Our move to Princeton on Saturday the 28th went perfectly. The movers showed up on time, were extremely effcient, friendly and most important moved all of our belongings 80 miles on time and with no damages.
On Sunday the 29th we went back to NYC to bring Sherry to work. RJ and I traveled from there to Hastings to retrieve some last belongings which wouldn't fit the day before. We picked up Sherry at 3:15 and headed back to Princeton taking the "scenic route" through Duke Gardens and some farm country in Belle Meade and Blawenensburg.
As we passed the Princeton Day School we approached a motorist who was making a left turn. We slowed and came to a stop waiting for the opposite lane traffic to pass and allow the guy ahead to turn. I took a glance in my rear view mirror and saw a car coming fast, not stopping. I braced myself and then CRASH it was over in 3 seconds.
I was hit hard in the rear and the impact propelled me into the cars in front of me....Sherry was screaming and we both jumped out and ran around back to get RJ who was strapped into his car seat. RJ was screaming and crying. I looked about and realized that there were about 5 cars invloved in the accident.
I grabbed Sherry and RJ in my arms and took them to the side of the road. I saw that several Princeton Police cars were arriving. Quickly a Princeton police officer came to us and asked if we were ok. It was then that I realized that Sherry's forehead had a huge gash and a bump...RJ was still screaming, crying and Sherry was trying to comfort him. An ambulance arrived and they took us to the hospital.
After waiting for over an hour we were looked at and released with contusions, bumps, bruises, aches and pains. The Police Officer who I saw at the scene came and asked if I had any questions. I said that I wanted to make certain that he understood what had happened. He said, "don't worry, the guy who hit you from behind admitted he wasn't paying attention, we served him with a summons for careless driving."
They towed my car away. An adjuster from the insurance company came and looked at it and declared it a total loss. The ironic thing is that I was supposed to turn that car in 4 days later for my new car. Because I had to be in the city for 3 days of important meetings, I couldn't get to my car to retrieve my belongings until it was in the salvage yard.
I went to the salvage yard and they brought my car to me on a fork truck. I spent a long time looking through my beloved passat who was now un-repairably crippled. I had become very attached to that car and I was so sad to see it in that state. I bid my '03 Passat one final goodbye and I moved on.
Sherry, RJ and I still all have aches and pains. We are so thankful that we are (seemingly) ok and we walked away from that accident. Now we need to deal with Doctors, insurance claims, auto financiers and Lawyers.
I will never forget what the cop said to me in the Hospital..."Welcome to Princeton."