Just towards the end of July, and too late for the August 2003 web page update, I got an email from Steve. I edited out the family news but, as to the remainder, this is one of those cases where it is better told in his own words.
Hi Jeff,
Things are about the same down here. Just working and living day to day, as usual.
Oh, I did get hit be a semi-truck last Monday in my Miata (pics attached). I had just left my friend's beach house in Ventura about half an hour earlier after a nice little four-day vacation. Cruising with the top down on Highway 126 back towards L.A. in what was good ol' Fillmore. I had just passed this 18-wheeler who decided to move into the left of two lanes (he said "To go around some lady that kept hitting her brakes for no reason"), so I was actually slowly passing him on the right as we were both slowing for an upcoming traffic light. I had just gone by him when all of a sudden, KABAMMMM, I was going sideways wondering what in the hell was happening? His front bumper had just hit my rear quarter panel right behind my door. I corrected into the start of a spin and bounced back into his giant front wheel's lug nuts. They ripped into my quarter panel and my left rear Panasport wheel and my tire. I then bounced away from him as he now was realizing that he was attacking a little white car. We both pulled over and I tried to maintain some sort of composure. Luckily he didn't crush and kill me so I was feeling good about that but I was really not happy about being run over. He immediately apologized. I was probably a mean shade of red and was bigger than him so I just shook it off. What can you do? Accidents happen. I called the police, made a report, the cop was cool, the trucker admitted all fault and we shook hands all friendly like at the end. I think he was actually shook up more than I was as this was his first accident in 15 years and he never even saw me. It really scared him that he could have easily killed me.
I called my buddies back in Ventura and they grabbed some hand tools and headed on out to the scene of the crime. We pulled the fender away from the wheel and I drove the White Wonder home. Not too shabby for just being crunched by a semi, if I do say so myself. It's in the shop now, getting $1,650 worth of bodywork, a four wheel alignment, a new Panasport wheel and a new tire. He had some white paint on the edge of his bumper and my car destroyed all of his chrome lug nut covers (I kept two for remembrance, lol). Hope to have it back by this Thursday. Mom is in Ireland right now for a few weeks so I am driving her car, no biggie, at least that timing was right. Just one of those little things in life that make you go, hmmmmm.
Steve
