How fast were you going that you totaled your car on Brattle Street, which has a speed limit of 25 mph?

Yep, it has a speed limit of 25 mph :( I was on an adjacent street with the same citywide limit and I don’t estimate I was going faster than 30-35 mph (edit: but don’t have a way to know for sure)

You could have killed someone. Here's my advice: declare the car a total loss, or learn the fucking rules of the road. If a turkey distracts you, what are you doing with your phone while driving?

Appreciate the feedback, and yes, someone could have been very badly hurt by me following so close. A terrifying and humbling teaching moment for sure 😔

My whole body hurts this evening and I can’t imagine what it’s like for the poor people in front of me.

(Turkeys in the road made the 2 cars around the bend stop abruptly. And I crashed into the car in front of me. A huge mistake looking at the phone map. Someone could’ve gotten so much more badly hurt.)

I totaled my prius going 15 mph on the pike. It's not always about speed.

Byw, if you rear end someone you are automatically considered at fault.

Make sense, I appreciate it 🙏

I'm thankful that no one appears to be hurt. So;

1. call your insurance co immediately. Like right now. They will advise you on what to do. Expect them to send out an adjuster to look at the car, so have the name of the tow yard handy. Depending on your policy, you may have coverage for a rental vehicle.

2. get a copy of the police report. When I was in an accident in Cambridge, they (the police) actually charged me a copy fee. I was told that the police show up at accidents as a curtesy.

3. expect to be found at-fault.

4. if there are other older damages to the car, don't try to fold them into this claim. I'm not a lawyer, but that smell like fraud to me. If the car ends up in the body shop, they can usually do minor repairs along with the major work.

5. you'll feel better tomorrow.

You’re too kind! This is so helpful, thank you so much!

First off OP, glad you’re okay and that everyone else is okay.

Second - No one was hurt, your insurance should be able to deal with it. As the other folks said - make sure to get the police case number and expect calls from your insurance company. You are not obligated to talk to the other persons insurance company. It’s highly recommended that you don’t, that case is settle between the insurance companies.

I understand that this is an extremely stressful time and you feel sorry for your actions. However in the future, please be extremely careful about what you say after an accident because it will be used against you by the other persons insurance company.

if you are leasing a car, you probably have comprehensive insurance. it would cover repairs if its not totaled. you pay your deductible.

leased cars usually get work done at the dealership, and they would often give you a dealership loaner car. insurance may make you use a rental company if its a long repair time.

Oh that is so helpful (and a relief). I couldn’t figure in my head where the difference lies between what insurance helps with; what the dealership does; and what I’m on the hook for.

Grateful for your insight.

You can damage a car in such a way that it becomes a total loss at any speed.

If your car is totaled, any dents and dings don't matter.

> someone else left a windshield note with their phone # last month saying "sorry about your car" but I couldn't tell at all what they did to it

Maybe they didn't do anything and were just sorry about what kind of car you drive?

I know. I was expecting some cleverly devastating insult, like, “you parked like a twatbucket, you sod” but no. Instead, I kept circling the car, looking at old scratches and wondering, “what did you do? what did you do?”

It’s a relatively new, budget commuting car from 2021 that I’ve worked to keep nice inside and out, that just has (had 😔) dings on the back and on some hubcaps.

Thank you for the kind feedback (and advice). I am beyond ashamed of myself and taking some time to reflect on how to live more carefully onwards. I don’t want to be a menace on the roads.

I should get back to my bicycle commute (I slipped on black ice, or flew off getting hit by cars a couple times while biking, but at least I didn’t have the potential to badly hurt someone, and my conscience was free).

I don’t drive in MA, but is it a state where saying “sorry” or “apologizing” assumes your fault in a Car accident?

It’s more than likely, but not 100% automatic, I know from experience, but in this case yes.

1. Don’t admit to looking at google maps, driving above the speed limit etc, never admit or say anything just exchange info.

2. Never heard of a fire dept having anything to do with a car assessment. Your insurance will compare cost of repair vs. value of car and determine if it’s “totaled”

3. Probably delete this post where you admit to being a distracted driver that was speeding and is likely at fault for damage to both cars in front if you hit car 2 sending it into car 1.

you'll get through it, glad no one was hurt. fun fact, it's a rafter of turkeys!

not piling on OP because I've made the same mistake, it's a speed LIMIT, and it's up to the driver to reduce speed in suboptimal conditions. You can be ticketed for driving too fast for conditions even going the speed limit.

My thoughts too. My car slid earlier that day on another street wet with fresh snow.

Now that think about it, even with ample distance, that could still allow for the opportunity of another car turning to squeeze between me and the car in front of me, diminishing the distance.

I don’t know what the right strategy is for the future 😞 (if I ever drive again). My entire back and neck hurts and I am so mortified I hit someone (who’s probably hurting more).