My passion for the ultimate driving machine started when I graduated high school in 2006. My parents bought me a 1991 BMW 525i, immediately the enthusiast inside me started to grow. My best friend, Jordan, at the time drove a 1992 525i, we did absolutely nothing after our classes but drink beer, smoke cigarettes, and turn into grease monkeys, oh how we thought we were badasses. Every Wednesday night Jordan and I would go to this gathering called, “car night” at an euro auto service shop called Touring Car in the tiny town of Stallings, NC; Dan, the owner has been hosting “car night” for the past 20 years and has only missed and I quote verbatim, only a handful of Wednesday in the past 20 years. There we got to put our cars up on the lift, free of charge, and personally work on them. A few guys from the service department at Hendrick BMW came every week; thus I befriended them too. Once, I was in the loop with these guys I got hooked up all the time with whatever I needed for my car. 
After hitting a real high mileage on my car last March (2011), I decided it was time to let her go and look for something a little newer since I was saving money for it. I bought a certified-preowned 2006 BMW 325i and I fell in love. The car had a sport package, which meant it sat a little lower, had a little more of an aggressive off-set with the wheels, and tightened suspension; the car drove and handled like a dream.
On Sunday, June 15, 2011 at 6:00 AM things took a devastating turn. I was involved in one of the worst car accidents I had ever seen. I collided with another vehicle at the intersection of Fairview & Sharon, which is the large intersection near South Park Mall. I was traveling on Sharon and the other vehicle was on Fairview; our paths crossed at the dead center of that intersection. My car did a 180 into the front of the Verizon wireless parking lot and the car I hit flipped three times into the side parking lot of Harpers Restaurant.
The police officers said they hadn’t seen an accident this bad in years. The only thing I remember is getting out of my car at the scene of the accident and then waking up in a MRI. The injuries I sustained we only from the seatbelt and airbag: broken nose, broken eye sockets, busied ribs from the seat belt, a small abdominal hernia from the seat belt, and a minor internal bleed in my liver also from the seat belt, and whiplash from hell. I was only in the hospital for 36 hours. The first responders said it was a miracle everyone survived but amazing how I was able to open my door and get out of the car. I’m glad everyone in the other vehicle survived too; however, their injuries were serve life-threatening and spent close to two weeks in the hospital. 
Both of the car was scrap metal, destroyed beyond belief. I’m honestly feel that my car saved my life and spared me from far worse injuries. You never think these types of accidents can ever happen to you but they can. Shortly after the accident I decided to find a BMW I really wanted, after a few weeks I bought a 2009 M-Sport package 328i in LeMans Blue (limited production color). But no matter what car you drive, please remember to always wear your seat belt!
Krisztian Martin
Krisztian, I think you make a good point on the car saving your life. Making sure you are looking at a car that is well equipped for when accidents happen is important. Some people tend to look at the mileage, the space in the backseat, the looks, etc. without ever thinking what could happen when an accident like yours happened to them.
ReplyDeleteSure, all cars have to pass basic safety tests but when you get something like a BMW you know you are getting top-notch technology and protection. These brands have built a name for themselves because they are doing stuff right, Im glad in your case it meant minimum injuries and a quick recovery!
Krisztian, I really enjoyed your post. I too have a love for BMW's and the respect that they deserve for their performance as well as their safety. However, I own a Toyota Corolla and my dream is to own a 335is before I die. BMW's a renounded for how safe they are to drive and I am glad that you walked away from this crash and are able to still talk to us about your love for BMW's today.
ReplyDeleteAhhh, the 335is would be a dream, jet black with red interior :) I've had a few close calls and the responsiveness, handling, and braking have all helped me to avoid dangerous situations. I'm sure there are plenty of safe and fun to drive car out there but there is only one ultimate driving machine...
DeleteKrisztian
Krisztian,
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh that must have been terrifying! I have never been in a car accident that bad (knock on wood) but I can't even imagine the trauma that would create. I'm so glad you were ok and were even able to get out of the car and walk away. I like how you highlight the importance of seat belts in your post, I think that sometimes people don't understand how important they are and just assume the worst won't happen.
-Anna
I have the biggest problem of never wearing my seatbelt. I don't know when it started or why but recently I always forget to strap in when I hop into my jeep wrangler. Jeeps are safe cars but they ride higher off the ground which makes them more susceptible to flipping. First of all i'm glad that you are safe but secondly I am glad you shared this because next time that I get in my car I will think about this before buckling in. Wearing a seatbelt can be the difference between life and death in many cases and this is one of them. The photos of the wreckage look unbelievable so it's a blessing that everyone is safe.
ReplyDeleteSeatbelts do help saves lives. I never wore my seatbelt, I even take my wallet, phone, changes, everything out of my pockets, primarily because I just want to be comfortable. My old BMW would never beep or anything if I didn't have my seatbelt on, so I just never thought about it. However, when I purchased the newer one it would constantly beep for a good four minutes and it would get louder as you turned the music up, so annoying but I buckled up because it drove me crazy... and saved my life.
DeleteMy family also has a love for BMW's. Our first BMW was a 2007 carbon black convertible M3 with orange interior. It was my favorite car we have ever owned. I had just gotten my license around the time we purchased the car, but of course my dad was very careful about when he let me drive it. It was the car I learned how to drive stick shift in. My greatest fear is getting into a car wreck, which is why I feel it is important to maybe spend a little bit more on a car to make sure it will protect you in the event of an accident. Now while I don't drive the BMW daily anymore because it is at home with my parents, my Lexus RX-300 will do the job of protecting me, and I always wear my seatbelt!
ReplyDelete-Stephanie
Glad your alive and your injuries were minor. Wearing your seat belt can save your life. Being in a terrible car accident myself at 20yrs. old, makes you appreciate life more than you did before your accident. Unfortunately, I was not wearing my seat belt when another car hit head on the car I was a passenger in. My head hit the windshield at a speed of 45 mph. My face suffered severe cuts which required plastic surgery later. The police officer said to me at the hospital if you were wearing your seat belt you would have been fine. Having facial scares changed the way I look at people. I hope your blog changes the lives of others by encouraging them to wear seat belts.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you're made it too. It's scary to think about it. A good friend of mine was just recently in a car accident. He was not wearing his seat belt and ended up breaking both his femurs and his arm. You really have to be careful, life can be taken away at the blink of an eye.
DeleteYour story and love for cars is extremely interesting. I am also glad you were able to walk away from the accident relatively unharmed. Personally I never have been too knowledgable about cars but my dad owned a 1996 BMW 328is. He had it just as a personal car. I drove it a few time(with or without permission) and loved the way it handled. The funny thing about your story is my dad ended up selling it because he felt BMW's were not safe cars. I bet if I show him this he'd change his mind!
ReplyDeleteTim C.
The fact that you managed to survive that wreck is amazing, You make your brand loyalty to BMW very obvious and to be quite honest, I'm not sure I wouldn't be doing the same exact thing. But it's admirable that your love of BMW's has gotten you this far in your journey where you know the inner workings and details of your automobile.
ReplyDeleteThats crazy! I am glad to hear that you are okay after that. Seat belts are very important but for some odd reason i have been jumping in my car and just taking off without one. After this post I will definetly reconsider doing that again. I have been in my fair share of accidents one of which involved my steering to break and my seat belt was one of the main reasons I was not seriously injuried. I argee with you completely about wearing seat belts and will be sure to always wear mine in the future.
ReplyDeleteThis post caught my attention with ease. I was also in a really bad car crash in the past month. I am a car enthusiast myself so I know how hard something like this can hit you. I also agree that the importance of a seat belt is key.
ReplyDeleteMy family also has a very deep rooted love for BMW's too. After my first accident which occurred because of a drunk driver my parents's concern for my safety on the road was at an all time high and without a car of my own i was limited to driving nights and weekends in my fathers BMW. on the first drive i fell in love with BMW's instantly, its like driving a cloud that can outdrive anything and looks stylish too. once the money from the court case came through i had already knew what kind of car i was going to be driving around the town next. the thing that is most impressive is that the crash ratings of the ultimate driving machines always have a good score. i do not plan on being on another accident but knowing that i am protected and safe while driving feels good.
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