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[David_T (MO)]

My wife and 5 year-old daughter went out to help our sister-in-law who was stranded on the side of a busy two-lane highway (sister-in-law's Jeep Cherokee had konked out). My wife had just passed her, saw a turn-out on the left side of the highway so stopped with turn signal on to allow on coming traffic to pass. The guy coming up behind her in a 1 ton diesel powered chevy truck was checking his rear-view mirror to see if the Cherokee need help, looked back to the road in front and locked-up his tires (he was probably doing 60 mph). Skid marks are maybe 15 - 20 foot so don't know his speed when the heavy truck plowed into the 4-Runner. He hit her offset to her driver's side (his left tires on the yellow middle line, her right side tires on the white outside lane line). Bumper heights didn't match so his bumper went into the bottom of the rear gate. Impact crumpled the lower back half of the driver-side quarter panel causing hard rubber mud-flap to rub on tire.

Removed the mud-flap to save wear on the new tire and was able to drive the 4Runner with nothing other than a little wind whistle coming from the rear, even the tail-light still worked! His insurance company is coming through with a $4,500 check to cover the damages (nice fellow the truck driver, stayed with my wife until I got there and helped remove the mud-flap). Wife was a little sore from tensing up when she saw the Chevy's grill coming at her, but daughter was smiling by the time we got her home (had to stop at McD's for some nuggets).

Bottom line. Am I ever glad we bought a Toyota!