Crash

[ViperGTS]

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It is 2 days ago now and I am able to tell you the story. The first 30 hours after the crash were like a nightmare and I saw the „crash movie“ over and over again...

Friday morning: it was wet from heavy thunderstorms we saw during the night and my plan was to drive to my office to work and to leave in the afternoon to Hockenheimring for the Eurocorvette meeting together with the Swiss VCA.

I entered the autobahn after 15 miles on countryside roads and I was driving not faster than 50 mph. I lost control during changing from the acceleration lane to the right one of the autobahn lanes, crossing the sign lines and the rear of the car was "coming around" – the white road signs (long lines, 10-15 inch wide) on the road were wet and must have been very slippery - I tried to bring the car back to a straight and after swinging left/right 2-3 times I hit the brakes because I recognized that I had lost control. Many other cars were around.

I did not hit another car, but...

...I hit the guard rails made from steel at the side of the autobahn with approx. 40 mph. The car went UNDER the guard rails, turned under the barrier and the roof of the car has been cut away, especially on the passenger side! The A-column on the passenger side does not exist any more. The car was caught under the steel barrier. Fortunately, the drivers side roof part was OK and I was able to leave the car through the drivers window within seconds since I did not know at this moment were the car had stopped.

I was very very lucky - I do not have any injuries except for some small skin cuttings on one hand from the broken glas when I left the car through the driver side window.

Police and emergency people could not believe that I had no injuries when they arrived and saw the car for the first time. They believed "that driver and passenger must be dead" in such a heavily damaged car.

Thanks god!!! I am alive. The GTS (R.I.P.) protected me and my life.

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[1TONY1]

That's a bad wreck. So sorry about your car. Glad you were not hurt.

 

[Chuck 98 RT/10]

Sorry about your bad luck. Sounds like you hydroplaned. It's happened to me but I was lucky. Are your tires a bit past the wear bars?

I hope you get another Viper.

 

[SylvanSRT]

You are a lucky person!

 

[RedEnuf93]

Good to hear you are OK, It sure looks like a very ugly wreck, you were lucky indeed....

 

[Neil - UK]

Ouch, it certainly looks a lot worse in 'real life' Markus , glad your OK and no one was in the passenger seat, I'd have thought you should of rebounded off the barriers rather than going under it

 

[ViperGTS]

Tires were OK - fortunately NO passenger.

 

[VIPERCANE]

Wow.......as long as you are okay, that's all that matters.
The Viper can always be replaced. You are one very lucky person. God bless!!!

Bindy

 

[LIVIPER]

I glad you are OK. Horrible wreck!

 

[garolittle]

Wow.......as long as you are okay, that's all that matters.
The Viper can always be replaced. You are one very lucky person. God bless!!!

Bindy

I agree. Do not worry about the Viper. Your life is the most important thing. I am very glad that you are ok.

 

[vette2viper]

Very sorry to hear of your misfortune. But, as said already, it is great that you came out without major injury. So many more Vipers to buy, but only one of you! Best wishes to you.

 

[CO GTS]

WOW! Under the guard rail and survived. Those pics are kind of creepy.... I think you were very lucky indeed! I once rolled a 280Z three times head over heels and the hood broke loose (at the rear mounts) came through the windshield and stopped about 10 inches shy of my neck. I was just sick about destroying my Z but since then I have had many many other sports cars that I have liked better than the Z....especially my GTS.

 

[Janni]

Markus,
Glad you are OK -that's a scary crash. Looks like those barriers need to be a little lower - no way should you have been able to go under it.

 

[WickedV]

It's almost a miracle you came out of it without severe injuries!
Glad to hear you're okay ViperGTS.

 

[SNKEBIT]

Thanks for stickin' around!!!!!!!

 

[CHAD]

Great to hear you walked away without injuries.

Scary to think you went under the guard rail at 40 on the bahn!

Hope a new Viper is in your future, soon.

 

[PRVT JET]

vipergts, that is the same thing that happened to my '97. I was changing lanes and the rear came around. I feel your pain, good luck with everything.

 

[AviP]

You are one lucky guy! In your case, 10-15" wide lane markers are as wide/wider than the tires themselves and when powering the car it's easy to lose traction in the wet, especially on fresh paint.

BTW, I totalled my Supra Turbo while changing lanes over freshly painted lines too. They can be as slick as snow in the Winter. And even worse is fully painted crosswalks (not zebra crosswalks) on a turn in 35-45mph zones. I've had too many sliding situations in the wet on fresh paint that I actually avoided some routes. Maybe someday the road safety crew will realize the dangers of too much paint.

 

[ViperGTS]

Thanks for all your concerns and comments!

Another comment I got so far is: Why do you remove the roof of your GTS this way? You have an RT/10 already!

 

[Yves]

Markus,

Glad you're still stickin' around for a while.
Welcome to the world of the RT/10

Are you also going to share your celebrity status on German TV ?

 

[ViperGTS]

There was a guy with a camera filming the crashed car and he asked me for an interview (he would have paid me for the interview!). I denied and asked him to go away. I know the ******** of RTL have broadcasted "his movie".

The local newspapers on Saturday were full of pictures and stories like "the Dodge Viper driver was speeding and crashed..."

 

[Steve-Indy]

VERY SORRY to hear of your misfortune...but, as others have noted, VERY HAPPY that YOU are uninjured. The barrier sure appears too low as Janni noted! Hopefully, RTL will NOT sensationalize this unhappy incident. Will send a PM.

 

[98MODMTR]

Glad to see you were able to walk away!

 

[Viper Wizard]

Markus, I'm glad your alright!! Sorry to learn of this.

 

[Sam 01 RT10]

Wow. Sorry about your car, the silver is beautiful. The main thing is that you are ok. I'd hate to have seen that rail hit the driver's side!

 

[Vic]

Marcus, I'm so sorry to hear of this, but also am very glad you are ok. As it turns out, the outcome was better than one might expect. Take care, bro.

 

[Ulysses]

Awful scarey crash. Glad you are okay!

 

[Lee00blacksilverGTS]

Sorry to hear about this. Glad you came out of it OK.

 

[VPRVENM97]

Markus,

Sorry about the crash. Glad to hear you're OK! Hey look on the bright side, maybe you'll be one of the first in line to get an SRT Coupe!

 

[Jay Herbert]

....The first 30 hours after the crash were like a nightmare and I saw the „crash movie“ over and over again...

Glad to hear you are all in one piece! Good thing the car peeled up the guard rails and God was riding with you.

When my RT/10 hydroplaned and went round and round, I could (and still can) replay the entire 540 degrees in my head. It still makes my belly woozy when I hit "replay".

I'm betting the same thing happened to you as me, you found a patch of pavement where there was water draining across. How much tread on your tires? Mine were had about 1/16" 'till I hit the wear bars.... I'll never drive in the rain again with tires that close to the end of their life.