Aircooled VW South Africa

The accident at Gilloolys was 10 years ago today. Still happy to be alive!

Pine wrote: ↑Thu Nov 02, 2017 3:17 pm The accident at Gilloolys was 10 years ago today. Still happy to be alive!

So are we...I think

Time sure flies......felt like yesterday

I would say you where more than lucky there where did you find the engine.That KG on the pole on the way to the Vaal Dam has been there for many years every time I go past it I keep asking myself what its up there for.

Still glad to have you around Adriaan

Glade you here pel, would have PINEed for you had something happened to you.

Could you save anything but the number plate.??

Herman

Terry Phillips wrote: ↑Thu Nov 02, 2017 6:31 pm I would say you where more than lucky there where did you find the engine.That KG on the pole on the way to the Vaal Dam has been there for many years every time I go past it I keep asking myself what its up there for.

Indeed, Terry - thanks. Engine was in little pieces all over the N12. Got a slight burn in my neck - was either warm oil or the exhaust but not too serious. As for the KG, see my old thread here: viewtopic.php?f=5&t=4632&p=35602&hilit=skewer#p35602

Lo and behold - actually another thread on that Ghia.. viewtopic.php?f=71&t=17995&p=176513&hil ... le#p176513

Thanx Pine now I know why its on the pole.

Oh my oath, I never saw this thread or those pics Adriaan !!!!! You really are so lucky to be here, sheeze man !!!! How did the collision happen ?
There is bugger all left of the HW1, were you wearing a seat belt - out of interest ?

Ja man, glad you are still around boss

nah...he saw the truck coming and jumped out. Most people, probably myself included, would have braced for impact instead. I'm sure he would have been a statistic, had he not jumped.

Thanks everyone. In a nutshell: the accident happened on a Friday afternoon at around 16:00 on the very busy N12 highway near Edenvale, shortly before the Gilloolys interchange. I was staying in Kensington at the time and was on my way home. There was a huge traffic jam, and the traffic was moving very slow, if not stationary. I approached the other cars, and slowed down. Was in the slow moving traffic for several minutes, when all of a sudden a fully loaded truck coming from Boksburg's direction ploughed through the cars behind me, and I was hit as well. Thinking back about it today I felt the rear of the buggy lifting up and I jumped out to the left to get out of the way (I was in the middle lane), which probably saved my life. When all the wrecks came to a standstill, people started shouting and it was absolute chaos. I was walking around on the scene for a few minutes and even took some of the above pictures with my phone. There were people trapped in the wrecks. The ambulances and paramedics were very quickly on the scene and I was immediately strapped to a spinal board and taken to the MediClinic Linksfield where my left thumb was operated on that night.

I think the most important factors (except the Grace of God) that are the reason for me being here today are:

a. I was stationary at the time of the impact, the buggy was not moving

b. I did not wear seat belts (the buggy was never fitted with seat belts)

c. The fibreglass roof of the buggy popped off at the moment of impact, and I could easily get out

d. The fact that I could get out and away from the buggy during impact, which was an instinctive action. It could be that the impact also threw me out of the buggy, but I can clearly remember kicking myself away from it, almost the same feeling as when you kick yourself away from a pool wall underwater to start a swim

Wow, I never realized that it was that close... I always thought you saw it and got out before you got hit

I think I am glad I sold my buggy after seeing that.I often wondered what would happen if you where hit by another vehicle now I have a pretty good idea.Scary stuff.Like they say they dont make them like they use to even the cars.

Terry Phillips wrote: ↑Fri Nov 03, 2017 2:57 pm I think I am glad I sold my buggy after seeing that.I often wondered what would happen if you where hit by another vehicle now I have a pretty good idea.Scary stuff.Like they say they dont make them like they use to even the cars.

Yes Terry,

Cars are like Goldie locks Bed's

A good one is not too soft or too hard...

Herman