I bought my first truck while a Junior in high school during the spring of ’08. It was a ’97 Dakota SLT Club Cab 4×4 Auto with the 5.2L with Emerald Green Pearl Coat paint. Sadly it was totaled in 2011 after a head-on collision with a Toyota Avalon, the Dakota won that battle but the war was lost, both vehicles totaled.

The week before the accident I had purchased an ’89 Honda CRX Hf as a 50mpg daily driver. The Honda needed some paint and bodywork to be road worthy and after the Dakota was gone all efforts went into getting the car done ASAP. So I drove this Honda around 7-8 months and had looked for a truck on and off until one day at work I found one on AutoTrader! Same color, engine, drivetrain, and trim level… I just had to have her.

Well, that time came, one day, February 18th, 2012 my dad, fiancée of 4 days and I drove up to Madison, Ohio where we all test drove/rode and looked over the new truck. A ’99 Dakota SLT Plus with all the same options and features as before. I’ve designated the nickname “Redemption” to the new truck as I was redeemed for what happened 8 months prior to the purchase. One day I may even get special license plates title REDMPTN.