16 year old son rolled his truck

[BamaRob]

My son, having had his license for 5 months, rolled his '94 Ford Ranger 4WD this evening (I guess it's technically yesterday evening at this hour). Fortunately, he was wearing his seat belt and only has bumps, bruises and scrapes. I'm sure he'll be very sore for a few days. His p/u didn't survive it as well; pretty much ruined the entire left side, caved the front of the top in, and shattered the front glass.

He was driving on a gravel/dirt road doing ~30 MPH when he hit some washboard bumps. With his (relatively) stiff off-road suspension, his rearend started dancing. When he started fishtailing, he apparently overcompensated and ended up hitting the ditch and rolling it on the driver's side all the way over on it's top.

Hopefully, he's learned some valuable lessons from the experience. I think that he has. He kept saying how he couldn't believe how quickly it happened. He's a good kid and this was certainly a reminder to us all just how blessed we are to have each other.

I'll try to get pictures of the truck to post in the morning.

God bless and be safe,

BR


Edited to add the pictures...

Thanks for all the replies. I am very thankful that he's alright, and that he wasn't driving my or my wife's vehicle. Problem is, mine's in the shop getting a cracked head replaced (I've got nearly 300,000 miles on the little 4-cyl. Chevy S10, so it was time for something to go wrong with it). So, now we're down to one vehicle, at least until my p/u gets out of the shop next week, or until we buy a replacement for my son's Ranger. I think I'll just stay home and drive the tractor. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

 

[rox]

BamaRob,
Thankfully your son was able to walk away. I am quite sure he learned a valuable lesson.

Whenever the subject comes up of young drivers, partns whose kids will soon be driving I always recomend that they get their kids a seperate car. Not to let young drivers drive the parents car. It is not that you are rewarding the kids or anything, you are merely proteting your own car.

I bet you are pretty glad that your son wasn't driving your or your wife's car arent'you. Accidents are traumatic, for the kids and their parents and especially in your case a roll over, at least the loss fo the vehicle is not going to affect you or your wifes ability to get around.

Wishing you the best s you get over this traumatizing incident.

 

[IslandTractor]

Gotta love those seat belts.

 

[SailorBob]

Glad he is ok. When my daughter started driving I bought her an old 79 T-Bird because I wanted plenty of steel around her. I knew she was a bad driver. I was right within 6 months she ran into a dump truck and totaled the car but, she was OK. I would never let her drive my car. Good thing. That old car probably saved her life. 10 years later she now agrees with me.

 

[ctc1111]

When I was 13 I was on a scooter and I got hit by a car and was in the hospitpal for 5 days with a couple broken legs and a couple broken arms.

That gave me a pretty good reason never to mess around on the road cause I had a pretty bad expirence getting hauled off in an ambulance and all.

Good thing hes ok though.

 

[Dutch445]

Thank God he is going to be ok!
Those things do happen very quickly, and it
seems that sometimes the secondary roads
are prone to this type of incident. Around here
the shoulder can deteriorate, and before you know it,
the road is 2-3' narrower than it used to be.
My son had a similar accident last november, said
an oncoming car hogged the road, forcing him to the
shoulder, and the same thing happened, he ended up
coming sideways,, then across the road, and over a bank into a creek. He was smart enough to get the power window
down before he lost power in his car and sank, and he got out ok,, like yours, with scrapes and bruises. The worst
part he said was part of the car came up against an electric fence, and because he was in the water, he got a little ZAP every few seconds.
They all seem to have to experience something like this to
help them realise how fast things can happen. My son has
been very much improved driving since this happened.. I truly think it scared the b'jesus out of him. But, if they come out of it ok, and with a greater respect for driving, then maybe it isn't all that bad. Vehicles can be replaced.
good luck in the future, hope he learns a little also.

/forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

 

[rk246]

I rolled my toyota pickup when I was 16, saved up for a long time to buy it, my dad told me he would pay my insurance unless I ever had an accident or ticket. Unfortanately when I did it I had been out in the wood partying with some friends and had several people in my truck with me, the only thing that kept us from getting hurt or killed was that we had been drinking, we were very lucky. I was 16 and believed I was invincible, how wrong I was. I don't drink and drive at all since then. I learned a lesson for sure but the wrong way. Totaled my truck I had worked for so long to buy, and had to pay my own insurance afterwards, not to mention the lawsuits that came from the people in the truck with me.

Now I think all the time how to keep my son from making the same mistakes I made, sometimes I guess you just have to learn though.

I am very glad to hear your son is okay, rolling over is a very scary experience for sure....

 

[Taylortractornut]

Id fix the tail light and roof enough to put in a new wind sheild and drive her like she was till I could get another one. That truck can easily be made to run again most of the damage can be properly repaired by a body shop. I had alot of friends in school that wrecked several cars and one guy and his dad did auto body. I helped them time to tim at Votech building puller parts and such for a frame machine. I had one frind who couldnt afford a replacement bed for his step side chevy so we fixed it with a flatbed lol.

 

[keeney]

I heard some stat that new drivers have a 30% chance of getting in an accident in the first year they have their driver's license and a 50% chance total in the first two years.

 

[rdln]

I rolled my jeep cj when I was 17 doing nothing wrong (my mom was with me). going around a down hill curve to the left, back end slid around on the inch of snow and found a snowless spot. Yes it happens very fast!!! No collision insurance, a new windshield, w/s frame and soft top later I was back on the road. We had our seat belts on no injuries.

7 years later I was drunk and doing donuts in a field with my jeep pickup and rolled it on it side. It was just old enough to take collision off. My boy will be driving in 12 years, He wont touch our cars.