Rear-Ended, Hit-and-Run 2000 Tundra

f you've been following Seattle/Tacoma area weather, we've been getting an unusually intense snowfall. I was out in my 2000 Tundra, which is in excellent shape! Lot's of packed snow and ice on side roads. I was stopped at a light on a slight downhill section (N UnionAve and N 26th for Tacoma people), and slammed into by a Chevy Avalanche. I suspect they could stop due to the icy conditions. Surprisingly severe jolt from impact!! I got out to assess the damage and was very surprised the recovery hitch took most of the impact-very little damage to the bumper. Due to the severity of the impact, I was expecting a lot of damage to my rear end but I don't see any serious damage, the Avalanche front end wasn't so lucky. Then the Avalanche driver just took off. I didn't have time to get a plate #. I filed a police report (license plate was obscured by snow) Don't expect much to come of that.

I plan to have my truck checked out, I'm not sure if I will file an insurance claim because I don't see much visible damage. I'm wondering if anyone has opinions on potential damage to my vehicle. I was stopped on snow/ice, I was in Drive and 4-Hi. the point of impact appears to be focused on the rear tow hitch (with a recovery hitch installed). Anyone with experience on potential issues with drivetrain or other things to look for?

 

WELCOME

 

Welcome from Sin City!

If I were you I’d def have a body shop look around for hidden damage. You never know what was, if at all, damaged underneath.

 

Welcome from NY! Our trucks are tough! My '03 tundra got rear ended by some kid in an capri. only damage to tundra was the rear bumper. The capri's front end was pushed right up to the motor, totaled!
The cop taking the info said he would not have believed it if he didn't see it, I wish I took pictures

 

I had the same thing happen. The tow hitch can take a good impact it is made to push and pull around 10k pounds. Cheers

 

Good point! I bought the truck new in 2000. Never installed a recovery hitch (or anything else) until the day before the accident. Good thing I did, it sticks out just enough to have protected the bumper and tail gate. I hate to admit it, but I hope it punched a hole in their damn radiator!

 

Welcome from NY.

 

Thanks from the Left Coast for all welcomes!

 

I bet you'll be alright. Do you carry under/uninsured protection on your insurance? Or would that even cover this?

 

Welcome, Sorry we have to meet under such circumstances! Fortunately it does not sound like there is damage. However, one way to check for potential frame damage is to measure the distance between your cab and bed; make sure it is still about where it was before the impact. If the frame bent the whole bed might have moved slightly with it. I doubt that it would be the case from what you are describing. Also check where the hitch attach to the frame - make sure the frame is straight there, and not buckled or wavy - probably the first place you would see damage.

 

Definitely get it checked for frame damage.

Doc (my wife) has a similar incident just last week. Not much damage to either vehicle (and no snow) but driver took off. Found out the idiot had no insurance and a suspended license, so he’s adding hit and run AND driving without a license/insurance to his rap sheet.
Got some geniuses out there LOL but it’s all good, things like this is why we have comprehensive insurance!

Hope everything works out and nothing’s majorly damaged! Good luck and hope you did some damage to the mook’s truck!

 

Welcome from SE PA! Sounds like you got lucky. I hope the checks on it show there was little to not damage.

 

It seems like all the accidents in WA are people without license and/or insurance. Sorry to hear about the accidents. Roads in WA are nasty for sure right now, with more snow coming. I've thought about leaving my hitch ball on, just to provide a buffer in case someone decided to tap me. Maybe one of those steps for hitches....

 

Most hit and run accidents period are from people with no DL or insurance. I tell everyone that as soon as your involved in an accident to immediately get photos of the other vehicle and not immediately worry about your own, (you'll have all the time in the world to look over your own vehicle, not much time with the other). Best of luck to you. .. this further establishes a need for front and rear dash cams, (fairly cheap nowadays).

 

My phone went flying and it was tough to locate in the dark. I did plan to get a photo. There just wasn't enough time. I need a dash cam front and back.

Thanks for all the helpful advice and kind comments from everyone on the forum. I will take it in to get it checked out when the weather gets better.

 

Yes. Full coverage. It would cover this. Just not sure it's worth the hit on my insurance. Plus the $500 deductible.

 

The Avalanche driver struck me as the uninsured type for sure. Dash cam shopping as we speak. Funny, my land cruiser has cameras (front, back, both sides) and an event recorder (like an aircraft black box) The event recorder stores all kinds of info: camera data, vehicle speed, throttle inputs, brake inputs, lateral and longitudinal G's, GPS position, and steering angle to name a few. In the event of an accident, Toyota will access this info and not necessarily release it to the vehicle owner. I think they use it strictly for product development and liability issues. And, I understand they will release it to law enforcement case by case. Doubt they'd release it for a simple fender-bender to determine fault.

 

We just added them on all our work trucks. Pretty cheap too.

 

Welcome from Rhode Island. No sense filing a claim if not much damage unless your sure your rates wont go up, of course they might think you backed into something. So go hunt that MF down. Contact all body shops and junk yards and have them call you when someone buys front end parts for there avalanche. OR, you can just let it go because that piece of shit Avalanche is not going to last as long as your Tundra.

 

Welcome from Ohio.

 

Besides my 2017 Tundra I also have a 1997 T-100, 4X4, that I bought new. It's had a standard trailer hitch that includes a 5" drop. I've been run into, in the ass end, twice, in dry conditions and evening work commute slower traffic. Both times the f'n idiots (I only recall one car make and it was BMW sedan, like a 325) were left behind me in my mirror (I didn't bother to get out) as I observed their radiators dumping their load all over the roadway. Never had the truck checked out. Has always done fine.

Moral of the story: don't be a truck poser. Always have a trailer hitch drop and ball in your truck hitch receiver.

 

That reminds me, I had a hitch on my work van(13 E-250) and got rear ended at an offramp yield. Left a nice hitch shaped hole in their front bumper and a scratch on my hitch. Pontiac g6 or something. Gotta love trucks. Any update OP?

 

I doubt they’ll get their Avalanche fixed, it would probably cut into their meth money too much!

 

Truck bed didn’t moved, gap distance to the cab is symmetric. Due to the weather, a lot of businesses are closed. I plan to call the Toyota dealer see where they have work done and have them inspect it. The 4WD system and transmission both work as before— flawless like the last 19 years!!

 

Its amazing what a hitch does to tailgaters. They usually get into the other lane when they see that drop hitch after subliminally having a hole punched in their radiator.

 

I used to leave the ball hitch drop in all the time until I saw the result once of where a truck got hit bad in such a way it got bent down and the frame bent down with it.