The following week(end of January start of February) I alternated between the Tundra and All-Trac for commuting. She was running great, no more problems and I was enjoying the fruits of all my labors, getting Fury back on the road! The first full week of February was now at hand. Busy with homeowner chores on my short weekend( worked for employer on Saturday) there was no time for pleasure driving. So when the next work week started, I drove Fury to work each day. Wednesday (February 7)was an especially pleasant afternoon, so after work I took a longer way toward home with windows down and sunroof tipped up. I decided to meet my girlfriend in town at the grocery store, so we could shop together for the coming weekend trip to celebrate my birthday at a cabin on a 12 acre ranch Near Comfort Texas. I had washed fury the previous day while in Austin for work, she was looking good and was was very proud to be driving such a sweet ride! The next morning February 8th, I again started her up for the drive into work. I took the previously mentioned longer and curvy way to my job, as I often do, to avoid the interstate. Did some spirited driving and passing through the remote part between towns. Then as I was coming out of the “country” into the “ suburbs” I was approaching an intersection when I take a left turn to go past local schools. Coming out of a construction zone where I had to slow down due to uneven and un striped shifting lanes, I could see the light ahead was green for me so all looked good. There is a new convenience fuel station on the right and an older one on the left side of the intersection as I approached the light. Suddenly, I noticed the headlights of a pickup truck that should’ve been waiting for me me to pass in front of him on my right side. He was turning left from the new fuel store drive way to head onto the road I was driving on back toward the direction I came from. This guy did not see me coming for some reason, despite my headlights and fog lights(pre dawn). I thought surely he will see me and stop, I was too close to be able to stop myself in time, so I took evasive action and swerved left into the oncoming lane. There were no vehicles there at that moment since my left turn light was green, as previously mentioned. But tjis guy did not stop nor slow down he was accelerating quickly! Despite my quick reaction to avoid the fool, I could not clear him in time! He struck my front fender and wheel hard with the most force apparently at about the passenger door hinge area. I steered off into the shoulder to my left as I stopped the car. I got out and looked back to see the pickup rolling backward into the driveway where it had come from. I tipped my head up to the dark sky and screamed out an F-bomb at the top of my lungs. Then looked back to make sure the offending driver was not trying to make a getaway(common occurrence these days in my part of the world). He was not, and I noticed a man trying to talk to me from the other side of the street. I was unable to hear him since the light had now changed and I was in the left shoulder or wrong side of the road, as other morning commuters sped by in both directions. After a moment, the traffic cleared enough for me to cross on foot and get to him. He told me to save his name and phone number on my phone. He had witnessed the entire thing as he was at a diesel pump filling up his dump truck, and took immediate aftermath photos. I quickly thanked him, saved the info and asked him to keep an eye on the truck so I could get my car off the road before another accident occurred. He told me to put my flashers on so people would be alert. Fury was still running, so I jumped in and put her in gear and pulled forward when the way was clear and into the older fuel store driveway on my left. It was the fastest way to get Fury safely off the busy road and shut her off, since I was now smelling overheated electrical wiring or components. Found a parking spot, took some photos of the damages and got back across the street to contact the other driver. My friendly witness met me and we spoke some more, he assured me that he had got the license plate and other important details. The rest need not be related play by play. Short version is. He didn’t speak english well. We used his phone to translate. No driver’s license, pass port ID but did have insurance through a small semi-local agency. We both called for other people to come help translate. I contacted my boss, who lived three blocks away, he showed up quickly. I called for police to come for a report. No injuries either party. His airbag deployed and damage to the front bumper and grill of the F150. The entire passenger side of Fury from the front fender to just in front the rear wheel was smashed in. Windshield, passenger window front right rim and tire destroyed. When I restarted her to get positioned for the flatbed towtruck, I started to see smoke coming up from under the passenger side dash. Shut her down and disconnected the battery. See the damage for yourselves.
