Vic Z Cruise Ends in Disaster

Today at 10.30 am, we all met up at Maroush in Eltham.
After some chit chat, meeting some great people, we decided to head off and start our cruise. From the get go, three of us got left behind, and went our own way to KingLake before meeting with the rest of the crew. A great turnout.

From there, we cruised through Highdleberg/Kinglake rd, Had lunch in Healsville, and took plenty of photos (I didnt take any, others will post) before cruising out to the Black Spur and Mount Donnabuang.
Martin led the way with myself behind, an absolutely magnificent run through to the top where we froze our asses off at the snow.

I'm cutting a long story short here due to the circumstance.
We decided to head off home at around 4.30 after a ripper day with lots of laughs. On the way down, not more than 10 minutes after leaving, Martin, leading again, hit some slippery stuff, lost control downhill, slammed into the mountain face and flipped the car. This happened right in front of me and Marie's eyes, and i couldnt believe what was happening. Bolted out along with everyone else. All i could remember while getting to the car was how serious the situation was, i was quite literally more horrified than ive ever been in my life, and Martin did not look good. I dont want to get into specifics, but when he came to, we realised that he and his passenger are two lucky mofo's.
Thank GOD for the ROLL CAGE that so obviously saved their lives. The targa roof was mashed down on the driver's side and Martin did suffer quite a severe head injury. After getting him out and sitting him down, I wrapped his head in a bandage, everyone was so helpful, offering blankets, making phone calls, talking to Martin as he was quite obviously concussed. (his passenger was fine, just shaken up). We raided his car which was a total mess, pulled out all his belongings, headunit, gauges bla bla, just to ease the later annoyances for him.
Ambulance and police arrived shortly after

Well, everyone was quite shaken up. Martin was then taken to the closest hospital, we contacted his girlfriend and let her know the situation.

Martin, on behalf of everyone, we wish you all the very best my friend, a speedy recovery. Dont worry about the car, its just a piece of metal.

I would like to stress, that at the time of the incident, we were cruising. JUST cruising, with no silly antics/speed, literally a tired bunch, ready for home. I believe the culprit was a mixture of paint lines and wet bark on the road. All that doesnt matter however, what does is the lesson i believe we all learned.
It doesnt matter how experienced you are, how well set up your car is, or how slow you are going. If something CAN go wrong, it MIGHT.

Please people, be careful.

Once again, good luck Marty, wish you the sincerest of very bests matey. Get well soon.

I dont know whether we should keep this thread for pics of the event itself, or open another one... i'll leave that to you're own discretion, but im sure it should be ok.


Anyway..... fmd... take it easy people.

Elie.

 

damn sorry to hear that, i hope all is good and have a fast recovery

 

Very scary accident to watch happen everything in slow motion,

Was fantastic to see how every z member was running from their own cars to get Martin help

Martin is out of hospital tonight thank god his ok could've been so much worse...

Xavier the passenger is resting up tonight and seems all ok..

 

not good

Not a good end to a cruize . on the bright side ( if you can call it that ) they both survived, and as already stated, the car is only a car and can be repaired or replaced, hope all goes well with recovery and I'm sure everybody's thoughts are with all involved :zlove:.
Andy

 

What a crazy day, all the best to martin and his passenger and a speedy recovery. Would like to know more about the events that immediately preceded the incident, did everyone block off the road? what were other road users doing?


good luck and all the best,
matt

 

good to hear he is out of hospital! All the best

 

Before a passer-by offer to pull his car off the road, we were stopping traffic at one end whilst letting through the other, and vice versa. Everyone just did what they had to do, with calm and order.... seriously good work making an ugly situation, that little bit easier.

Brian, thats great to hear about Martin man, I would have preferred he stay over night but i guess the docs know best.... btw, please see to my voicemail.

Thanks
Elie

 

Im so glad to hear that his out of hopsital....Thanks for the heads up Bryan !

Martin i wish you a speedy recovery buddy and i hope in due coarse you will be on your way to owning your next z'd because i could tell from meeting you today that your car truley was your passion.

x0x

Marie

 

Holy shit! Was great to meet some zedders today, but sad to hear this news. Get well soon Martin, glad we cut our cruise short and headed home. I've been on a few cruises with different car clubs and this was by far the most sensible one I've been on! Bad luck mate, happens to the best of us.

 

Thanks for the kind words everyone, good news is that I'm okay - a little bit worse for wear but I'll be alright.. My neck is sore, a have a black eye, three stitches in my forehead and I have chipped my front tooth. I seriously owe my life to my rollcage though, it could have been so much worse. You will understand when you see the damage to my roof and how it is totally caved in.

The crash happened so quickly that I didn't have time to react. I was always one of those people who thought being careful will ensure things like this won't happen but I was wrong. Hit a slippery surface coming around a corner on the mountain, back end kicked out, tried to correct and lost control, sliding directly towards the embankment. Hit it with the drivers side of the car, and all of a sudden everything is upside down. I don't remember much else after this, just sitting down and being handed blanklets and receiving first aid. Thanks to all the zedders who got out to help me, I'm glad I was in the presence of such wonderful people. Xavier, I'm so glad you're okay I would never forgive myself if anything were to have happened to you. Big thanks to Bryan and Meg, for following the ambulance to the hospital and make sure I was okay - as well as looking after what would happen with my car with towing etc. I can't thank you both enough. Dave, for driving to escort my girlfriend to te hospital, and Eli and Marie for your help at the scene of the accident.

Anyway it was a great cruise before this incident, I have a pic of the damage from Bryan and Meg so I post that up later today so you can see how lucky I was. I'm gutted about my zed, it's been a rollercoaster of a journey and the sad thing is I was getting to a point where I was very happy with where it was at after 5 years of ownership. But considering the circumstances I feel lucky just to be alive. Next zed will definately have a rollcage as well, I owe mine my life. Stay safe people :zlove:

-Martin

PS anyone got a 2+2 shell up for sale anytime soon let me know.

 

Whoa! Sounds pretty bad. I am glad you are alive and recovering!

 

it was a great meeting for my first cruise.
Wish you a speedy recovery Martin.
I think most of us now are also considering roll cages

ps: remember cars are replaceable, your not...
It was so good to see you get out of the car

 

Hey mate, great to hear your not in a worse off situation.
All the best Martin

 

Martin, sorry to hear. So glad you and Xavier are not too badly hurt. Accidents can happen to any one, and over analysis can send you mad. Speedy recovery for you and the Zed.

 

Great to hear Martin and Xavier are on the mend, terrific to hear everyone did their bit to get the situation under control. I feared the worst when I read the thread title.

Adam.

 

Total bummer Martin, my heart goes out to you and Xavier.

You were going to show me some of the mods on your car, if I'd spotted your roll cage I might have
thought jeez, that's overdoing things a bit. But I would have been way wrong.

Get well soon and RIP to your poor Zed.

 

I know from personal experience how quickly it takes for things to go wrong, just have to count yourselves lucky it wasn't worse. As everyone has said, its just a car and the main thing is that you guys are ok..

 

Glad you and Xavier are OK, sounds like you both had a lucky escape in an unpredictable situation.

Don't stress to much about it, it is what it is, an accident, you have always struck me as sensible and maintain your car in good condition.

Love the fact that your talking about your next Z and looking for a shell, a true Z'er.

Chin up mate. :zlove:

EDIT: Holy crap !!!

 

what a mess! the roof really did get destroyed.

good luck with it all,
matt