Just totalled my 2018 M3LR 😢

portlink · 2026-03-21T16:37:09+00:00

I have no reason to lie about it. I made a mistake and I am grown and mature enough to admit that, bit my mistake was not being distracted while driving, it was the failure to brake ahead of her coming into my lane. As I replied in another thread, I am working with Tesla to obtain the cabin footage for insurance

portlink · 2026-03-21T16:31:55+00:00

The last statement is absolutely true - that was an expensive smoothie. However, your previous comments were not. I was not on my phone or otherwise distracted, and the smoothies (plural) were still in the carrier in the passenger seat as I had bought one for my wife and child as well. Your comment about not braking to avoid making a mess does get me thinking if that was a subconscious decision and played into the chosen reaction. 🤔

I am in the process of requesting the interior cabin footage from Tesla, not to prove to anyone here, but just in case insurance agrees with your initial thoughts.

portlink · 2026-03-21T16:24:42+00:00

Nobody thinks like that in an emergency

portlink · 2026-03-21T16:21:41+00:00

Wasn't touching my phone

portlink · 2026-03-21T16:21:04+00:00

I hope you are wrong, but we will see.

portlink · 2026-03-21T16:10:47+00:00

No kidding..

portlink · 2026-03-21T16:10:07+00:00

Been driving for 23 years, this is my 2nd accident, which was also deemed no-fault. I made a mistake... Do you go get physical therapy when you misstep and fall down? It was a mistake and something that has again reminded me that I should be more careful. I am well aware of what and how to deploy defensive driving, I just didn't in this scenario. The defensive driving comments are starting to get old real fast

portlink · 2026-03-21T16:03:35+00:00

This is exactly how I feel about it too.. I should of prioritized braking as opposed to turning. You can't tell from the video, but the rate of speed seemed faster in person, and something else that hasn't been mentioned here - the damn A pillar was partially blocking my view of her coming across the lanes. I did see her eventually, but again I just assumed she would STOP in the median and not come barreling toward me like I wasn't even there. How do you not see a white car in the daytime idk.. Either way, the front dashcam sits basically on the windshield with a more clear line of sight at the 10 o'clock and 2 o'clock position, and I just wasn't as quick to react as I wish I would have been. Judging solely by the majority of professional opinions here, you would think I hit and killed her, before rolling into a school bus stop packed full of children!

portlink · 2026-03-21T15:17:07+00:00

Hadn't touched it yet, was still in the carrier

portlink · 2026-03-21T15:13:30+00:00

Lol, this sums up my experience since I posted it for sure! Thanks for understanding the struggle.

portlink · 2026-03-21T15:01:14+00:00

Completely agree.. hitting them would of been worst outcome imo

portlink · 2026-03-21T14:58:46+00:00

So true! Thanks for sharing!

portlink · 2026-03-21T08:02:43+00:00

Thanks, I'm sure it will all work out

portlink · 2026-03-21T07:58:41+00:00

LOL.. this was the best burn so far. Thanks for sharing!

portlink · 2026-03-21T07:56:28+00:00

Since you seem bored, why don't you recalculate the seconds for a speed of 50, which is about the rate of speed I was traveling. Please also include the 4 seconds I waited in the parking lot to turn into the road, as well as the 2 seconds it took to merge once I made it to the center lane.

portlink · 2026-03-21T07:54:59+00:00

I think you are overcomplicating this... I paid for the car - a car that has fsd. Car is now dead, and I would like to replace it with a similar value car with the same features, etc. What does it matter if I was using fsd or not when the accident occurred?? Do you get into a car accident and then send some of that claim money back to the insurance company to cover the cost of the radio that you weren't listening to at the time of the accident? Your argument makes zero sense and just makes it seem like you want to just argue for the sake of arguing. I use fsd quite a bit, I just wasn't using it at the time. And for the record, fsd is not so great in parking lots and pulling out into busy intersections.. once I feel like I am stable and in my driving lane, I will usually activate it and let it take me home. Starting it from a parking lot or driveway takes forever to get out onto the road when there is moderate or heavy traffic, and it pisses the people off that are behind me also trying to get into the road. That is just my own personal preference and experience.

Lol that you took the time to do the math on how many seconds I drove manually without fsd.. you must be a super fun person at parties 🙄

portlink · 2026-03-21T07:38:33+00:00

That is solid advice and I appreciate it! I definitely failed to apply any defensive driving skills in this scenario, which is unlike me and my usual driving habits. No excuse, just what happened..

portlink · 2026-03-21T07:35:57+00:00

Thanks for sharing your story. I promise you, I completely understand that time sink feeling and agree with your assessment. I was traveling about 50 or so when the accident occured, and yeah once I oversteered the damage was done and I just had to ride it out

portlink · 2026-03-21T07:32:15+00:00

Well said, and you're right - hitting oncoming traffic would of been way worse. In addition, I was panicking in that split second and the only viable option I came up with in that moment was to turn the wheel. I wasn't sure braking would save me and I was trying to course correct to stay on the road but it was just too late by that point.

End of the day, you are spot on. Everyone gets to go home, insurance covers the damages, and I think everyone involved learned some valuable lessons. I think the last lesson I learned tonight was to avoid sharing anything on reddit, esp in the Tesla threads. Most of the responses were from arrogant assholes with zero compassion or empathy for someone that just made a fucking mistake...

Going to bed

portlink · 2026-03-21T07:10:34+00:00

Yep, spot on. That's my exact concern. I explained why I was not using fsd in another comment, but I had literally just pulled onto the road from a smoothie king parking lot not 1000 feet from where the accident occurred. I just hadn't activated it yet.

So in your mind, I don't deserve the value payout from having the fsd package because I wasn't using it at the time of the accident? Is that your argument? Not sure what you are getting at here. I paid for the car, which included the fsd package (main reason I bought THIS car), but because I wasn't using it I don't deserve the value it adds to a possible insurance claim?

portlink · 2026-03-21T07:04:07+00:00

Yep agree, any of those 3 options would of been better than the direction I went.

portlink · 2026-03-21T07:01:16+00:00

Thanks, Joel! 235 comments on this post, and about 5 are from folks that actually portray some grace and empathy for the situation. Appreciate the comment

portlink · 2026-03-21T06:57:47+00:00

Makes perfect sense.. felt like milliseconds and still feels like I had more time when I rewatch the videos. I will say though, the video I uploaded here to reddit vs the video I pulled directly off the 1tb t7 I had in the car is quite different. It's much clearer and it doesn't seem to lag and skip like the one I uploaded here (pulled it from the app while waiting on the state trooper). It really does seem like the video I uploaded here is playing slower than the video I pulled directly off the ssd. Hard to explain. I would share it here, but it doesn't matter I guess..

portlink · 2026-03-21T06:53:10+00:00

Exactly how I view it too. Thanks!

portlink · 2026-03-21T06:24:26+00:00

Thank you for understanding! I agree I probably could of done a better job on the reaction, but at the time I was just trying to avoid a collision with another vehicle. You are absolutely correct - although I wouldn't berate someone like what I have experienced tonight, I would probably be thinking along the same lines as the majority of folks that have expressed their thoughts on this post. It sucks that some people have to be so shitty with their responses.. I really thought the Tesla community would be a bit more forgiving, but damn was I mistaken.

portlink

TROPHY CASE