On Monday, February 15, our beloved Esther the Escort, the first (and only) new car that Sherry and I ever purchased met her final demise. The Teenager was driving the vehicle in downtown Lima, OH. The roads were icy, and when she went around a turn, the car kept going somewhat straight. She ran right into a police cruiser.

No one was injured.

On Friday, we received the news that the insurance company declared the vehicle a total loss. Today, I drove out to Lima to retrieve our personal effects and snap these last photos of dear Esther.

Some interesting facts:

*The final odometer reading is 152911. Yes, the mileage ends in “911.”
*This is the fifth crash for the car. One in Chicago, one in Toccoa, one about 7 months ago in Bellvue, one about 2 months ago, and now this.
*Esther went out in style: new tires, one new wheel, and a full tank of gas. It’s possible that I had just refilled with windshield washer fluid.

Esther was a fine, dependable automobile. The only problem that we ever had with her was when we moved to GA and the horn stuck. Other than that, the only issues were created by people smashing into her.

R.I.P.