Could very well have been a rock strike. I hit a rock one time (it came out of nowhere <img src="http://www.zilvia.net/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt='

'> ). The thing bent my tie rod real bad and dented the underside of my car by the drivers feet. I could actually see the dent from the inside..thats how much it was pushed up... anyways that probably what happen. Tie rods dont just break everyday. Glad to hear youre okay.
Peace
-Primo