Bad accident - my E60 got written off
06-07-2009, 03:08 AM
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Hi everyone. I've spent a bit of time lurking in the E60 forums but only registered for the first time today. I wanted to tell you the story of my accident - don't worry, it has a happy ending, and it just underlines how amazing these cars are.
A week and a half ago, I was driving my E60 (525d SE, Feb 08) along a country road into work here in Essex, UK, at about 7:30am. I was driving along a straight bit of the road towards a right hand corner, at about 60mph.
As I got to within about 100m of the corner, a transit van came round it towards me right in the middle of the road. I started to brake and moved over to the left as far as I could - but my last thought was a feeling of indignation - there was nothing i could do, he was going to hit me.
The transit scraped down the right hand side of my car. It peeled off the drivers door skin, smashed the drivers door window, and badly damaged the rear wheel and suspension (as you can see from the picture). At this point at least two of the three airbags on my side of the car deployed - the curtain and the door airbag, I reckon - and I lost consciousness.
It's hard to estimate the closing speed of this impact but I must have been doing about 40mph and I reckon he was too, so it was pretty high. I didnt' see what happened from here on but I can tell based on final positions of the vehicles and damage. My car got past the transit with the right rear wheel almost detached, which swung the car round onto the right hand side of the road.
At this point I collided with a Ford Focus which was following the transit. I can't tell how fast both cars were going but there was heavy damage to both (front left of my car, front left of hers). If it hadn't deployed already after the first impact, the driver's forward airbag (in the steering wheel) deployed at this point.
Throughout the accident the car's technology was saving me from injury. The sheer strength and size of an E60 combined with the airbags meant I got to this point entirely uninjured. When I came round, I could hear a voice talking to me through the hands-free, and I could see the car's hazard lights had been switched on. My car had the media pack and connected drive/emergency call, and it had already placed the emergency call, turned the hazards on, and unlocked the doors at this point. I completed the emergency call, opened the drivers door (amazingly), and stepped away from the car. My main recollection is of a slight pain from broken glass from the driver's door in my shoe. Also my glasses had been catapulted into the car's passenger footwell, so I couldn't see very well. Once I recovered them I checked to see how the other two drivers were. Both were badly shaken but appeared uninjured. So I decided to take some pictures, one of which is attached.
When the police turned up, they took one look at me, one look at my car, and said "the BMW did it's job, didn't it?". Too right it had. Everything about that car was amazing, up to the point where is performed flawlessly through what could have been a far worse accident.
A week afterwards, the insurance company confirmed the car would be a total loss. So my 525d died to save me. God, I loved that car! My first thought was, "will I be able to replace it?". It was on a business lease which basically came to an end with the death of the car, so in these credit crunched times I was concerned it might be far harder to lease a replacement than it was to lease the car that had been lost.
But no worries - a happy ending. Yesterday I test drove a replacement and put a deposit on it (second picture). I'm getting it nearly new on a personal contract hire. And it's an even better car than the one I lost:
E60 530d M-Sport September 2008
Le Mans Blue/Black Dakota leather
Sport Auto transmission
Media Pack
Visibility Pack
USB interface
19" M-double spoke wheels
Auto folding/dimming mirrors
Front seat heating
Split/fold read seats
A week and a half ago, I was driving my E60 (525d SE, Feb 08) along a country road into work here in Essex, UK, at about 7:30am. I was driving along a straight bit of the road towards a right hand corner, at about 60mph.
As I got to within about 100m of the corner, a transit van came round it towards me right in the middle of the road. I started to brake and moved over to the left as far as I could - but my last thought was a feeling of indignation - there was nothing i could do, he was going to hit me.
The transit scraped down the right hand side of my car. It peeled off the drivers door skin, smashed the drivers door window, and badly damaged the rear wheel and suspension (as you can see from the picture). At this point at least two of the three airbags on my side of the car deployed - the curtain and the door airbag, I reckon - and I lost consciousness.
It's hard to estimate the closing speed of this impact but I must have been doing about 40mph and I reckon he was too, so it was pretty high. I didnt' see what happened from here on but I can tell based on final positions of the vehicles and damage. My car got past the transit with the right rear wheel almost detached, which swung the car round onto the right hand side of the road.
At this point I collided with a Ford Focus which was following the transit. I can't tell how fast both cars were going but there was heavy damage to both (front left of my car, front left of hers). If it hadn't deployed already after the first impact, the driver's forward airbag (in the steering wheel) deployed at this point.
Throughout the accident the car's technology was saving me from injury. The sheer strength and size of an E60 combined with the airbags meant I got to this point entirely uninjured. When I came round, I could hear a voice talking to me through the hands-free, and I could see the car's hazard lights had been switched on. My car had the media pack and connected drive/emergency call, and it had already placed the emergency call, turned the hazards on, and unlocked the doors at this point. I completed the emergency call, opened the drivers door (amazingly), and stepped away from the car. My main recollection is of a slight pain from broken glass from the driver's door in my shoe. Also my glasses had been catapulted into the car's passenger footwell, so I couldn't see very well. Once I recovered them I checked to see how the other two drivers were. Both were badly shaken but appeared uninjured. So I decided to take some pictures, one of which is attached.
When the police turned up, they took one look at me, one look at my car, and said "the BMW did it's job, didn't it?". Too right it had. Everything about that car was amazing, up to the point where is performed flawlessly through what could have been a far worse accident.
A week afterwards, the insurance company confirmed the car would be a total loss. So my 525d died to save me. God, I loved that car! My first thought was, "will I be able to replace it?". It was on a business lease which basically came to an end with the death of the car, so in these credit crunched times I was concerned it might be far harder to lease a replacement than it was to lease the car that had been lost.
But no worries - a happy ending. Yesterday I test drove a replacement and put a deposit on it (second picture). I'm getting it nearly new on a personal contract hire. And it's an even better car than the one I lost:
E60 530d M-Sport September 2008
Le Mans Blue/Black Dakota leather
Sport Auto transmission
Media Pack
Visibility Pack
USB interface
19" M-double spoke wheels
Auto folding/dimming mirrors
Front seat heating
Split/fold read seats
06-07-2009, 03:17 AM
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Truly amazing!
Too bad to see a E60 in that condition, but a car is "only" a car, and can be replaced. I'm glad your are OK!!
The automatic placed emergency call, and the hole procedure the car is going through in a cash, is pretty awesome compared with a Ford Focus, VW Golf from 1997
Too bad to see a E60 in that condition, but a car is "only" a car, and can be replaced. I'm glad your are OK!!
The automatic placed emergency call, and the hole procedure the car is going through in a cash, is pretty awesome compared with a Ford Focus, VW Golf from 1997
06-07-2009, 03:31 AM
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Wow man. Glad to hear you're ok. If you total a car, can you still run off with the parts? I dunno, those wheels may sell on eBay and you may be able to keep the Roundels or something. I probably would. 
06-07-2009, 03:40 AM
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My Ride: Bmw 530d 2004
Wow that's amazing!
Glad to hear about the happy ending and welcome to the forums mate!
I wish you and your new car don't have to experience the same again!
Glad to hear about the happy ending and welcome to the forums mate!
I wish you and your new car don't have to experience the same again!
06-07-2009, 03:41 AM
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My Ride: 2008 535i Monaco blue/cream beige, light poplar trim, sport, nav, premium, Logic 7, 6 speed manual
My other rides:
Departed: 2006 530xi Silver gray/black, anthracite maple trim, cold, sport, nav, premium, Logic 7, 6 speed steptronic, bluetooth, adaptive xenons
Departed...2002 525i White/beige, 5 sp manual
You sure know how to make an entrance! 
Interesting story. I didn't realize our cars would do all that. Most important, glad you came out ok. Gives you a lot of confidence in the next one.
Welcome to the forum!
Interesting story. I didn't realize our cars would do all that. Most important, glad you came out ok. Gives you a lot of confidence in the next one.Welcome to the forum!
06-07-2009, 04:04 AM
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My Ride: 55 525D Sport
Full Black Leather
Visibility Pack
Media Pack
wow, i got media pack also
had no idea it called 911 for you (i always have phone connected to bluetooth) and it turns hazards on
very cleaver
glad ur ok
had no idea it called 911 for you (i always have phone connected to bluetooth) and it turns hazards on
very cleaver
glad ur ok
06-07-2009, 04:40 AM
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My mobile was in the car when the accident happens, but the emergency call is made using a SIM built into the car - so it doesn't rely on you having your phone with you.
The antenna for the car's SIM, for the bluetooth phone (if you're using a snap in mount) and for the satnav are all in the "shark fin" antenna at the rear of the roof.
The antenna for the car's SIM, for the bluetooth phone (if you're using a snap in mount) and for the satnav are all in the "shark fin" antenna at the rear of the roof.
06-07-2009, 04:47 AM
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That's an amazing story. This is one of the reasons why I'm buying a BMW. Glad to hear that you are ok. The guy in the transit van must be a complete moron. I see many of these type of drivers who rip through corners in the middle of both lanes on my drive to work. It's only a matter of time before an accident like this occurs near where I work.
Really winds me up as it is a major annoyance for me....*rant over*
Glad you stuck with the E60. The new car is looking good.
Really winds me up as it is a major annoyance for me....*rant over*
Glad you stuck with the E60. The new car is looking good.