MY CAR IS TOTALLED

[Andrew/USPWR]

I've let friends drive my GTS and It scared the hell out of them and me. They loved it and our very grateful, but I don't do it anymore.
Let them buy their own.






2005 Silver SRT/10
2000 Steel Gray GTS (sold)

 

[C-Note]

What do you want for the wrecked car? I am in your area.

 

[Timmer]

I still call B.S.

How about some pics to prove this ever happened...

 

[CROM]

Rule #1: You DO NOT talk about driving my viper
Rule #2: You do not drive my viper
Rule #3: You do not drive my viper

I never let anyone drive my viper. Most people on this earth have experience driving something with 150ft/lbs of torque, not 490 ft/lbs.

 

[cyaford]

1. I bet the bottom line is that the father-in-law's insurance will refuse to pay for the damages and TooEvil's insurance will end up paying but will credit this accident against TooEvil as if TooEvil had been driving the car himself. This will cause his rates to soar.
2. This will damage the future relationship between TooEvil and his father-in-law. How could you not be affected by this?

Uhh..... It wasn't his father-in-law. It was his neighbors step father.

 

[Photog1]

monnieh - What's the $$$ you're looking at - PM me, please.

FE 065 - I was okay with people taking it for a ride around the block, and it was left with my fiancee. She knew I was okay with the basic joy ride, but this schlep decided to see "what it could do" from what it sounds like.

Did I mention that he fled the scene and left a kid to fend for himself?

with all do respect....... ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR MIND?????????????????????????????

 

[Photog1]

2. If you want just a machine, at least get a year where they built a lot(more than 2000), then when you loan it out again and it gets wrecked(because it will get wrecked again), we won't feel so bad(hint, the 94 RT). They made 3000).



I Take issue with this statement!! If you want to loan out a nice car for the whole neighborhood to drive get a Vette not a Viper they make 50,000 a year!!!!

 

[Cop Magnet]

As for the comments on leaving the Viper for others to drive(like children playing with fireworks left around), I have no idea whether the individual driving was a racing expert or a novice. Perhaps those of you who have chimmed in know more about that.....I am keeping quiet, as I do not have that information. I was not there.

Of course, but this guy didn't know the driving skill of the perpetrator either. He didn't even know this guy. So there was no informed decision here. He was "one of the neighbor's step-fathers"...of his fiancee! And he said his fiancee knew he "was okay with people taking it for a ride" so handed the keys over. No matter how you slice this, the court of public opinion can only rule one way on this issue. While a lawyer can mount any defense, and certainly knows the ramifications of this situation better than any lay person, based on what we know so far negligence or reckless endangerment seems reasonable. Again, court of public opinion, but a real court seems within reach of this thinking.

I'm not sure how a racer vs novice driver enters into this. Did the fiancee take credentials at the behest of the owner? Come on! What if this were a Datsun B210, and the borrower was an unlicensed 15 year old? Who'd be liable then? What if it were a Beech Bonanza, and the borrower wasn't even a pilot? Okay, you'll say those people were clearly not credentialled to operate those vehicles...I'd say the guy that borrowed the car demonstrated the same. So the liability goes to whoever put the loaded gun in their hands.

Still not convinced? Think of it this way: if it were a business, what would their exposure be without any credentialling and waiver of liability?

PatentLaw, as a lawyer, I cannot believe you are not all over this!

 

[big-n-italian]

if TooEvil really left us, that is unfortunate. i would really like to hear how this one eventually pans out.

any way you slice it, i bet it will be u-g-l-y.

 

[joe117]

"What if it were a Beech Bonanza"

That's not a good example. If you are not a pilot, you can't just go for a little flight and "take it easy" in order to keep from wrecking the plane.

Whatever this guy's quals were to drive the Viper, just the fact that he drove it didn't mean he had to do a demo of max throttle.

He could have taken the car for a reasonable spin with no trouble.
So letting him drive the car wasn't, on the face of it such a crime.
It wasn't letting a child play with a loaded gun or letting me fly your plane.

It was a bad idea, that's all.

 

[AxlRoseViper]

I second the [******] troll on this one...some guy probably just wants attention so he makes up some story.

Like he is so cool that he gives out rides to anyone in his viper....it's not even about it being a viper...why would you let ANYONE take ANY of your cars for a joy ride?!?!

Too bad the car didnt flip 4 times...and the last time pancake you in the process.

Also does anyone believe if this happened someone fled the scene and left a kid?

His neighbors kid probably flipped his 1/18th scale toy viper playing gotcha last in the backyard....

 

[Cop Magnet]

Not a good example because it distracts from my point, which is not one of skill in operating a specific vehicle but in the lack of assessment of the potential skill or deficiency thereof. That's where the liability issue opens up.

The loaner of the vehicle did not know the operator, his skills, or even his intent in driving it. Did he even have a license? Was he drunk when his fiancee handed over the keys? While you may not know these things about anyone you loan your car too, there is no chance at all you'll know them in this scenario. Yes, he didn't have to do a demo of max power, but he could have.

In this state, if you leave your car running and walk away -- like into the 7-11 or whatever -- you are liable for what could happen with your car if someone jumps in unauthorized. I don't see how this is so different. Except that it was authorized.

 

[lobo]

That's a sad tale.

I've only had mine for 2.5 months and heard for years what a torque daddy these things are, but really didn't believe it. After all, I ride a bike with a 375hp/350 SB strapped in so it can't be badder than that. Wrong! I couldn't believe what these things will do until I owned one and can certainly see how someone can underestimate them.

Hope you have a full and complete mental recovery.

 

[V10SpeedLuvr]

I second the [******] troll on this one...some guy probably just wants attention so he makes up some story.

I did find it interesting he just "threw in" at the last minute about the guy leaving the kid at the scene. Seems as though thats a detail he wouldn't forget when he first posted. Still sorry his Viper got wrecked (if it did)

 

[Cop Magnet]

This guy runs his own webpage, BTW. He references his Viper several times, and apparently there are pics. I do not have the interest to register for his site, however. I did find this entry on the front page compelling. While posting it here may be a flame, or kicking a man while he's down...well, he did write it and post it on the internet, not me.

Okay, so here it is, I'm 5'10" and 280lbs. Yes, that is clinically obese. My immense size has several significant effects on me both physically and mentally. Physically, my lower back is constantly hurting (although lifting 500lb granite counters along with only 1 other person may have initially created that problem, the forward carriage of my weight has kept this problem from healing in a timely manner), I have osteo arthritic ankles, clothing that are baggy some days and tight others, causes issues getting in and out of my car (click on the Viper gallery) and reduces my general energy levels (constantly carrying an extra 100lbs would do that to anyone). Mentally I have lower self-esteem and I procrastinate more frequently due to my lower energy levels.

His Home Page

 

[carguy07]

Funny, I found that last night but decided to be nice and let it slide.



"my ******* have the consistency of pudding"

"ice cream is now perfectly acceptable for all major meals, as the entree"

"If you're riding my ass, I AM going to slow down without using my brakes (this is why I drive manual transmission cars). You will get scared. I will laugh at you"

"No, you're Honda Civic doesn't stand a chance at beating my Viper in a race"

"Mentally I have lower self-esteem and I procrastinate more frequently due to my lower energy levels"

"Here I am, 15' from the 'first class' lav and 60' from the coach lav and being held back by a piece of cloth so loose that a woman wearing it would be legally required to still wear a shirt and pants. And she wants me to walk to the back. I'd sooner soil her beverage cart than abide by such inane, class enforcing behavior"



I only mention because he said I had low self esteem and a small PP.

 

[joe117]

I call [******] on the whole story.

 

[PatentLaw]

Starting to smell something here as well.

Cop Magnet.....you raise some very very good points. You and I have agreed in the past and disagreed as well. You are absolutely correct. I assumed here that the person taking the car has a valid license. May not be true. I don't know. Perhaps I am looking at it with a bias.....On this one, I will tell you where I am coming from.

1) I really don't like to think that cars are deadly weapons, as a number of things are likely to happen...

a) Insurance will go up
b) Dodge and others will require passing a test to see if you can handle the car.
c) States may then create a separate skill set for driving and require you to take refresher courses, wasting time and money.

2) Production may stop for high performance cars altogether.

I just don't want to hit those barriers and try to categorize the Viper as such a different car that it rises to the levels of negligence that you bring up.

For the moderators....what is the penalty for bringing up an intentionally false subject on this board? We all know about ****** conduct and personal threats....How about this?

 

[Cop Magnet]

That is the lamest "this is not a blog" blog I've ever seen. There's no way his hit count does not equal the number of family members he has.

 

[big-n-italian]

looking back into his old posts, you read things like:

"My keys are in my safe when I'm not driving it."


and there was this one:


"I'm 31 and just bought mine a few months ago. I do remember seeing a story on the news where a kid, north of Seattle, killed an elderly woman by getting into an accident with the "Sports car" his dad bought him for his 16th birthday. It was a GTS. WAS a GTS. Not to bring the thread down, but age and wisdom sometimes have their perks."


the odd part is that, here the guy gives the impression here he is super protective of his car keys and is too smart to let anyone drive his car but him.


of course then there was this post when he recently crashed into something:


"Here it was a beautiful day in Washington and I'm out on a tequila run (Cabo Wabo and Corazon to be exact). One the way home, I'm on a 2 lane road passing a former Boeing plant when I see what appears to be a crumbled paper bag in the road. Lo and behold, it's not a paper bag bug a nice large chunk of concrete. Well, not having the ability to move ....."


i hope HIS LUCK is not contagious if all this IS true.

 

[Cop Magnet]

As for others questions on liability...whoever has the best lawyer wins....you all know that one.

Perhaps I am looking at it with a bias....

I thought all this meant this guy had you on retainer
Actually I do believe he has (or had) a Viper. I just think the guy is clinically depressed from reading his web page. Can't wait to see what he writes about this event.