Misjudged or a lack of judgement?

Misjudged.  Or was it lack of judgement.  Or a severe lack of judgement.  But probably a total lack of judgement.  I know impatience and frustration came into it. Also forgetting for a moment I was in a motorhome. The consequence. Drastic. 

A damaged motorhome. Due to hitting the corner of a stationary truck. An Arnolds biscuit truck.  Not that I got any biscuits. 

Back to the beginning of the story.  Always best.  I collected Jackson and Isabel from their home, destination a campsite in Milton Keynes. It had been raining and was very overcast.  Not an excuse, I know.  Just depressing weather.

We drove along the M25 until we got to the A2 juction.  Traffic was banked up and slow moving.  Trucks, trucks and more trucks.  I managed somehow to get into the third truck lane.  There were four lanes and three of them were full of trucks.  I know I was driving a van with a luton, but I still like to keep with the cars.  

Just before the tolls the three truck lanes came to a standstill.  And the fourth lane had cars that were moving.  Then I saw a gap.  A large gap.  I decided to move the van into the gap.  A huge mistake.  I was too close to the truck in front, it seems, or I did not not turn the van sharply enough.  Or both. I put my foot on the accelerator and swung out, crash, bang, I found I had hit the back corner of the truck in front.  

The truck driver jumped out and took some photos. I sat there stunned. Jackson put his head out of the window and informed me the luton was damaged.  We were now holding up the already slow traffic.  After that the truck driver and I managed to drive our vehicles through the maze of trucks, and through the tolls, until we came to a truck stop.   Where we exchanged addresses and telephone numbers. 

Jackson and Isabel were highly excited about it all, and Jackson proceded to use his phone to take photos to send to his father.  But not before I rang Steve.  

The truck driver and services patrol driver were both very reassuring, and helpful.  I felt so embarrassed.

It turns out the side of the van, just in front of the expensive side mirror, was pushed in.  The side mirror which costs £250, was undamaged.  That was a blessing.  We have had to replace two of these already.  Interestingly the metal on the cab crumpled and did not damage the truck.

But the corner of the luton, constructed of fiberglass and foam, made a dent in the truck.

My lovely bedroom, in the luton, has now huge cracks in it.  Daylight is visible.  I feel so sad.

But there was no way we could continue driving to Milton Keynes so we had to turn around and go home, 10 minutes drive away.  Well, in fact I followed Walter home as he brought the motorhome papers to me, but not needed as it turned out.

Walter had been looking forward to two days on his own, painting the front porch and watching loud movies that I don't like.  Now he had three of us at home too, plus damaged motorhome.

Walter was very understanding, and kindly rang the insurance company, and the motor home repair company and put plenty of strong white plastic tape on the luton to keep the rain out.

So our van will be out of action for some weeks, and our premiums will rise, no doubt.

 Isabel is intending to use the accident for her news about the holidays. Exciting news.

I feel so embarrassed.