A Scary Night in Northern Idaho...

IdahoJeeper · #1 05-09-2005, 01:54 AM

Hi everyone. Just a quick post to show you exactly why I'll be buying another Cherokee. Here's a pic of my XJ about two months ago...

Last night, my 17 year old son took it to his High School prom, and at about 1:30am this happened...

First, understand my son is fine. He came out of it with only a few cuts and scrapes. He fell asleep at the wheel, took out a highway light pole and flipped end for end three times before landing here. A credit to the XJ, the airbag deployed, the seatbelts did their job, and in spite of the tumbling, you can see that the cab around the front seats is not flat. The ISP officer told me she's seen many wrecks less severe with far worse injury. She claims the Cherokee has a good survival rate in a roll over situation...

I have to go up to Coeur d'Alene tomorrow to go through it, I'll get a couple of better pictures.

I am definitely planning another Cherokee purchase.
Thanks - IdahoJeeper - Tim

runuover · #2 05-09-2005, 12:53 PM

[glad to know hes allright

fergmonster · #3 05-09-2005, 07:01 PM

holy s h i t !!! idaho!!!!! let me know what your looking for bro, i'll see if i can help. I'm glad he is ok, but i hate seeing your rig like that. shoot me a PM, later........

IdahoJeeper · #4 05-10-2005, 01:21 AM

Thanks for the good wishes, yeah, my son's doing great. He's pretty humble today, and a little sore. Still no sign of any internal injury. We're thanking God that we've still got him.

Well guys - here she is...

I don't know how the insurance thing is going to go, I had full coverage on it. The only metal that wasn't damaged was the rims, the rear bumper and hitch, and my Idaho Boy Scout license plates. I think the Idaho State Patrol wants to buy it for one of those high school parking lot demos.

I thought I'd be more upset about this than I am, but when I compare the life of my son to a hunk of plastic, steel, and aluminum, it's really not that important is it? In fact, my wife pointed out that the only place that wasn't smuntched was the part right over the kid's head, she said the XJ was doing it's best to protect the boy...too much sentiment, sorry!

later all, I now begin my search for a 96 or newer XJ, I'm thinking white...

runuover · #5 05-10-2005, 10:31 AM

at least your replacing your cherokee and not your son im glade everything is allright with him good luck to you all

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cusz28 · #6 05-10-2005, 11:13 PM

Don't take that as luck my friend, god was with your son that night. never forget that.

cusz28 · #7 05-10-2005, 11:23 PM

go to this web site and see why.
just click the link and look for the "cube".
http://performanceutilityvehicles.co.../rollcages.htm

theFREAKnasty82 · #8 05-10-2005, 11:41 PM

Jeeps are very safe trucks. My dad has an '88 Commanche and we ran that thing into a tree and it still took us home. So, I'm a firm believer in Jeeps. I don't like SUVs a whole lot, but my next SUV will be an old Jeep, maybe even a Grand Wagoneer w/ a 360 V8, that's my favorite Jeep of all time!

IdahoJeeper · #9 05-11-2005, 01:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cusz28

Don't take that as luck my friend, god was with your son that night. never forget that.

Oh, you've got that right! I pointed out to my son that the only part of the roof not smashed was the area right over his head. I told him that the angels were holding it up for him. It's hard enough convincing a teenager that he's not invincible, now this one lived through something that might make him feel that way.

I've reminded him he's not lucky, he's blessed!

fergmonster · #10 05-11-2005, 09:43 PM

i still can't believe it!!!!!!! thats great he's safe!!!

cusz28 · #11 05-11-2005, 10:34 PM

I definatly know how that goes, I'm just 17, and a junior in HS, but I've been around the car/truck seen long enough to know that invincibility gets you killed, and to know that if you don't have someone to look out for you, you will die young. Smart people learn from their mistakes, while wise people learn from the mistakes of others.

vamc · #12 05-13-2005, 12:31 AM

IdahoJeeper, on a slight different subject. you said your son has no signs of internal bleeding. If you notic SOB shortness of breathing and caughing up blood, then there very well could be. I work as an pharmacist with emergency medical background in the er at the VAMC in Ohio. Im glad he walked away. I seen a girl 22 that rooled her jeep and she had 2 broked ankles,3 fractur ribs. she lived. your son is a lucky person.

tblack · #13 05-15-2005, 12:16 AM

said the XJ was doing it's best to protect the boy

later all, I now begin my search for a 96 or newer XJ, I'm thinking white...[/quote]

Stone White is a good color. I own a 2000 Forest Green one that is so dark it looks black at night. Yours was a beautiful XJ and it's a shame it's gone, but what a life-saver it was. I am glad to read you are replacing it with another one. I totaled my dad's new Cadillac when I was a kid not much older than yours and I was not hurt, but I held a deep guilt for years and years. I think the best thing you can do after you replace the Jeep is to let your son know you hold no hard feelings and are just glad he made it back. He will probably never want to drive your replacement, but my dad encouraged me to drive his replacement car right away. I refused because I thought I was a loser with built-in bad luck. Still to this day 23 years later I am jittery whenever I get behind the wheel of anyone else's car especially my dad's new Buick. When I called him from that pay phone on the side of the highway to tell him I totaled his baby his first reply was to ask if I was OK. When I said I was he said to not worry about the car. They made a lot of Jeep Cherokees, but God made only one son for you.

Hey, ever try putting a battery in it and seeing if she kicks over? Sorry, bad timing.

tb

IdahoJeeper · #14 05-19-2005, 01:49 AM

Hey tblack - your timing is fine! No sweat!

Good counsel on getting him behind the wheel of the new XJ. He helped build up ol' green, he'll probably help on the new one too. My wife and I have made an effort to ensure him there are no hard feelings, in fact, when I was telling MY dad about this, he asked "is your baby okay?" (referring to the Jeep) I told him, "Yup, he came out without a scratch!" (referring to my son) True, I've wanted an XJ since I was young, but you know, they built a blue million of the things. Like we say in Northern Idaho - "It's just a rig!"

On to your question, I am thinking about putting a batt on it and giving it a try, I'll have to peel some metal away first. The insurance company sold it back to me for $300, since I'm planning for another XJ, I figured it was worth it. Just in the easy bolt on mods I put in there's that much. It also had the D44 rear and so far the alloy Grizzly wheels show no signs of damage. I'll pull them off some time and take them in to see if they're bent. Two weeks later, the tires are still fully inflated. (we just got it home two days ago)

I've found a white 98 XJ sport in Boise (8 hour drive) I'm thinking about checking out...

SteveB05 · #15 05-19-2005, 03:14 AM

Won't get mutch from the body or interior...but the TC, Trans, Front and Rear ends are well beyond $300 in value and I'm sure they are fine from the looks of the pictures.

Just bought my daughter a Red '89 Loredo 4.0 Auto last weekend. She kinda has a different problem. She is 17 also and this is her 3rd vehicle. She's not the one with the built-in bad luck...that's me. Her first car became a car-b-que one day when I drove it to work (knew I sould have fixed that oil leak)...second one I was driving to emissions testing when someone turned left in front of me, totalling it. I'm the one that won't be driving her Jeep

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