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-   -   Taking over the road - My New Chevrolet Optra Magnum LT 2.0 (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-drives-initial-ownership-reports/107254-taking-over-road-my-new-chevrolet-optra-magnum-lt-2-0-a-3.html)

Congrats on the Magnum, I guess its raining magnums in t-bhp.

What is the specification on the garware windshield film you are using. I need to get the windshield film done on my car too. Wanted to know if there are multiple grades in reflective films for the windshields.

This is great to know. Could you please share with me the details of this USB option? I would not even think of changing the HU of my magnum if this is possible :)

DISASTER STRIKES

:(

After a wonderful Dasara holiday at my village, I came back to Hyderabad on 8th evening. On 9th I got a call informing me of a meeting at Visakhapatnam on 10th morning. I checked the flights and they were either not available or were prohibitively expensive. Buses and trains were not an option in view of the Telangana agitation going on in our state so I decided to drive down in my Magnum. Vizag is good 650 kms away from Hyd, i checked the route queries threads on T-BHP and decided to take the Hyd-Vij-Rjy-Vizag route. I called my regular temp driver and started off from Hyd @ 3.30 PM.

Crossed Vijayawada at 9.30 PM and we were cruising on the 4 lane highway towards Vizag. We crossed the Eluru toll gate at 10.15ish and came to a bridge on the Eluru bypass road. There was a truck on the right side and another truck just behind it, on the left side. My driver decided to take over the rear truck from left and floored the pedal and just then the truck came a little to left squeezing us for space. My driver decided to go ahead and thought he had enough space between the tuck and the footpath of the bridge looming ahead and in the last second he realized he did not have enough space. Braking or evading was not an option and he went ahead hitting the footpath at a speed of 140, going over it with the left rear tire also climbing over it. The car fell back on the road with a thud and screeched ahead.

It stopped after a good 50-60 metres.

Fortunately neither me nor the driver got hurt, fortunately the car did not flip or loose the traction, fortunately it held a straight line and stopped as if someone parked it on the side of the road.

Unfortunately the front tire and the alloy wheel and the rear tire were busted. I thought it was something simple as replacng front tire and wheel and rear tyre, got the number of Vijayawada 24 hours service guy from Chevy call centre and asked him to help but he could no.

Called a friend who arranged a cab for me from Eluru and hotel, food and water for my driver who had to spend the night with the car.

Next day morning I came back and realised the damage was much more than replacing tire and wheel. Lot of things got damaged between the front tyres.

Got a crane and towed the car to Vijayawada Fusion Chevrolet workshop, logged a claim with HDFC ERGO and came back to Hyderabad on Monday night. The assessment is going on and the service center guys are expected to give an estimate tomorrow.

I had to fly back to Vizag y'day early morning and thankfully the deal went through but it was terrible 24 hours for me. Feel sad my new car has met with an accident, family is happy I am safe.

Will post the pics of the accident tomorrow.

That's really sad news,felt happy to hear that no one got injured.Please do keep us updated with pics and repair cost.

Sorry to hear about your accident but glad that you are safe !! By the sound of it , an impact at 140 would be a heavy one and you are lucky.

I hope you realise who was wrong here - if you realised what the driver was doing and still kept quiet (as I often am when I travel in a zig zagging auto) then you are also to be equally blamed . Overtaking from the wrong side at breakneck speed of 140 :Shockked: , you may not always be fortunate enough like this time . Drive safe, life is short !!

Sorry to hear about the accident. Thank God that you and the driver were unscratched. The car can always be repaired and brought back to life.

Must have been very sad for you. Keep your cool and you can wade through this difficult time.

Sorry to hear about that NoRules. Good that you both are safe. Credit probably goes to Optra as well for its rock solid build quality.

Driving at 140 on our highways is very dangerous. Please be careful and direct the driver to be within the legal speed limits. Its just not worth it!

Sorry to hear about the accident NoRules. Good to hear everyone is safe. Please do not encourage your driver to go so fast, that too on the wrong side of the trucks. I don't think the truck drivers have that much time to take reflexive or evasive action. The few minutes lost here can always be made up. I know advice is free but please be safe. Also keep us posted on the developments.

Congrats on the purchase of an amazing VFM car!

Sorry to hear about the crash. Thankfully, no injuries, and hopefully, it will be back on the road soon.
I hope you realise this is not something to be proud of! :Frustrati

Read through the forum and you will see the many frustrated members whose bookings have been played around with, by the dealers, due to such practises!
+ 1.

140 kmph.
140 while entering a bridge.
140 while entering a bridge overtaking a truck.
140 while entering a bridge overtaking a truck from the LHS.
140 while entering a bridge overtaking a truck from LHS, when the truck was being overtaken by another truck from the RHS! :Shockked:

Please drive safe (Mistake may be driver's, but its your life at stake), dear friend!

First of all, congratulations on your purchase :)

NoRules, you were lucky that the car didnt loose traction and flip over. However, I will not refresh your wound, keep the past behind and learn from your mistakes. Also thanks for sharing your experience in here, as it will be beneficial for Bhpians to learn from other's experiences.

Hope your car will be restored to its pristine condition soon and you will have many more happy miles with it.

Bit late in this thread, but Congrats all the same on your new acquisition !!

I thoroughly enjoyed the write up and the kind of details that you provided. It is a huge car with lots of space and power but does not have the perception in the market. If only GM can push this car, it would be wonderful.

This is one of the threads which am going to follow. So here is hoping that you will be updating it regularly !! And yes, wishing you and your family, many miles of smiles and safe drives.

Ouch! Yikes! Trucks!

Glad to know all are safe. Take care. It's just not worth the risk. Practice defensive driving.

I just returned from my cousin's (58 years) funeral from a truck ramming his swift when he was traveling out of Bangalore. I think he was trying to take a U turn on the highway when the truck hit, from the side or rear (No details are known.) He suffered brain damage, slipped to unconsciousness and passed away in an hour in the ambulance.

Sorry to hear the NoRules - it's good that the Optra is built like a tank and manages to stay stable even when the tyres burst (I already had that experience) - but that might not be enough next time - so take care!

Hope she recovers soon and recovers well!

Thanks guy for your wishes. I will know the cost estimate today. The follow up has to be done on phone only as I live at Hyderabad and the vehicle is being serviced at Vijayawada. Could not post the pics due to hectic work schedule. Will post ASAP.