow then you win. If you put him in contact with your insurance, your insurance will sue her ass into next week. If you don't have that witness, then you failed to yield and then you are screwed.
