Ford Explorer vs. my brick mailbox... its a draw

[WA 2 FST]

Punk-arse, 20yr old kid driving a stolen late model Explorer was evading police and took it into my quiet neighborhood. I hear some sirens and some squealing tires... at first I just thought it was an ambulance in a hurry. Then I hear them again, so I run to the front door (my main living area is on the opposite end of the home) and I hear more tires squealing, engines roaring and see two headlights shining towards my house. I jump back and get my wife back too, expecting the vehicle to come crashing through my front door.

Then I hear a crash and he had hit the mailbox (which is a good 70+' from my house). I crack the door open to find police having drawn a gun on the driver, so I immediately shut and locked the door (figuring there might be more people in the car, and didn't want them to have easy access for an escape into my home). After getting my 10yr old back (it all woke him up at 10:15p), I looked out the window, the police have the Explorer surrounded and the dumbass is on the ground in cuffs. At this point I really wanted to go out and kick the kid in the balls for good measure.

I guess he stole the vehicle and then tried to evade police. Fortunately, the only damage was to my mailbox. I was much more concerned with my well manicured lawn that I work hard on, and thankful that he didn't miss the box and come roaring into my home or doing donuts in my yard. Turns out the yard damage was next to zero. He it the mailbox square, and he must've been decelerating (he had overcorrected on a turn) rapidly b/c the mailbox was hollow and he didn't go anywhere after hitting it. The front end of the Explorer took some pretty good damage.

The only thing that sucks is the repair is going to be completely out of my pocket. His insurance won't cover it b/c he was in the middle of commiting a crime, and obviously the insurance of the Explorer owner isn't responsible. My homeowners carries a $1k deductible and the mailbox will probably cost me $650-750.

Stupid, dumbass, punk kid. I guess I'll get to file a civil suit in small claims court once his criminal trial is over to try and recoup something. I'm sure that will be over a year from now.

The guy I'm contracting to do the new mailbox fills them solid and runs rebar all the way up to the top. He said his motto is "one mailbox, one kill". Sounds fine to me. ;)

Here are some pics of the incident.

[BC Lightning]

glad to hear it was only the mail box Wes, that could have gotten real bad if he got inside

[WA 2 FST]

Absolutely. Thinking about how it probably all played out (looking at the skid marks, and by neighbors' accounts that they saw him hit the brakes hard right before impact with the box), I doubt he would have flown up into the house, even if he had missed the mailbox. He'd have to have gone quite aways, up a decent incline, in grass.

Basically he did a lazy u-turn from the alley back into my mailbox...no way to get a lot of speed up at that point, plus the fact he was trying to brake to avoid hitting anything (and thus getting caught once he was stopped).

But my first reaction when I saw the headlights was to get my family back. I was headed to my small armory (sp?) before I heard him crash and hit the mailbox. Then I knew he was stopped (engine revs had dropped by that point and then there was just a lot of yelling from the police).

It's amazing what goes on in your mind when you think your family is in danger. I'd hate to think what might have transpired had he slammed into my home and I'd had my Glock in my hand. I can't honestly say what I would or wouldn't have done, especially when you have to assume there is more than one person in the evading vehicle. But once I heard him stopped, I didn't complete my mission to get my pistol. My attention (at least mentally) immediately focused on my two small kids and trying to keep them from seeing something that might scare them more than the events that actually took place. That's when I just went right back to the door/window to see what was going on, and on the outside remained very calm.

The reality of it is that it was a relatively minor incident when you look at the big picture of stuff that goes on. But in a quiet suburbia neighborhood, seeing 4 squad cars and a pistol drawn 6' from another person, it was a lot of excitement (not meant necessarily in a positive way).

What was kind of dumb was all the bystanders who chose to come out while the chase was going on. I might have done the same thing had it continued (that's what I was going to the door for the first time, after all), but when guns are drawn, if I don't have one, I'm ducking for cover. Standing around out there watching it transpire with no protection is not really wise, IMHO.

[Sixpipes]

I think there is recourse regarding your mailbox. I had the same thing happen to my deck after a kid crashed a stolen pickup through my back fence. The kid was convicted and as part of his sentence, he was ordered to make restitution (it was over $1,000). We actually got the full amount at about $40/month for 2+ years. You may have to initially pay out of your pocket, but I would press charges for property damage and keep your receipt for the repair to your mailbox. :cool:

[WA 2 FST]

Dennis,

You are absolutely correct (although for him, I'm the least of his worries, given that this was no "accident"... he was in the process of commiting two felonies + excessive speed and reckless endangerment). I will probably get the $$ eventually, after the criminal case is taken care of.

[Moonshine]

but when guns are drawn, if I don't have one, I'm ducking for cover. Standing around out there watching it transpire with no protection is not really wise, IMHO.

Which makes you smarter than about 99% of the world. :tu: Almost without exception, if you draw down on some felon in a public place there will be curious bystanders who will stand directly downrange of the guns, picking their noses and watching the "excitement". If you try to wave them out of your line of fire while keeping an eye on the suspect they stand there and look at you like you're the stupid one. :hammer:


Sorry you're having to deal with the mailbox, but all in all, could have been much worse.

[jeff56]

I was getting ready to say the same thing before I saw that Moonshine had already done so. I'll go ahead anyway. Kudos to you for doing the right thing and simply shutting/locking the door. That was the best step you could take to keep your family safe.

[my2002lightning]

Glad you and the family are fine, Wes. Good job on keeping a level-head in the situation. It could have been much worse.

After moving here, it looks like Allen PD has their hands full - DMN_Allen_PD_Blotter (http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/city/collin/blotter/stories/080605dnccoallenblotter.22547062.html)

On a lighter note... Dammit! another Glock shooter in the TALON ranks. :tongue:

[WA 2 FST]

Glad you and the family are fine, Wes. Good job on keeping a level-head in the situation. It could have been much worse.

After moving here, it looks like Allen PD has their hands full - DMN_Allen_PD_Blotter (http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/city/collin/blotter/stories/080605dnccoallenblotter.22547062.html)

On a lighter note... Dammit! another Glock shooter in the TALON ranks. :tongue:

They have less to handle than Plano per capita. But unfortunately it seems in these fast growing suburbs that $$ allocated to law enforcement lags behind the growth rate (which always brings in more crime potential).

But I'm not going to cast stones at our local city gov't. I know its not easy to allocate the proper amount of funds to all the organizations that need it.

I have always thought Allen PD has done a good job in the 14.5yrs I've been up here. They're getting a bad rap right now for putting some illegal immigrant in a coma during some sort of recent altercation. I don't know the details, but it doesn't matter b/c it won't change my perception of the department as a whole.

[Tex Arcana]

glad to hear it was only the mail box Wes, that could have gotten real bad if he got inside
Actually, that might've been a good thing.... then it's a home invasion, and plugging him would've been completely justified, and removed a criminal to boot. :evil

[WA 2 FST]

Yes, and my kids would have been witness to something horrible, not to mention the complete and total PITA and inconvenience of having to fix structural damage to the home.

But I'm sure the idiot is out on bail and will be until the trial.

[FRDRCING]

It's a Good thing that you only got damage to your mailbox wes. It could have been worse. There is a house over here in NRH are that have had there house ran into three or four times by teenage kids driving stupid.

[L8 APEX]

Don't feel bad Wes, Brian has had a cop drive cars through his fence:D . Good job on the duck and cover I hate gawkers:hammer: . I would try to asses a drive through situation before terminating with extreme prejudice. Barring the 5 car chase and suspects in masks it could be the person lost control for medical, mental, or other non-malicous reasons. But if they try and bail and flee the scene oh no:evil . It is a good preparredness drill anyway.

[Aggie Mom]

It must be mailbox season or something. I woke up Saturday morning to find my whole mailbox gone! :rll: Cedar post and all. The little sh*ts dug it up. Ahh country life, it's so relaxing. Now I keep an extra in the garage.

[WA 2 FST]

Don't feel bad Wes, Brian has had a cop drive cars through his fence:D . Good job on the duck and cover I hate gawkers:hammer: . I would try to asses a drive through situation before terminating with extreme prejudice. Barring the 5 car chase and suspects in masks it could be the person lost control for medical, mental, or other non-malicous reasons. But if they try and bail and flee the scene oh no:evil . It is a good preparredness drill anyway.

Terry, I agree with everything you state above. It was a good "drill". I would never open fire without some sort of assessment, but I knew he was being chased by police. There were no less than 3-4 squad cars pursuing the suspect as it turns out. My thought now is that if he enters my home in a violent manner such as a drive through, then he is directly threatening me and my family. There's also a good chance he willfully chose to enter the home as a potential escape route (and there's a chance he lost control and it was an accident, but nonetheless he is fleeing law enforcement). I don't have time to ask. ;) I also have to assume that at that very moment law enforcement does NOT have the situation under control.

I'm still shaking my head at all the gawkers. There were a number of people down the line of fire had the police had to open up on the guy, or if there had been multiple suspects in the Explorer with weapons. :hammer: