Life is short. I've had a TON of fun with this car, and frankly I was hoping to have quite a bit more fun with it on the current setup, but I guess its time to say goodbye.
Sorry to Mark (TKRPerformance) for having to go for 'the ride' with me and eat glass. Glad you're ok, and thanks for having the presence of mind to help get the car shiny side up and get it rolling. I adopted you as my 'little bro' a few years back, and now we're blood brothers. I remember about a five second conversation when the car settled, 'ok? ok. you? I'm ok. Here, throw the glass out!' and then heaving as hard as I could to lift you up/out while strapped into my trusty recaros, hanging in a position I never imagined I'd find myself.
Thank you to everyone that helped get me/mark out, get the spare on the front, empty the trunk, and just generally hold me up when I really could have fallen apart pretty easily. You guys are awesome friends and I truly appreciate having you guys there for me. A lot of us have turned wrenches together and it was like a pit crew working fluidly together in a pretty intense situation.
Thank you to the sheriff that fined me $215 for apparently sliding 'over 300 feet' and 'launching into the trees at over 65mph' ....except only one window broke, the car settled approximately 15' from the road, and the airbags did not deploy (see pics).
Commentary with some pics, full story at the bottom.
See where Jarrod is crouched down? That is where I fully lost traction.
When I first pulled myself out, this was the view. I had to take a pic, look at all my friends, right there to help me when I need it most!
As I crawled out, about 8 people braced the car, then just after I jumped down, we pushed it back onto 4 wheels:
We all took a breath and tried to figure out how the eff it happened:
Damage inspection. I look around and just in awe that this much damage happened from going off the road at such a slow speed. The perfect storm I guess. No fluids leaking at all.
Few feed of skid marks, then the tires dug in, side of the car ate barbed wire fence, and tipped onto the passenger side, then roof, then gently up onto the driver's side.
All of my friends helped get the spare tire on, I jump in, and the car fires right up. I backed up a few feet, then drove it out of the ditch, onto the road, and consider just driving off! Amazed how well its still running.
Now, the story. There isn't much to tell, but here goes. The morning starts by me preaching to high heaven about how sandy the pavement is during this one 5-10 mile section of road, clearly marked on the cruise packets. The packets were put together from notes we took as I drove on these same roads, same route six days prior.
I was leading the pack, making sure to signal people to keep plenty of space in between cars. Sand is getting worse and worse as we go down the hill, so I find myself looking back for the first 2-3 cars following me to make sure everyone is safe, not signaling for problems, etc. We pass a section that I know people have gotten into minor trouble in the past, and I hold my gaze in my rearview mirror for an extra moment (it is straight). I'm holding steady speed of ~40-45mph, very low rpm in 4th gear. Very tight, blind left corner coming up fast as I focus forward, and I remember this corner is particularly sandy. I load up the brakes, then realize I'm in trouble, so I get heavy on the brakes. No ABS, or very light correction, its a little sandy already but I've got plenty of grip. So I'm pulling speed down fast.
Side note, my car stops awesome. I have 110% confidence in it, brake fluid was flushed/bled last year, fresh rotors, and ferodo pads. The thing stops so hard the sunroof sunscreen can slam shut from heavy breaking from freeway speeds. Last weekend on the bomber run and all week leading up to this event they felt awesome.
So, we're braking hard, I'm turning the car to the left for the corner, I'm down to about 15-20mph, and I start to pull the car harder to the inside, where there is less sand. Outside lane looks like a nice beach on the ocean. Before I know it, entire road is filled with sand, and grip is 100% gone. I am a passenger at this point, might as well be in a lancer ES with wide tires. We're sideways and skidding at about a 45° angle going into the ditch. Not so bad, I think. we hit the dirt, slide into a barbed-wire fence, and on a slight downhill slope. Car rolls onto passenger side fairly gently then before I know it I'm falling towards mark then my head bumps the ceiling. Car rocks onto driver's side and mark and I are already having conversation I mentioned above.
I'm still 110% shocked that this happened. A bit too much speed and poor timing, purely my fault. A few more feet of semi-sandy pavement vs full beach-sand covered pavement and I don't think this would have happened at all.
Full skid length, maybe about 30' long on the sandy road.
Sunroof glass, fully in tact.
Driver's side glass, fully in tact (both front windows were down about 2")
Airbags did not deploy.
Farmer's fence that I knocked over, officially pissed (even though I offered to personally come back and help put the fence back up)
That's it, I can add more info as I think of it, but it was just really really extra sandy in this one spot that I happened to brake a bit late. No one's fault but mine, and I accept full responsibility for my actions.
AAA towed the car all the way back to my house, no extra charge. It is paid for in full. I have full coverage insurance. I'll let you know what happens, but chances are I'll have a few parts for sale soon.
I took more pics once I got home:
http://www.scheides.com/gallery/evo-crash
Last note, to my 2005 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution SSL, thanks for almost four years of everything I could ask for in a car. Projects, breakage, fixing, ecu tuning, 550bhp of turbocharged all-wheel-drive, and 60,000 miles of keeping a huge grin on my face every single day I drove it. Snow, sun, rain, this was an amazing car and I absolutely loved everything about it. Best of all, there's more like it out there, so maybe I can get another to replace it, but I'll never forget it.
Sorry this is a novel, but I don't want to forget this; I want to continue to have these cruises, and don't want anyone to not come on one because of us pushing 10/10ths. It's simply not true, this was an accident, the rest of the trip was an absolute riot.
***EDIT***
Thanks for the well-wishes everyone!
I forgot to add (I've told the story so many times now, so excuse me for adding details later) that the roll was as un-violent as it could have been. I literally have only a few cuts on me, and my head/back hurts a bit from just landing upside down for a moment.
The worst of the damage on me:
Bloody Seal Bounce Champion!
so sad to see this car go..but very glad your ok the 5 mins well anna was on the phone freaking out was horrible cause we had no idea who or what had happened untill she hung up..my heart sunk into my stomach and i was shaking...now time for something new and fresh start!!
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