Yosemite Mirror Slap

[shadetreemech]

"It's not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters". Epictetus 125 AD

How many times have I said that as a reminder to myself?

So, Cindy was headed East out of state to a sibling reunion, I figured this was a good opportunity to head out solo to Yosemite to carry out one of my Mother's last wishes.

Made reservations for two nights, the only spot available, at Wawona Campground. Checked in at about 4:50 pm, surprised to see uniformed personnel at the entrance to the campground. They checked my reservation and pass and I went to see the campsite. No way I'm gonna be sleeping in the Van on that incline. I'll figure somethin' out. Took off for the Park to get some pics of the sunset.

It's about 20 miles from Wawona to Yosemite Village. 5 miles into the trip I hear a LOUD smack. A shuttle van has strayed onto my side of the line headed the opposite direction and hit my Driver's side mirror launching the mirror glass vertically, on edge, at my face. My window's down cause I'm a fresh air fan. The mirror hits me next to my left eye vertically, horizontally below my cheek, vertically on my chin and, somehow, behind my left ear. I cross the road to a place to pull over.

If you've ever had any kind of head wound, the word that comes to mind is "copious". I get out of the Van, grab a roll of paper towels and some HandiWipes and attempt to staunch the flow. I do a quick assessment. I'm gonna need stitches, there's a Clinic in The Village, I'm still 15 miles away and nobody's coming to get me. I spent about 10 minutes on the side of the road. The guy driving the shuttle didn't come back.

A couple miles down the road I run into a construction road stop. I'm about 20 cars back from the flagman. 25 minute wait, I clean up some more. I follow the signs to the Clinic. It's closed but there's a sign that says there's a phone around back to call 911. As I cross the parking lot a nurse shows up to start her shift. She asks, "Can I help you?" I pull the paper towel off my face and she says, "Follow me".

There's a doctor on duty. She says the lacerations are manageable but she's concerned about the eye. She calls an ambulance. I've got a two hour ride ahead of me back to Fresno.

The nurse asked me to describe what happened. When I did she says, " Mirror Slap. Happens all the time. Usually nobody gets hurt".

Turns out, Yosemite has its own ambulance staffed by NPS employees. Marissa, the EMS sitting in back with me, also works Permits for climbing Half Dome. She says a couple nights ago she counted 50 lights on the cliff face from climbers without permits.

Yosemite's ambulance doesn't take you all the way to Fresno. We get to a turnaround just outside the Park and hand me off to an ambulance service that takes me the rest of the way. Long story shorter, ER, CT scan, 10 stitches, 5 of them going down from next to my left eye, and I get discharged. I make a reservation at the nearest hotel, the nurse gives me a pair of clean jeans and calls me an Uber. With the exception of my phone (no charger) and my wallet, all my stuff's in the Van.

After a few false starts I settle on a car and driver to get me back to the Van a hundred miles away. It's expensive but I'm treating myself and don't have to wait or spend 5 hours on a bus.

The car drops me off at the clinic. I go in to leave a message for the nurse and doctor from the night before. The doctor's there. I thank her, give her the details and show her my stitchery. It's been about 16 hours since I got hit, I'm back in the Van. I need a rear view mirror. The shattered mirror that hit me is still in one piece on the floor where it landed. I've got black duct tape.

I make a stop to fulfill my duty to my mother. I made another stop before the tunnel to snap a pic looking back. 6 Hours later, or so, I'm home and all set for Halloween.

I'll carry souvenirs of Yosemite with me the rest of my life.

Happy Trails. Be Safe.

Dan
_________________
'84 GL 1.9
'01 Volvo V70 T5
'88 Westy - "MZDRTHY"

[jimf909]

Ugh, Sorry to hear about your accident but it sounds like you reacted to it pretty darn well. Nice writing too. Thanks!
_________________
- Jim

[harvgwen]

Oh wow! Thank God it wasn’t worse. I’m glad it all ended well (other than the scars).
_________________
1986 Westfalia Vanagon, 2.2 Subaru
Okanagan Valley, British Columbia

[dobryan]

Scars are way better than tattoos.

Glad you are OK and were able to fulfill your mother's wishes.
_________________
Dave O
'87 Westy w/ 2010 Subaru EJ25 (Vanaru) and Peloquin TBD

"To travel hopefully is a better thing than to arrive." Robert Louis Stevenson

MD>Canada>AK>WA>OR>CA>AZ>UT>WY>SD
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The Western Syncro build
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[GoEverywhere]

Dang, thats WILD. Glad you didn't hit your eye! Not the way you wanna spend a trip, but looks like it was good all in all!

[Xevin]

Oh man. That’s F’ing scary stuff. Glad you are ok. At the risk of making this about me. You were very close to where I lost my eye on a tree branch in the forest as a kid 1973. Weird to read your close call. Be well.
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Keep on Busin'

[Alaskaberrys]

Wow, crazy that mirror slap is a thing. Sorry you got wounded, but glad you came out of it with an eye, some stitches and a story worth repeating and not something worse.

Really heartening to read how you’ve portrayed your situation and those that helped. Tho better if it had not happened, thanks for the write up.

Heal up!
_________________
'91 Westfalia, Bordeaux Red Pearl 2.1L 2wd Auto
'91 T3 Syncro Doka, Escorial Green 1.9L TD AAZ “Gremian” (to provoke, irritate, exasperate, vex...)

[THE KESZTHELY KID]

I had a similar experience last year. No broken glass but a slapped back mirror.
My blessing being driving a LHD Vanagon in a RHD nation gave me courage.
The irony was the driver coming the other way was a FIAT campervan driver
_________________
Current owner of 1980 T25 Westphalia Joker.
1973 Karmann Ghia Coupe - Semi-automatic!!
1983 Trabant 601S Sedan

Daily Driver - 2024 Dacia Duster Journey - Automatic

[campism]

Great recovery! Many years ago I had a mirror slap while driving my old panel truck across Richmond's ancient (1925) Nickel Bridge. Hope your glass is as easily repaired as mine was, and heal fast.

Slappers unite!
_________________
'87 Westy in Wolfram Grey Metallic, tragically crushed by a falling hickory tree in my own driveway and now gone, leaving me Vanagonless and with no plans to replace it, alas.

[MarkWard]

Was driving to our next park in MO. Just outside of all places Westphalia MO, a pickup with a trailer full of storm debris had a tree branch hanging into my lane. I saw it too late. I swerved and my LT mirror from Germany took the hit. Mirror glass was destroyed.

I was pissed, but decided not to go after the guy. It was actually lucky, as you can tell from above a lot worse could have happened to me or the van. That night I rotated the mirrors side to side so we could continue on.

When we got home, Samba members pointed me to a tractor mirror that should have been a direct replacement. Fortunately I purchased two. They weren’t identical. The original is packed as a spare for the next time or cheap insurance.

Glad you are all right. At my age, I can’t count the scars any more.

[vanagonjr]

This reminds me when I was riding my bicycle across country and going over a narrow all metal bridge with lots of semi (tractor trailer) traffic.
There was broken shards of mirror all over the bridge! How I never got a flat riding across America is pretty amazing, but more so just going over this bridge.
I feel I need to add a spare manual mirror to my on-board parts now, due to the posts above and flashback that just occurred.
_________________
John - 86 Wolfsburg Westfalia "Weekender"
Flint reversed 1.8T W/Passat 5-Speed

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[mtnhome]

Agree with all the others that it's great your injuries weren't worse.
That scar will probably remind you of your mom every time you look in the mirror.
In fulfilling your mom's wish, I'm sure you realized one of hers. You had a serious situation and dealt with it on your own and kept your word to your mom despite the setbacks. She raised a great son. Well done!
_________________
'84 Westy, '93 Subaru ej22 and Subarugears 5speed
Build thread: https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=763098&highlight=

[Crooked Designer]

That suuuuuucks. Sorry about your bad luck. Hey, you'll never forget that trip.

I had a mirror slap with a Chicago CTA bus. I did not win.
_________________
'85 Westy full camper, Subaru 2.5L, 5 speed SubiGears + 5speedbus shifter kit

[zerotofifty]

You should file a police report if the bus that hit you is at fault. Describe when and where thjs happened, the shuttle bus may well have damage to prove your claim, and often busses to have forwarded cameras recording which may show that it not you crossed over the centerline. You if the not at fault party are owed damages to you and vehicle. Now it it was you that went over the line, then you cant collect.
Someone or both were over the center line if it was the shuttle bus, you may end up pocketing a good sum for the injury. rule of thumb is 3 times medical and lost wages for an injury that fully recovers, more for i juries that are long lasting, like eyesight harm, or facial scars. This could be in the tens of thousands of dollars for you given the medical costs, including the ambulance, assuming a full no scar recovering.
But you need proof, witness statements, damage, scuff marks on the Shuttle Bus, and camera or witness that the Shuttle Bus crossed the center line
Id pursue it NOW, as evidence can disappear, camera video erased, witnesses gone if you delay.

Good Luck, Zerotofifty, esq.

_________________
Sorry About That Chief.

Give Peace a Chance.

Words to live by.

[zerotofifty]

My brother working a tow truck had his shoulder smacked by a mirror at freeway speed while he stood near the shoulder while working on a disabled car.
_________________
Sorry About That Chief.

Give Peace a Chance.

Words to live by.

[vanis13]

The above is defiantly possibly and a valid way to proceed in the way we structured our society and there is nothing wrong with that.

Probably 25 years ago now (and it happened like a decade before that) , I heard a story of my former's (she was a lawyer) brother in-law about when a semi pulled out in front of him and his car went under the trailer taking off the top part of the car. Surprisingly he had only minor injuries. Me being programed in our society, asked about the damages claim,. He said since his insurance covered things he chose not to pursue anything as just being to continue on with life as before the event was benefit enough. I didn't get it then and I only get it a little now, but I still get it on some level. IDK what I'd choose if something like that happened to me. The brother-in-law was one of the calmest and self-assured, and giving (without allowing to be stepped on) people I have ever met.

That being said, getting the info and evidence now while its available is important. Once you have it, then you can decide what if anything to do with it....If you don't what ever info you can get now, your future options will be limited.
_________________
83.5 Westy with Subaru 2.5, 4 spd manual, center seat, COLD A/C on 134a!, Winter camp heated with an Espar B4 gasoline furnace

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[E1]

User-Deleted, does not apply in this thread.
_________________
If ever twice as rich, we’re gettin’ a double-wide
’84 “Westfailure”/2.1 Digijet/5.43 Ring & Pinion/Peloquin/D-rated BFG KO2s

AI has spoken to further illiteracy, to steal, to cheat, and to replace humans

[shadetreemech]

This is the extent of the damages to the Van:

There's a minor scuff to the plastic on the front of the mirror. That'll buff right out.

Ordered a Van Cafe replacement glass yesterday. $70. No sheet metal or other damage

As far as the litigious possibilities, the likelihood of that is slim to none considering the lack of evidence. I've got Medicare & supplemental insurance coverage for my injuries.

Other companies beside the NPS run shuttles into Yosemite. As stated, attorneys are waiting to disparage my testimony. My gut feeling is "nah".

There's a cyclical aspect to legal considerations just like the initial physical damage to me. It begins with, "It's not what occurs...".

Happy Trails. Be Safe.

Dan
_________________
'84 GL 1.9
'01 Volvo V70 T5
'88 Westy - "MZDRTHY"

[E1]

Okay, thought you knew of the shuttle company.

Yeah, not worth it. Just throwing it out there if you thought it was, so deleted.

Best.
_________________
If ever twice as rich, we’re gettin’ a double-wide
’84 “Westfailure”/2.1 Digijet/5.43 Ring & Pinion/Peloquin/D-rated BFG KO2s

AI has spoken to further illiteracy, to steal, to cheat, and to replace humans

[shadetreemech]

Hey, Eric,

Thanks for your input and insight based on your personal experience. Even if it's outside somethin' I can use, it might be exactly what someone else needs to see.

I always appreciate what you have to say.

Dan
_________________
'84 GL 1.9
'01 Volvo V70 T5
'88 Westy - "MZDRTHY"