Rear-ended by a 100MPH drunk driver

[Professor Y Cars]

I'm glad you and your daughter are ok and hopefully she continues to be ok! That must have been scary. I was just in Chandler for a few days with my Lucid in November, and also noticed that the normal flow of traffic seems to be quite a bit higher than in California and there does seem to be someone standing out doing well above that.

 

[Blue Lectroid]

I hope you and your daughter continue to recover from this…and not just physically. Sounds like a really traumatic event. Stay well and happy holidays. I am really glad this turned out so well for you!!!

 

[Lucken]

The importance of a car’s ability to sacrifice itself in a major collision can never be underestimated. The Lucid sacrificed itself to save you and your daughter. I hope you both continue to fare well through this. Unlike your loved ones, you can always replace the car if necessary.

 

[Halodde]

Glad you are okay! Hopefully the damage to the car is easily repaired

 

[BJR]

Very happy that you are both OK.

 

[Kevo]

Dang that’s terrible. I was rear ended in my Silverado buy a jeep renegade going 65mph while traffic was at a standstill. Thankfully the truck took nearly the entire impact and it felt like a rough bumper car. Needed a new frame and rebuild from the cab back! But vehicles are amazing.

As you go through the insurance and repair process please report in. Idk about you guys but service for things like this is my biggest concern for Lucid cars. I hear great things but I’d love to hear more!

 

[hmp10]

I can verify that as well. It is aesthetically beautiful, but underneath that it's a tank. We couldn't get a speed for my crash, but it was probably close to 100. The way it holds up in a crash and keeps everyone in it safe is nothing short of amazing.

Same here. We were in a crash in our Air that deployed all the airbags and totaled both cars. We stepped out of the car and walked away without a scratch or even a bone or muscle ache in the ensuing days. Bought an identical Air again.

 

[AZAirGT]

So sorry to hear about this but very happy that the two of you are ok. The fact that the car took the brunt of the impact is a testament to Ludid focusing on the safety of the occupants. I clearly remember Peter talking about and demonstrating how the structural frame components are designed to take impact at AMP-1 last January.
And as a North Scottsdale resident, I know how crazy many drivers are out there not only the major highways but on many secondary roads too.

Stay safe everyone and Happy Holidays!

 

[RM-S8]

@ OP, do you have a dashcam in your car installed?

 

[ViperSSD]

Sorry to hear this happened, this is one of my biggest worries when I have my two daughters in the car....very thankful that yall were able to walk away

 

[Chrry]

My daughter was with me as we were driving a steady 68MPH down Loop 101 in Chandler, in the right lane, and at 5:41PM, my rearview mirror was filled with speeding car less than a half-second before impact. The other driver stopped with us, AZ DPS came, and a witness returned to the scene to tell us the other car had been weaving across lanes and came all the way over from the HOV lane to come in right behind us right before impact. So no wonder I had no opportunity to react. The other driver appeared to be okay otherwise. My back is a little sore but not too bad... we'll see how it feels in the next couple of days. My daughter says she feels okay but owing to her having a medical condition where impacts could lead to fatal consequences, we got her checked out by the ER and things look okay. Thank God.

I am immensely grateful that this happened in our Lucid. I don't think we would have fared as well in our other, lighter vehicles. The other vehicle was clearly unsafe to drive after the impact-- the hood flew up, the front of the car was hanging down, and multiple fluids were streaming out of it. The Lucid came away looking far better than I had expected. The trunk looks a little misaligned, the taillight is cracked and now says "UCID" (must be Christmas-- "Noel"?) but is functional, the bumper cover has a few cracks and the bumper itself took quite a hit, the trunk looks like it may be scuffed, and the back cover to the driver's seat popped off. That's all I could see on first inspection. It's possible there could be more-- but what's important is how well the vehicle protected its occupants. Excellent job, Lucid. I am grateful to all the people who built this car and to the brilliant engineers who designed it to take this kind of impact.

Assuming my daughter remains okay, I am grateful that we were there to take the hit. We may have saved someone else's life by taking this drunk driver off the road. He was arrested on the spot. I pray that he will learn from his experience.

That is so horrible and frightening for your daughter too!!!!
Extremely happy you made it with your lives and almost unharmed. Lucid is even more amazing to me now. #iloveluci
Your story and car should be one of the commercials they make — like with Subaru “They survived” but better because all 3 of you survived… including Luci(d) of course.

This is a very heartwarming story. Wish it wasn’t yours to tell.

 

[tonybot]

My daughter was with me as we were driving a steady 68MPH down Loop 101 in Chandler, in the right lane, and at 5:41PM, my rearview mirror was filled with speeding car less than a half-second before impact. The other driver stopped with us, AZ DPS came, and a witness returned to the scene to tell us the other car had been weaving across lanes and came all the way over from the HOV lane to come in right behind us right before impact. So no wonder I had no opportunity to react. The other driver appeared to be okay otherwise. My back is a little sore but not too bad... we'll see how it feels in the next couple of days. My daughter says she feels okay but owing to her having a medical condition where impacts could lead to fatal consequences, we got her checked out by the ER and things look okay. Thank God.

I am immensely grateful that this happened in our Lucid. I don't think we would have fared as well in our other, lighter vehicles. The other vehicle was clearly unsafe to drive after the impact-- the hood flew up, the front of the car was hanging down, and multiple fluids were streaming out of it. The Lucid came away looking far better than I had expected. The trunk looks a little misaligned, the taillight is cracked and now says "UCID" (must be Christmas-- "Noel"?) but is functional, the bumper cover has a few cracks and the bumper itself took quite a hit, the trunk looks like it may be scuffed, and the back cover to the driver's seat popped off. That's all I could see on first inspection. It's possible there could be more-- but what's important is how well the vehicle protected its occupants. Excellent job, Lucid. I am grateful to all the people who built this car and to the brilliant engineers who designed it to take this kind of impact.

Assuming my daughter remains okay, I am grateful that we were there to take the hit. We may have saved someone else's life by taking this drunk driver off the road. He was arrested on the spot. I pray that he will learn from his experience.

So scary! I am so glad you and your daughter are fine, and Lucid held up well. I will be keeping your daughter in my prayers. Living in the DFW area, qpeople driving huge vehicles without any care in the world is sadly a daily occurrence for me as well. You often see huge pickups swerving into the shoulder to avoid a crash because they came in too fast in slow or stopped traffic, but at least they usually have the sense and reflex to do that, unlike this drunken person. I hope they learned their lesson, too, and they will avoid risking their and others' lives.

 

[Vette2Lucid]

So sorry to hear about this but very happy that the two of you are ok. The fact that the car took the brunt of the impact is a testament to Ludid focusing on the safety of the occupants. I clearly remember Peter talking about and demonstrating how the structural frame components are designed to take impact at AMP-1 last January.
And as a North Scottsdale resident, I know how crazy many drivers are out there not only the major highways but on many secondary roads too.

Stay safe everyone and Happy Holidays!

Walking into AMP-1 and being surprised by Peter giving the first talk on castings, extrusions, and forged parts and how they play together to absorb impact forces was one of my favorite moments of the rally in January. Right after Peter finished his talk, I turned to Zak Edson and asked, "Who's the new guy?" He didn't miss a beat: "We're training him."
Folks, updates on this topic will take a few days. The insurance company asked me to schedule an inspection but I haven't been able to yet because we've got family here for Christmas. I hope all of you are similarly able to enjoy time with your families. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

 

[Vette2Lucid]

I said updates would be slow to come... first off, both my daughter and I have not had any lingering symptoms-- thank you for your prayers! We had a wonderful Christmas with family, and a quiet New Year. Both insurance companies have been in touch with me a few times and have also reached out to the witness. They have attempted to reach the other driver but have been unsuccessful, so I guess it's just a matter of time before they either make contact or opt to proceed without word from him. Please pray for him too. I have no idea what led him to the point of a couple of really bad decisions that evening, and I can only imagine the hell he's facing in his own mind as he deals with the consequences of those decisions. This situation is far better than what could have been-- or what could be if he were to continue down this path.

 

[michel]

Late to the thread, glad you’re both still OK and insurance seems to be on the ball too!

It’s probably hard to get in touch with the other driver if he ended up in jail, I suppose … either way I pray he learned his lesson and his life is not ruined over this

 

[rking0122]

I said updates would be slow to come... first off, both my daughter and I have not had any lingering symptoms-- thank you for your prayers! We had a wonderful Christmas with family, and a quiet New Year. Both insurance companies have been in touch with me a few times and have also reached out to the witness. They have attempted to reach the other driver but have been unsuccessful, so I guess it's just a matter of time before they either make contact or opt to proceed without word from him. Please pray for him too. I have no idea what led him to the point of a couple of really bad decisions that evening, and I can only imagine the hell he's facing in his own mind as he deals with the consequences of those decisions. This situation is far better than what could have been-- or what could be if he were to continue down this path.

I’m glad you all are okay. I work in this world (in AZ) and not everyone is so lucky to walk away. If you find that you end up getting any kind of runaround with the insurer(s) feel free to reach out and I can give you some pointers.

Stay well!

 

[Vette2Lucid]

My daughter and I are still doing just fine-- we are so blessed. And finally, some progress with the car. I'm told by the other driver's insurance company that police reports are typically available to them 2-3 weeks after a collision, but in the case of a DUI, it can be 2-3 times as long. This case got promoted to Extreme DUI. Anyway, despite them not being able to get a police report yet, and not having heard from their driver, they've assumed liability. I've gotten in touch with Raintree Auto Body, the only certified Lucid shop in town, and will bring my car to them on Monday.
I've driven the car twice since the collision, and it seems to drive forward as spectacularly as ever, but my door's soft close isn't functioning at all, and unsurprisingly, one of the rear radar sensors registers a fault. Not sure if that is what triggers the emergency braking I observe now when backing out of my garage. I've charged it once and all is well there. And with it sitting for a 25-day stretch, I also confirmed vampire drain was normal, losing 8kWh during that time. That seems fairly impressive, better than some household devices.