I don't like the word either as I think there are better alternatives but apparently it was a verb long before it came to be used as a noun.
There are some people (including Collins Dictionary) who maintain that a "collision" can only occur if two or more objects are moving. So if a car hits a tree, it's not a collision. However, there is no basis for this whatsoever. It just shows how people can form their own prejudices.
By the way, alanf, you don't have to start a new thread every time you want to comment. There is a well established and lively thread called Pedants United with over 1,700 contributions, which you are more than welcome to join.