Journal Entry for 12/11/2004

This is being written on Saturday December 11th.  The primary event spawning this entry was the auto accident on Wednesday December 1st.  Here are the details:

• I was driving alone in my mini-van, traveling south bound on 7th Avenue in downtown Seattle at 7:20 PM.  I was going to see the movie "Alexander".
• I had been "green lighted" for several blocks so I was going about 30 miles per hour.
• As I entered the intersection at Virginia Street, I broad sided a Volvo which was going the wrong way on a one-way street.

There were no serious injuries to me.   The seat belt caused some bruising on my shoulder and tender spot on my chest.  My head and neck were rattled a bit, but nothing serious.  I walked out of the car and called 911.  I called Gregg to come pick me up.  Cops, aid cars and fire engines were there within 2 or 3 minutes. 

Two witnesses, one of them an off-duty bus driver, came to give me their names and numbers.  The bus driver also had an "accident information packet" from a bus.  I called my insurance company right away.  By the time I got off the phone:

• The cops had written a ticket to the other guy for driving the wrong way and completed the accident report.
• Gregg had moved a lot of valuables from the mini-van.
• The mini-van had been towed away.
• The fire department cleaned the broken glass and fluids off the street

By the time the fire trucks pulled away, the other car and passengers were also gone.  I know the passengers included 3 kids and 2 adults, but I don't know about their injuries.  Gregg took me home in his pick up.  I never did see the movie.

I was going about 30 mph when I broad sided a Volvo that was going the wrong way on a one-way street.	I wasn't hurt much. The air bags didn't deploy. The seat belt left me with some bruises.
The '97 Grand Caravan was valued at under $6000, so it was a total loss.	I borrowed Jack's Mercedes for a couple of days until I got a new car.  I drove by Friday morning to get the rest of our stuff out of the car.  Especially the Sponge Bob.
I really like the mini-van, so I decided to buy a new one.	Mini-vans aren't very (cool, macho, butch, sporty) but extremely practical and comfortable.
It is a 2005 Grand Caravan, 3.8 liter engine, stow-n-go seats, and electric doors.

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