A bad day and a very lucky escape

On Friday my lovely new car turned 4 months old.

On Saturday an eight year old child crashed into the left side of my car at an intersection, I was travelling at about 70kph.

Aside from having a bit of bark off, he’s OK. Poor kid was hysterical, scared of his mum*. He didn’t want the ambulance called (nor did his 11 year old brother). Fortunately he was wearing a helmet. He would not keep still or sit down. He ran home, we couldn’t stop him. There were two main witnesses, one saw the accident in his rear view mirror, he’d just passed me in the intersection and saw the child flying over the boot of my car. The other witness saw the accident happen in front of him and this witness followed the child home. The child went into the house and the parents were unaware that anything had happend, and I'm sure the boy would not have told them if the witness hadn't followed him home.

An ambulance was called immediately, the police a little while later.

Police have since assured me that the child was all right, no broken bones, and was taken to hospital for a check up. No further report had been received from the hospital today when I gave my statement to the police and I was told that it was safe to assume that the child was fine.

The insurance company at first told me that I would have to pay the excess of $400, and would lose 10% of my 60% NCB. I was not happy! Eventually, the third person I spoke with from the insurance company (between Saturday and today), said that the car would be repaired at no cost to me and no loss of NCB. Yay. That’s the way it should be. They wouldn’t go after the child or his family for the money.

While waiting for the police I watched the cars passing. If that little boy had hit a 1 tonne ute, or a truck, he would have gone under the vehicle and I doubt the outcome would have been as good.

I suppose if the boy was going to hit a car its best that he hit my new one and rolled along the side of it, denting or scratching the sill and every panel except the front guard.

He had a very lucky escape.

I don't think his parents are even aware of how close they were to losing their son.

*Many of us were very concerned that the children were so scared of their parents**, but I have spoken with a couple of teachers, and the policewoman who interviewed me, and they said this is not unusual.

** I could have told him that his mum wouldn't kill him.
......At least not until after she found out he was OK.

Update: Boy-on-a-bike tells me his kid is so tough, he wrote off a car (and nearly himself, so I really don't think it counts, Boy-o!!). The kid who smashed into me from a side street only had a bit of bark off... no major cuts, no busted bones. He was only a wiry little bloke, too.

Update 2: All approved, repairs just under $3k. It should be fixed next week.