SALAAM, FELLOW MEMBERS;

MAY ALLAH FORBID WHAT WOULD BE AMONG THE WORST IMAGINABLE NIGHTMARES TO COME TRUE;

NOT QUITE THREE WEEKS AGO, ON HER VERY FIRST RUN OUT OF THE GARAGE I'D SPENT THE WINTER ON MY BACK UNDER HER IN, LESS THAN A QUARTER MILE, TWO TURNS FROM THE SAFETY OF HER HOME ON A STORMY RAINY NIGHT SUCH AS THIS ONE, YES..

MANY HAVE ASKED ME IF THE WOMAN WERE ON SOMETHING WHEN SHE TORE ACROSS A LAWN BEFORE AN INTERSECTION TO PASS ME ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE OF A TWO LANE ROAD ONCE SHE SAW ME MAKING A LEFT TURN;

IT ONLY THE RECURRENCE OF A DREAM THAT SAW MY HEAD LAYING UPON THE STEERING WHEEL NEAR TEARS OF FRUSTRATION (NOT FOR NOTHING DID MY GRANDFATHER LOOK AT ME LONG AGO AND NAME ME DREAMEAGLE)THAT ALLOWED MY EYE TO CATCH HER AT JUST THE LAST MOMENT BEFORE SHE HARPOONED THE ENTIRE LEFT SIDE OF MY VETTE WITH A STRIKING FORD MINIVAN;

THE IMPACT KNOCKED ME OUT OF THE TURN COMPLETELY--SHE EVEN ADMITTED TO THE COPS THAT SHE ACTUALLY SPED UP TO GET BY ME ONCE SHE SAW ME MAKING THE TURN--BEFORE CAREENING THROUGH THE INTERSECTION AND ACROSS THE NEXT TWO LAWNS BEFORE SPINNING OUT BACK ONTO THE ROAD IN FRONT OF ME SOME 150 FEET PAST THE INTERSECTION;

THEN SHE PROCEEDS TO JUMP OUT OF HER VAN AND YELL AT ME FOR GOING TOO SLOW--YES, SHE DID!

WELL, SHE WAS CITED ON THE SCENE AFTER THE COPS COULD STOP LAUGHING AT HER SIDE OF THE STORY AND I WAS LEFT TO LIMP HOME TO THE SAD TINKLE OF MACHINERY MAKING ITS DEATH RATTLE;

WOULD THAT BE ALL OF THE TALE;

NOW I'M LEFT TO DEAL WITH HER INSURANCE COMPANY BECAUSE MINE DECIDED TO LET THEM TAKE THE LEAD IN THINGS; I GAVE THEM A FEW DAYS AND THEN GOT A GOOD LAWYER WHO WILL BE GETTING HIS USUAL THIRD OF WHAT IS RIGHTFULLY MINE THAT I'LL HAVE TO RECOVER ON MY OWN, TOO;

I TOOK THE LIBERTY OF ATTACHING THE NARRATIVE I SENT THEM SO THAT YOUR READERS AND FELLOW OWNERS CAN BE DULY WARNED ABOUT THE TYPE OF COMPANY NATIONWIDE INSURANCE (THE CARRIER OF THE VETTE-KILLER) TRULY IS;

DREAMEAGLE

5/20/03
DEAR NATIONWIDE INSURANCE,

ON A RAINY NIGHT MUCH LIKE THIS ONE NOT THREE WEEKS AGO (ON OR ABOUT 5/2/03), LESS THAN A QUARTER MILE FROM THE SAFETY OF MY HOME, ONE OF YOUR INSUREDS, A MS. VALERIA SPATES, POLICY NO. 9234N511639, DECIDED I WAS GOING TO SLOW AND SO MADE TO PASS ME ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE OF THE ROAD;

TROUBLE WAS, I WAS MAKING A LEFT HAND TURN AT AN INTERSECTION AT THE TIME, SO SHE FIRST RAN UPON THE LAWN OF THE HOUSE PRIOR TO THE INTERSECTION AND THEN, IN HER OWN WORDS, SPED UP TO CUT PAST ME WHEN SHE SAW I WAS TURNING;

SHE DIDN'T MAKE IT AND NEITHER WOULD I HAD I NOT SEEN HER OUT THE CORNER OF MY EYE AT THE LAST MOMENT AND CUT THE WHEEL BACK RIGHT SHARPLY TO LESSEN THE IMPACT;

SHE CAREENED THROUGH THE INTERSECTION COMPLETELY OUT OF CONTROL ACROSS THE LAWN ACROSS THE STREET FROM THE INTERSECTION AND THEN SPUN OUT IN FRONT OF ME, AFTER KNOCKING ME COMPLETELY OUT OF THE INTERSECTION AND BACK UP THE ROAD I WAS TURNING OFF OF ABOUT 100 FEET PAST THE INTERSECTION--THAT'S HOW FAST SHE WAS GOING AT IMPACT;

THE ENTIRE LEFT SIDE OF MY 1979 CORVETTE IS RUINED, THE LEFT REAR WHELL CANTED IN AND THE LEFT FRONT SUSPENSION BENT IN SUFFICIENTLY TO MAKE THE ENGINE FAN RUB AGAINST ITS SHROUD; MY T-TOPS NOW LEAK, MY STEERING IS UNDERSTANDABLY SLUGGISH, HALF ME ELECTRICAL DEVICES ARE KNOCKED OUT OF COMMISSION ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE OF THE FIREWALL WHERE SHE GUTTED THE CAR TO THE FRONT WHEEL, SLICING THROUGH MY WINDSHIELD WASHER TANK AND PUMP AND HORN--I COULD GO ON, BUT YOU SEE THE PICTURE CLEARLY;

IT HAS BEEN ALMOST THREE WEEKS NOW AND THERE HAS BEEN ONE DELAY AFTER ANOTHER BY YOUR AGENCY;

FIRST, SOMEONE HAD TO COME SEE IT, THEN AN ESTIMATE HAD TO BE DONE, BOTH OF WHICH COULDN'T POSSIBLY TAKE A WHOLE DAY BUT IT TOOK MOST OF A WEEK FOR THIS TO BE DONE; THEN PARTS HAD TO BE PRICED, WHICH MAY TAKE ALL OF AN HOUR ON ANY LIBRARY COMPUTER CONNECTED TO THE INTERNET AND I'M SURE YOU PROVIDE YOUR AGENTS WITH FAR BETTER EQUIPMENT THAN THAT;

THEN WHEN I POINTED OUT THE ESTIMATE OF UNDER $4000 TO REPAIR THE DAMAGE WASN'T EVEN CLOSE (A PAINT JOB ALONE COSTS $1500--2000) SOMEONE HAD TO COME OUT A SECOND TIME, WHICH TOOK ANOTHER FEW DAYS AND THEN THE PROCESS ABOVE HAD TO BE REPEATED, EVEN THOUGH THE ESTIMATE TO MY KNOWLEDGE FROM WHAT YOUR AGENT TOLD ME DIDN'T CHANGE;

THEN I'M TOLD BECAUSE I BOUGHT IT OUT OF STATE, I'VE GOT TO CONVERT THE PA TITLE INTO AN OHIO TITLE BEFORE ANYTHING ELSE CAN BE DONE BECAUSE, AS I WAS TOLD OVER THE PHONE, THE AGENT WASN'T SURE I EVEN OWNED THE CAR!

NATURALLY THIS TAKES ME ANOTHER FEW DAYS BECAUSE OF ALL THE STATE HOOPS I'VE GOT TO JUMP THROUGH--OUT OF STATE INSPECTION, ETC., ETC.

WELL NOW, I'D FAXED THE TITLE FROM PENNSYLVANIA TWICE TO YOUR AGENT AS HE SOMEHOW DIDN'T GET THE FIRST FAX EVEN THOUGH I SENT IT BOTH TO THE SAME NUMBER AND HAVE BOTH CONFIRMATIONS--ANOTHER COUPLE OF DAYS; TODAY I FAXED THE OHIO TITLE TO HIM AND ALL I GET IS THAT HE'LL BE IN TOUCH WITH ME IN THE MORNING;

MEANWHILE, ENTERPRISE SHOWS UP AT THE HOUSE OF MY NEIGHBOUR LOOKING FOR ME BECAUSE I HAVEN'T RETURNED THE RENTAL CAR, WHICH I WAS TOLD WOULD BE RENEWED UNTIL MY CAR WAS REPAIRED OR SETTLED;

OH, DID I TELL YOU IT TOOK ANOTHER DAY OR SO FOR THE AGENT TO GET THE FAIR MARKET VALUE OF MY CAR?

MEANWHILE, I'M BURNING UP MY SICK TIME LIMPING BACK AND FORTH TO THERAPY ON MY BACK AND KNEE TWICE A WEEK WAITING FOR THE SAME SATISFACTION I'M SURE YOUR INSURED--IF YOU'RE STILL CARRYING HER--HAS ALREADY RECEIVED, AS IF I AM THE CRIMINAL WHEN SHE WAS CITED ON THE SCENE WHEN THE OFFICERS FINALLY GATHERED THEMSELVES LONG ENOUGH FROM LAUGHING AT HER STORY!

IS THIS HOW YOU TREAT YOUR CUSTOMERS? HEAVEN HELP ANYONE WITH NATIONWIDE ON THEIR SIDE, THEN;

I'M TAKING THE LIBERTY OF POSTING THIS ON VARIOUS CORVETTE AND CONSUMER WEBSITES AS I CAN FIND ON THE INTERNET WHICH I'M SURE WILL MAKE INTERESTING READING AND STIMULATE BUSINESS--MOST LIKELY TO THE ROCK AND THE GOOD HANDS AND BIG COFFEE CUP PEOPLE;

LOOK FOR A CONTINUING NARRATIVE OF YOUR TREATMENT OF ME ON THE FOLLOWING WEBSITES SOON:

77 CORVETTE FORUM
C3VR CORVETTE FORUM
CONSUMER PROTECTION AGENCY
CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION
STATE OF OHIO INSURANCE CONSUMER PROTECTION AGENCY
(THIS LAST MAY NOT BE THE CORRECT NAME BUT THEY DO HAVE A COMPLAINT FORM HANDY ON THE INTERNET)

KWABENA SANKOFA
3641 HARVEY RD
CLEV HTS, OH 44118
(216)235-7637

Bummer of a story . . .
Good luck with your battle for restitution.

that's terrible! I hope you are feeling better soon and you get your vette fixed or replaced.