doesn't say how old the car was, but not much of a testament to Hyundais if they can be totalled just like that. that the X5 had nary any damage is pretty telling however.

Say what you want about BMW's, but their handling, engines, and winter tackling capabilities are top notch.

Just gone about her merry way, probably.

Why am I suddenly reminded of an assortment of Gatsby's "friends" in Fitzgerald's Great Gatsby who -- and I'm paraphrasing here -- create havoc and huge messes everywhere they go, and then go on their way, expecting someone else to deal with their mess for them.

One other interesting thing, though, that's easily missed: watch at about the 00:14 mark, as she's making her wide turn to pull into the parking spot -- and look how close she comes to clipping the rear end of another car that's parked in the lot. As I said, I can't actually see inside the BMW well enough, but it's the near-collision prior to doing the monster-truck thing which, to me, suggests she was on the phone at the time.

My wife is about ten years older than I -- she's 61 -- and has some depth-perception issues as well, and she's constantly scaring the shit out of me by waiting until it's almost too late to brake when approaching a line of cars waiting at a stop light or a toll plaza. On more than one occasion, I've seen how fast she's closing and had panic attacks anticipating the imminent ass-plowing of the car in front of us.

I hate to propagate the stereotype of BMW drivers, but why do they have to make it so easy?

[www.googlebattle.com]!

Actually, another car that got hit was a rental Ryder truck. The only other car to get hit was the driver's own car.

[sfist.com]

@☠Grяrяrяrяrя, portrait of a chickenwolfmoosepig.: To be fair, we don't know why she left. It's very possible that she might have gotten jostled or injured. For all we know she might have driven to the E.R. next. She also might not be totally 100% right in the head.

When I watch that tape I don't think she's trying to "get away" as much as she's too embarassed to walk back into the Gym and tell everyone what happened. If she was just trying to get away, why go back to the gym? Why not get a new membership elsewhere?

No! That lady drove away b/c she didn't want to have to go in to the gym and say, "excuse me, I seem to have had a bit of an accident and drove up three feet onto two cars in the parking lot." If it had been a regular fender bender ding normal rules of etiquette apply. You've got to make some sort of understanding allowance for what an embarrassing parking attempt this was.

This is why SUVs should be banned, and also why people over 50 should be retested for their license annually.

Yeeeahh, I don't think that's an excuse for fucking someone out of thousands of dollars, because even if insurance does cover 100% of the claim, you're still getting a refurbished car in return, not to mention other costs. Fuck that stupid scumbag bitch. I hope she rots in jail.

Life suspended afaic. Scumbag fucking bitch.

Yeah, if I had seen this person doing this they would be dead. I don't care if you are a 65 year old lady. In fact, if you are a 65 year old lady, you should more sense than to drive off you fucking moron.
Let me tell you why: at about 2:30 in the morning after working for 20 hours straight, I was awakened to the sound of both of my car alarms going off. I went outside and both of my cars had been completely totaled by a hit and run driver. The driver left his car and ran to his house and pretended to be asleep when the cops showed up. Total cost in damages to my cars: $20k+. I have had to pay several thousand dollars out of pocket for various things even though insurance should be covering it. Awesome. Next person that fucks with me gets a shoe to the teeth. I am completely serious.

Dammit Ricky, you know this happens when you let Corey and Trevor drive! Let's get oot of here before the cops come!

@TheWillow:

I was walking out of a bar one day with a friend who is a pretty big guy...probably like 6'3" and pretty solid.

This young woman in a dinky little car, something like an old Civic or something, comes barreling around the corner in the parking lot looking for a space, and only just *barely* sees my friend in front of her.

She slams on the brakes and comes sliding to a halt (gravel parking lot) literally just inches from my friend who saw the whole thing coming and correctly judged she was going to stop in time. And, he's a bit of a loon.

The funny part was...the look on her face. Her mouth was wide open, her eyes bugging out, pale white like a ghost. She was positive she was about to kill somebody.

As the dust settled (literally), my friend stoops down (he practially seemed to be bigger than the car) and said "are you OK?"

Was one of the funniest things I'd ever seen.

But that will never happen *sigh*.

@babyruthless: Did that woman get jail time for the hit and run? Isn't this a felony?

@danielly37: I'm hoping your story is not representative...

Seems pretty viral to me. Hard to know what is real and fake these days. 20 commercials during Sunday NFL games won't garner Hyundai the attention equity this unfortunate incident will cause. Can't wait until the evening news starts playing it up at 11 next week!

@pecan 3.14159265: Yeah, that's the problem with all these new great safety stuff - it keeps you safe, but the slightest bump destroys the bumper and it's expensive to fix. It's like helmets - you fall off and bang it, it's no good anymore BECAUSE it's so good at keeping you safe, while older ones that could last forever didn't do so good a job.

Makes me super paranoid when parallel parking these days though - even nudging another car could do some damage (paint transfer sucks, even).

@LastError: Hyundai can afford to be happy as their cars are selling well and good value for the money.

My 2nd wife brought an '01 Elantra (purchased used in '02) to our marriage. The attention to design was pretty good for the price point. Then around the 2008 Olympic time, I found out that this generation Elantra ('01 to '07?) was the prefered vehicle for Chinese taxicabs (in Right Hand Drive format)- damn that made me want to buy another. Stinks that she doesn't drive a stick shift though...

Rarely find an '01-'07 in the local pull it yourself junkyard and if one appears, it gets stripped to the bones in about 2 weeks...

@jeffbone:
--or--
Rental agent: "Well, I see you bought the additional coverage, but you still owe us the full value of the car, plus loss of use, because our additional coverage doesn't cover vehicular cannibalism."

If I were on a jury and this woman tried to raise grief as a defense, I'd definitely be thinking she needs to get over herself. If I were the prosecutor, I'd probably say sure, I won't argue with the defense, as long as she agrees to plead out and be committed indefinitely. If she needs help, maybe that would be for the best.

But I have a generally poor impression of people so it may just be my cynicism speaking...

@JiminyChristmas: "If the evildoer has now been identified, the Hyundai owner could make a claim against the BMW driver's auto insurance...regardless of the fact he was given a new car."

The Hyundai owner STILL ought to file a claim against the Beeme-driver's insurance. The fact that Hyundai went above and beyond should have nothing to do with it--it's not like the driver had a reasonable expectation that Hyundai would just hand him a brand new car for free.

The insurance company needs to settle up with the Hyundai owner, and then drop the Beemer-driver.

@hoyagrrrl: Agreed, and it's likely we all have some empathy or compassion for her situation. However, being that she could have seriously injured someone in either of the other two vehicles, and seconded by the fact that you should NOT drive while you are impaired in any way (including grief), and then thirded by the fact that she did NOTHING to try and atone for what would otherwise have simply just been an accident, means she gets no sympathy, empathy, or anything else from me for what she did. I still feel empathy for her personal loss, but I have no tolerance for people who drive impaired, for ANY reason. There is no sympathy or leniency for an impaired driver even if that impairment is grief.

In all likelihood, the hitch is high enough on a Z71 that it would peel open the hood/grill of the offending vehicle like a can opener and slide on top of that car. Mangle the hitch and possibly the bumper, but I doubt it would warp the frame.

Hitches and their associated mounting bars do not add structural integrity to the frame of a vehicle, they simply tie a load to it. If it's welded on, you might break the welds before you bent the frame.

@ecwis: The fact that she left the scene, and then came back a week later shows some cognition of the fact she'd done something wrong and didn't want to get caught. Having a condition is one thing, breaking the law is another. The condition may have caused an accident like this, as would any mistake, but it was no mistake or condition that caused her to leave the scene of the accident. That should be actionable by the courts - if the condition (if any) isn't enough to revoke her license, having one AND leaving the scene of what would otherwise have been a mistake accident should be. Stop making excuses for people who have no business behind the wheel of a car, for any reason; it becomes less a vehicle and more a weapon. What would have happened if someone had actually been IN one of those two vehicles at the time and gotten hurt?

She can pursue the BMW driver and their insurance, to repair the old car so she can sell it to help pay the taxes on the new car.

Another Happy Hyundai person here!

What if someone had been in one of the cars she ran over?

They are really good now. We used to be a Subaru/Toyota family and for 5 years have been all Hyundai, all the time.

@HRGirl: Isn't that her sister?

@TheWillow: A friend of mine in college was hit by a car while crossing the street (in a cross walk, with a cross signal). The driver was talking on her cell phone and was turning right. She knocked my friend over, but she was luckily unhurt, but understandably shaken. My friend yelled at the woman "you hit me!" and the woman gave her a dirty look and sped off. Other drivers I guess got her tag and called the cops. My friend was walked back to her apartment, and the cops were there, along with the woman. Who was still pissed at my friend for having the nerve to get hit by her car.

@vorpal_hamster: I fondly remember the buy 1 (new car), get 1 free (used car) sales.

@utensil42: A Fried Green Tomatoes reference. LOVE!

"I'm older and I have better insurance." (or something like that)

@WraithSama: It's happened to my parents. Some idiot hit their property, hard enough to rip through the brick and interior wall. There was a security camera, but it wasn't good enough or in the right position to get the license #. Insurance covered most of it. But it still doesn't make up for the fact that it wasn't their fault.

@elemeno: was the driver's name Debra?

Sorry that this does not come up as a reply. I'm on a strange, strange, European computer.

So... Why did she come back to the gym?

You'd think you'd find a new gym after such an incident...

Cops did catch him though and I wasn't the only one he ran into. Some 15 year old kid borrowed his dads motorcycle and ran into 8 cars that day.

@Trai_Dep: LMAO

That grandma wins the "World's Douchiest Driver" award. Would love to hear the follow up on whether the gym employee's unidentified car company stepped up and matched Hyundai's brilliant PR move -- if not, maybe Hyundai will strike again!

Maybe the X5 should be sold to pay for the damages.

The driver's license will probably be suspended/revoked for a while anyway. When she returns to driving, her insurance rates will be much higher.

All this talk about her grieving is irrelevant. There is a huge difference between leaving while panicking (then coming forward) and never turning yourself in.

She was caught. She never took responsibility. She was only made to be responsible because there was security camera footage and an alert employee.

That's dirtbag behavior regardless of what you're going through at that time in your life.

renter: "I can't return my car here, because some crazy old woman crushed it with her BMW."

rental agent: "That's too bad, you now owe us the full value of the car, plus loss of use, immediately payable in cash."
--or--
rental agent: "Aren't you glad you bought the additional coverage"
--or--
rental agent: "Well, I see you bought the additional coverage, but you still owe us the full value of the car, plus loss of use, because our additional coverage doesn't cover vehicle abuse"

If she had sat in her car and waited for the police and came out of the car, crying, well, then I'd feel terrible and think that accidents happen. If she had gone home, made a cup of tea, then went "WTF did I do?" and called the police or gym to turn herself in, I'd feel terrible.

And yes, if she's that distraught over what happened, however awful, earlier this year, then she shouldn't be driving.

I came here just to ask that same question. The US tax code has different rules for all types of unearned income. I've seen for contests, the fair market value of your car would be taxed at your current bracket.

Not only did they arrange for his car to be fixed right away, but when I took him to pick up his car, everyone at the dealership was all smiles, friendly and concerned that he'd still make it to the wedding on time.

I was impressed.

As my mom always told me, never drive when you are distracted, never drive when you are crying, never drive when you just can't pay attention. It's not worth your life or anyone elses. I didn't always listen to her, but after almost having a wreck on the way from the cemetery to my grandmas house after her funeral, I'm a pretty big believer in this, and I make sure someone less emotional drives.

Would a new car have been given if this wasn't already huge on the internet? Probably not. The victim would have been covered under his insurance - at least, until the driver could be identified to take their insurance money.

[www.oeconomist.com]

[www.canadianmortgagetrends.com]

Well done.

I hate stupid people.

I went to high school with this girl who had something of a knack for hit-and-runs. She would just do all sorts of fender-benders while parking her car and then take off before anyone could catch her.

I want to post this video on her facebook wall.

I'm all in on the Hyundai love. I had a 1998 Hyundai Tiburon and although it was a sexy car, it was a POS.

My econocar shopping ended at the Hyundai dealership after a friend's Kia was rear-ended at 60mph and he drove it home. My Elantra isn't the fastest thing on the road, but it is frisky, gets 35mpg(it's a manual), has lots of headroom, will carry lumber, is easy to see out of, cheap to insure, comfortable and I didn't have to buy a sunroof to get 4 wheel disc brakes. It was $4k less than the competition. And it's purple.

Although Hyundai's quality has improved leaps and bound in the last 10 years, they still carry the stigma from '80s. Therefore, although that poor guy's car was paid for and still had many good years left in it, it was probably totaled for about $2k. Given that's hardly a down payment on a new car (even another Elantra), I think it is a beautiful gesture from Hyundai Corp.

Props to Hyundai my mom has a newer KIA van and loves it.

Bimmer, not Beemer

and yes, I have one ;)

That woman, on the other hand, should be put in stocks and publicly stoned. Not for making a mistake, but for backing up, pondering for a moment, and going on her way like nothing had just happened.

Ah, but I digress. Thank you, Hyundai!

It's funny how that works out sometimes.

Likewise, it's not clear if the Hyundai owner had collision coverage that compensated him for the book value of the car. Not that that still wouldn't suck. I have a 2000 Honda Civic and dread someone hitting it. I plan on driving it until it dies and would hate to have to replace it.

Wow, for some reason that made me laugh hard.

Ive seen accidents like that around here in Tucson, not in parking lots though. I dont know why but for people around here it seems normal to rear end each other at red lights like some sort of greeting. In some of the accidents I am not even sure if people used the breaks at all. At least there all in small cars which is why I drive an old suburban. Steel bumpers FTW!

But I cannot crush all before me. Alas.

So.... yeah. Hit & run drivers are scum.

/sarcasm borne of too many encounters with Beemer drivers

was that a stop sign?

Every person who contravenes this section is guilty of an offence and on conviction is liable to a fine of not less than $400 and not more than $2,000 or to imprisonment for a term of not more than six months, or to both, and in addition the person's licence or permit may be suspended for a period of not more than two years. 2009, c. 5, s. 54.

[www.e-laws.gov.on.ca]

The BMW driver needs to have her keys taken away for life.

They've also improved their reliability substantially. They're comparable to Honda and Toyota now.

But Chris, you are correct, it did act like a wild/feral auto:

On a side note, I hope that woman gets the maximum penalty for leaving the scene imposed. Accidents happen. If I was in the gym and that was my car and the woman came in unhurt I'd probably have a big laugh while calling the insurance co. But for her to leave is just despicable. There are a lot of people without car insurance here in FL so it happens a lot and is one of my bigger gripes (of many) about this state.

Hyundai used to make junk cars when they first entered the US market, but quickly figured out that crap wouldn't fly here. Since then they've done a 180 and make some of the best cars on the road. It's too bad it's taken this long for the stigma to finally wane.

What happens for the employee, who's the owner of the other car in the video I assume?

I've got a super-rare 2001 Toyota MR2 Spyder in mint condition and someone at my complex hit it and left while I was at home sick a couple months back, causing $2,400 in damage. People who do hit-and-runs suck!

Historically I've been skeptical about Korean cars, but this move showed a lot of care and initiative on the part of Hyundai--and in a situation where no one would have expected H. to even be involved. Bravo! With one kind move, they've moved their brand up a few ticks on my buy-o-meter.

I think if I was that guy and I walked in the room and got handed the keys, I wouldn't have even believed it myself! :)