I Saw A Sixth Gen Get Destroyed!

Yesterday, as I was driving, I witnessed a brand new sixth gen T4R a couple vehicles ahead of me get broadsided due to a stupid SOB who ran his red light!

I was driving on a local city street, speed limit 40 MPH, coming up to an intersection with a green light ahead of me. I remember the light had already been green for a bit, it hadn’t just changed to green.

There was also a nice GMC Sierra pickup ahead of me, between me and the sixth gen T4R.

So here we go- have a green light. I see this stupid f_ck, in a Dodge Ram (how appropriate) pickup truck “ram” broadside in to the right side of this new sixth gen T4R, because the Ram ran his red light!

Next the GMC Sierra pickup ahead of me piles on his brakes, managing to stop in time without hitting the wreck now ahead of both of us. I too had to get on my brakes extremely hard as well.

So now here’s this wreck in the middle of the intersection. I wanted to get the h_ll out of the way, so I looked around to see if my surroundings were clear, and I cut over in to the right lane beside me and made a right turn, and immediately pulled in to a gas station at that corner. I had time on my hands, so I figured I’d stick around and be a witness for the T4R person. Once I got parked at the gas station, I called 911.

As for the GMC Sierra pickup, he apparently didn’t give a rat’s a_s for sticking around- after stopping to avoid the wreck, he just went around it and continued on his way- what a kind and helpful P.O.S. he (or she) was.

It didn’t take too terribly long for the police to show up. But in a way, it did seem like a long time. But I think it was less than five minutes. Sometimes a few minutes can feel like an eternity I guess.

There was also another driver, a woman, driving behind me, who took the time to stop and offered to be a witness. Thank goodness.

In the interim, I very carefully ventured out in to the intersection. The idiot in the Ram had gotten out of his truck and was already on his cell phone. We looked at each other. I yelled at him, asking him if he was fleeing the scene. He said no. I told him you ran a red light bucko you are toast. He didn’t reply, just kinda gave me a dirty look and stayed on his phone.

The T4R driver, turned out it was a woman, was still in her vehicle. I found her crying and sobbing. I got her to open her door. I asked her mam’ are you hurt. She said no she didn’t think so. I asked her if she wanted to get out, I can take you off the street if you want. She said OK. I took her gently by her arm and helped her out. We started to walk away from the vehicle, but then she said oh my purse. So we went back and got her purse, and also her phone. I guided her to the opposite side of the street from where the idiot was- I didn’t want a confrontation.

I told her I had had already called 911. Do those new T4Rs have any sort of like “OnStar” system? She made no mention of this…..

She seemed OK, but was crying and extremely upset. She commented that her husband was going to kill her for wrecking their brand new 4Runner. And I noticed it did indeed have a temporary tag on it. Oi……

I told her the other guy was 100% at fault he ran his red light. She asked if I was certain, I said absolutely I was behind you and I saw the whole thing I am your witness. Perhaps she was a bit shaken.

So, long story short, the cop showed up, talked to both drivers, took my statement, and took the other lady witness’s statement. (I don’t have a dash-cam, but dang I really do need to get one) and after I was satisfied through talking with the cop that the Ram idiot was going to be 100% at fault, I checked with the woman asking her if she wanted me to stick around, she thanked me and said no, that she had called her husband and he was on the way. I gave her my cell number and told her that her husband could call me if he needed to. Man I hope he wouldn’t be pissed at her for any reason! I was still tempted to stick around until he arrived, but finally thought screw it, I’ve done enough she has my number, and of course the cop had all my contact info as well.

So, scratch one brand new sixth gen T4R. I didn’t think to shoot any pics- but dang, I would total that thing by looks if it. I sure as h_ll wouldn’t accept that thing being repaired.

Likewise, that Dodge Ram took a beating. It wouldn’t have been drivable. It was leaking out fluids underneath- I am guessing anti-freeze and perhaps transmission fluid? What is it they advertise? “Built Ram Tough”? Bull sh_t.

I drove away, thinking dam, a few seconds difference and that would have been me getting hit. What a crock- you can take care of your baby as much as you want, and drive as carefully as possible, but you’re always just a split second away of having some other stupid SOB wrecking it all on you.

 

Thank you for doing what is right. That’s someone’s father, mother, son, daughter. Let’s be kind to one another.

 

Good on you for sticking around to make sure the woman was ok and the police had your statement.

The wife got hit in our neighborhood, 4 blocks away, totaled our vehicle. The other woman ran the stop sign, hit my wife, lied to police and tried to file a fraudulent insurance claim with our insurance. Luckily there was an eye witness like yourself or else it would have been her word vs the other.

Texas being a no fault state has its downside. There is no repercussion for making a false police statement and attempting to commit insurance fraud as the local pd aren’t going to follow up on this and issue any citations even though making a false statement to police is a class b misdemeanor.

We see this disgrace of a human at the neighborhood pool a few times a week.

 

I would not help. A guy tried to help a Federal Officer here during an altercation, The federal officer shot him said his gun went off by mistake?

 

I was t boned by a driver who ran a red last summer. I was thankful for the 6 witnesses who stuck around and gave their statement. I am still not fully recovered. Surgery is in my future as I have exhausted all non invasive medical procedures.

 

So sorry this happened to you...and your 4Runner!

 

Matter of fact you cant touch the military also. They're government property. Just got to let them lay.

 

Good for you to stick around and do the right thing. The 4R did it's job and protected it's passengers, nothing new there.

 

Wow, I have an update- The woman's husband actually called me a short while ago to thank me for helping his wife after she got broad- sided. He said she is very sore from the hit. He said they made a Dr. appointment on-line last night, and he is taking her in to see her Dr. tomorrow to get checked out.

He was actually pretty talkative, and we started talking about T4Rs when I told him I had a 2022 model. He said they traded in their 2019 T4R in April on that new 2025 that they had ordered. What a shame. He said they're not sure what they're going to do now. They liked their new 2025 T4R. He said he has a 2021 Tundra. I said ah the last of the good 'uns. We both laughed and he said yeah he's keeping his big 5.7L V-8.

He said no way is he agreeing to having their 2025 T4R fixed. He said they don't drive wrecked vehicles. He said he thinks it's totaled anyway. I agreed.

So, we are kind of like new-found friends, Toyota enthusiasts and all. He said he'd call me back again to update me on his wife, and also about what they end up doing about a replacement vehicle. I said I'd like that, so we'll see if he ever really calls back. We found out we live about 16 miles apart.

 

People think I'm paranoid but I was taught by my father, who worked as a bus driver for many years, to quickly scan left before entering an intersection even if it's my green, and then half way through scan right, just for this reason. Sometimes a split second use of throttle can mean the difference between getting out of the way or getting broadsided.

This is something computerized driver assistance systems will never do.

 

Yup and even when making right turns when a car is approaching from left that has a blinker.. I will still wait for him to turn because I had too many close calls that people use blinker but keep going straighf!!!

 

Sorry to hear. I always hesitate when I'm the first at a light for this reason. Very annoying when the car behind me fires their horn because I don't instantly rev my engine when our light turns green. We see people run red lights all the time in my area.

 

Wow, major Kudos to you for stopping and helping. Glad the lady made it out without seemingly any major injury.
Rule of thumb for me if I’m the lead car going into an intersection on a fresh green light is to count to 4 before I take off.