Vehicle Accident

[JDoors]

My memory's not that great but I believe today I saw my first real car crash -- Right in front of my eyes. (I've seen the aftermath of lots of accidents, and I've seen cars going off the road and such, but never, to my recollection, have I actually watched two cars colliding.)

I'm leaving work and wind up behind a truck. The truck takes the same back road I take that skirts downtown traffic. One minor problem with the route is a particular light that gives a crossroad priority, but if you time things right you can grab the short green and make it through.

This guy knows the backroad, and apparently knows you have to time that light.

So I'm zipping along behind him & I know I can squeeze through that light with him. He goes through the light and WHAM!!!! An SUV did NOT stop at the red light on that crossroad (if that truck weren't ahead of me, it would have been ME having the accident).

I stop (duh), and our light now turns red (had the accident not occured we both would have had easily made it through the greenlight).

It was bad -- antifreeze cloud, tinkling glass and all. While I'm stopped at the light both guys get out and appeared to be a little stunned, but fine.

I've noticed more and more often more and more people are just purposely driving through red lights when they believe there isn't enough cross-traffic to warrant stopping for 90 seconds. When I see a car ignoring a light I always look around and of course there are no cops around (but I accidentally turn the wrong way down a one-way street and ... you know, there they are). I'm betting this guy thought there wouldn't be any cross-traffic from this little backroad and decided he didn't have 90 seconds to waste sitting at a red light (the light's at the intersection of that backroad & a bridge, so cross-traffic on the bridge can't see us coming until they're RIGHT THERE at the light).

Let me just say I was thinking of quite a few choice words to describe that guy, but here I'll just say, what a moron!

[Chappy]

MORONS KILL!!!

I've seen the aftermaths of too many accidents, as you know bud, and all I can say is this...

Is 90 seconds out of your busy day, worth dying over??? (not you JDoors, the other morons out there)

I NEVER go thru red lights, even in the dead of night when nobody is looking, I'll sit and wait it out. First off because I'm a law abiding citizen but more so because it's a terribly bad habit to start getting into.

Good thing nobody was seriously injured in that one but it could easily not be the case, especially in a T-bone like this one. They are the worst kind of accidents, I've seen head-on's with less injuries than T-bones, mainly because of airbags for frontal crashes now being industry standard. Even side impact airbags will not really protect the occupants if a large vehicle plows into the door beside them, just too much penetration occurs and no airbag in the world could stop that from happening.

Just goes to show that even backroads with little traffic can be killers if you aren't careful.

The accident that just about killed me and two of my freinds, and took four other lives in a heartbeat, was on a dirt road that the Municipality knew was dangerous but didn't have enough traffic to warrant spending money on to upgrade it.

[martymas]

thank good ness you were behind that truck JD

tho i feel sorry for the people who didnt make it

i read were cars kill more people in a year

than many wars

god thats scary

marty

[thesidekickcat]

I'm glad you are ok JD!!!

It amazes me that there aren't more accidents with so many people who seem to think they can do anything they want anytime they want without consequences to them and others!!!

Last week we had to go cross town for a Dr appointment, but nearly got hit by a semi with long trailer coming into our lane very close to us so we moved over quick as he was going way to fast and not thinking straight, like he was mad for nearly missing his exit from I5 southbound freeway to other one. We had slowed down for a couple of other slower semi trucks with heavy loads ahead of us in both exit/entrance lanes to let them gain speed up the sloping ramp to the Fremont bridge, then the fast passing truck decided at very last second that he was taking the wrong exit I guess, just as we moved back in behind him thinking he would just keep driving forward as other truck in other lane we were in suddenly slowed way down and we thought it was safe to get back to original lane behind the jerk, then to our amazement the bad trucker swerved back onto I5 in the white marked small triangle on a leaning slope with a guard rail a few feet from his front end as he moved over. All this at about 60 mph or so. I thought sure he would jackknife but miraculously he didn't, and he missed the car in the I5 lane he entered by inches too. And because we had slowed up for the other two trucks and then for him as he passed forcing us to move or be hit, before he bailed out of the exit, we missed hitting him, and the van behind us that was gaining on us managed to move over one lane to avoid all of us. Yikes!!! I shook the rest of way to the Dr.

I think it is a miracle there aren't alot more accidents for the stupid stunts people do on the road.

Stay safe folks, lots of idiots out there, and possibly adding to the dangerous driving mix remember they might be drunk or drugged up too. Defensive driving (preferably in a tank!!!) and pray for safe trip each time you get in the car seems to be the only way to survive on the roads nowadays.

Pat

God bless everyone

[Honda_Boy]

Well something similar happened to me and a friend of mine. In his 67 mustang pulling out of the mall headed across the road to an electronics store for some car audio stuff. A minivan turning left next to us and a corolla turning left on the other side of the road. We were paying attention to the corolla making sure they were watching cause it seemed like they weren't. He had to take off in second cause a clutch prob. Well If we had taken off normally, he could have died and me too or nearly dead. An old nissan truck not paying attention to the light takes the front end off the minivan and misses us by a foot.

Unfortunately my Civic just got totaled today. Details in the thread about it.

[robroy]

glad to hear that you are ok JDoors

also glad to see you back with us Pat

[Bubba Bob]

Wow, a little to close for comfort there Jdoors. Non-drivers are a harzard to everyone.

THis reminds me of a wreck I came across on a two lane highway a couple weeks ago. The posted speed limit was 60mph, but 3 bikers where obviously doing more. A truck pulled out in front of them as they were coming around a blind curve. One biker was in a tree, one in the gaurd rail, and one under the truck. No ambulance/cops had arived yet, and not one of the three bikers was moving.

[blim]

I grew up on a "dead man's curve" and just the sound of a car crash sends chills up my spine (thank God the crashes always involved drunk drivers who were too drunk to stiffen up and get hurt, but lots of property and car damage, which is okay, those are replacable!)

Also, thank God that truck was in front of you, Jdoors!

Daughter was a passenger in a rollover (rolled 3 times, in fact! The kids refused to let me see photos of the car because the other Moms cried, so fine with me!) and the kids walked away with only cuts, bruises and scratches. Ever since, car crashes really frighten me, so glad no one appeared injured!

Liz

[JDoors]

... I NEVER go thru red lights, even in the dead of night when nobody is looking, I'll sit and wait it out. First off because I'm a law abiding citizen but more so because it's a terribly bad habit to start getting into. ...

That's why I mentioned the increasing frequency with which I see it happening. The trend disturbs me, and now I've already witnessed the inevitable outcome.

Now ... How about railroad crossing lights? I came across one that was flashing red (on another backroad, this time I was taking it due to a detour). As I approached I watched EVERYONE slowing down, then driving right on through. Great ... I've never been on this road before, do they know something? What will I do when I get to the light?

By the time I got there at least ten cars had gone through, in both directions. Do I stop and wait? Do I stop, look both ways and go through? I stopped, looked in both directions and had a clear view of the tracks -- nothing -- and there'd been nothing for several minutes (counting from the time I originally saw the flashing lights). I zipped across hoping this just wasn't my time to die. (Watching through the rearview mirror as long as was practical, I never saw a train.)

Re: Semis. I've had two close calls with those, one I cannot explain why it occurred (he almost drove right up through the back of our car -- could've been asleep at the wheel), the other was my fault (for not ignoring the idiocy of the semi driver in the first place).

Re: Motorcycle accidents. Of all the disgusting and horrifying things I've seen on the Internet, a motorcycle accident victim was one of the worst. <shudder>

Re: Motor vehicle accident rates. There are SO many things that the Chicken Littles of the world cry and moan about, campaign against, legislate against, then they get in their cars and risk their lives doing the ONE thing we ALL do that is dangerous EVERY TIME we do it -- And they probably take chances just like the rest of us too.

[irregularjoe]

My memory's not that great but I believe today I saw my first real car crash -- Right in front of my eyes. (I've seen the aftermath of lots of accidents, and I've seen cars going off the road and such, but never, to my recollection, have I actually watched two cars colliding.)

I'm leaving work and wind up behind a truck. The truck takes the same back road I take that skirts downtown traffic. One minor problem with the route is a particular light that gives a crossroad priority, but if you time things right you can grab the short green and make it through.

This guy knows the backroad, and apparently knows you have to time that light.

So I'm zipping along behind him & I know I can squeeze through that light with him. He goes through the light and WHAM!!!! An SUV did NOT stop at the red light on that crossroad (if that truck weren't ahead of me, it would have been ME having the accident).

I stop (duh), and our light now turns red (had the accident not occured we both would have had easily made it through the greenlight).

It was bad -- antifreeze cloud, tinkling glass and all. While I'm stopped at the light both guys get out and appeared to be a little stunned, but fine.

I've noticed more and more often more and more people are just purposely driving through red lights when they believe there isn't enough cross-traffic to warrant stopping for 90 seconds. When I see a car ignoring a light I always look around and of course there are no cops around (but I accidentally turn the wrong way down a one-way street and ... you know, there they are). I'm betting this guy thought there wouldn't be any cross-traffic from this little backroad and decided he didn't have 90 seconds to waste sitting at a red light (the light's at the intersection of that backroad & a bridge, so cross-traffic on the bridge can't see us coming until they're RIGHT THERE at the light).

Let me just say I was thinking of quite a few choice words to describe that guy, but here I'll just say, what a moron!

My pet peeve are the morons that drive five feet behind you.

If they get any closer, they'll hook onto your bumper.

I just returned from the Grand Canyon and decided to take the back roads home. Lot's of winding mountain roads with thousand foot drop offs, falling boulders, deer jumping in front of you, 20 mph speed limits. This one fool in particular tailed me within a few feet for miles where there was no where to let him pass.

Very unnerving!

[JDoors]

My pet peeve are the morons that drive five feet behind you. ...

They give you FIVE FEET where you are? Around here, somebody'd be trying to squeeze into that vast open space.

I've done, in the past, two things (which were stupid and I'm not proud and I hope others can learn from my stupidity and just give the morons the space they need) regarding tailgaters. Once, I stomped on the brakes. He lost control of his car and crashed. Since that was stupid a friend suggested next time I just meander a little off the road, the tailgater will see how dangerous I might be and back off. I meandered, my tires kicked up gravel and stones which sprayed the car behind me. SINCE THAT WAS STUPID, now I just drive carefully so I can avoid sudden stops and a car up my behind.

It gets on my nerves when they're so close you can't even see the front of their car or truck, but I have the bad experiences to remind me: it's not worth getting upset.

[Bubba Bob]

IMO, a brake check when someone is tail gating is the correct thing to do. Maybe not so hard that they crash , but enough so they get the point.

[Honda_Boy]

I've done that. It's funny too. I do a brake check then an accelerator check. I had passed someone one a short 4 lane section after a red light and they didn't like it too much (giant freakin 80's blazer) so when I got stuck behind another vehicle they tailgated me. When that car finally sped up some I did a brake check. Then an accelorator check. They stayed off me after that. I turned off and saw a particular finger but I laughed because they'll think twice about pulling that crap again.

[JDoors]

... they'll think twice about pulling that crap again.

Not true -- An idiot is an idiot and will not suddenly become a safe driver because you flashed your brake lights at 'em.

But hey, ignore my thirty plus years of driving experience, what do I know? Maybe that brake check magically increased his brain power. Maybe lucky leprechans flew out of your taillights and taught the guy a lessen. Maybe that one incident will make him reconsider dangerous driving habits he's had for years and years.

Naa-a-a-a-a-w-w-w-w! He thinks you're a jerk for tapping your brakes and that's it.

[bozodog]

I hope all of you also understand to keep well back from a delivery vehicle. I see my life cross my eyes when I'm on a 55mph road, looking for an address,(hidden, unreadable, wrong side of the mailbox, or non-existent) with my 4 way flashers on as a driver climbs up my tailpipe. Errr, hey dummies I'm bright yellow with big red DHL express on the back and slow down before making frequent stops. [/end rant]

[irregularjoe]

... they'll think twice about pulling that crap again.

Not true -- An idiot is an idiot and will not suddenly become a safe driver because you flashed your brake lights at 'em.

But hey, ignore my thirty plus years of driving experience, what do I know? Maybe that brake check magically increased his brain power. Maybe lucky leprechans flew out of your taillights and taught the guy a lessen. Maybe that one incident will make him reconsider dangerous driving habits he's had for years and years.

Naa-a-a-a-a-w-w-w-w! He thinks you're a jerk for tapping your brakes and that's it.

And don't forget that here in the good ol' NRA........uh, .....I mean USA, there is a good chance that the idiot has a gun next to him on the front seat and would use it if you piss him off too much.

[Bubba Bob]

there is a good chance that the idiot has a gun next to him on the front seat

Wow, where do you live? TIme to find a new neighboorhood

[irregularjoe]

there is a good chance that the idiot has a gun next to him on the front seat

Wow, where do you live? TIme to find a new neighboorhood

Anywhere south of Canada is gun country. ...Unfotrunately.

[irregularjoe]

there is a good chance that the idiot has a gun next to him on the front seat

Wow, where do you live? TIme to find a new neighboorhood

Anywhere south of Canada is gun country. ...Unfotrunately.

Here's Bubba Jim Bob from Virginia just to prove my point.

My WebpageIDIOTS ARE US

Edited September 26, 2006 by irregularjoe

[Bubba Bob]

there is a good chance that the idiot has a gun next to him on the front seat

Wow, where do you live? TIme to find a new neighboorhood

Anywhere south of Canada is gun country. ...Unfotrunately.

Here's Bubba Jim Bob from Virginia just to prove my point.

My WebpageIDIOTS ARE US

That proves absolutley nothing. Do some homework before bashing the NRA.

Good Day, Joe.

Edited September 25, 2006 by Bubba Bob

[JDoors]

Anywhere south of Canada is gun country. ...Unfotrunately.

I'd say something, but since no one ever gets shot in other countries there's really nothing I can ... HEY! Yes they do!

BTW, that huge weapon looks like it'd be a TON of fun. I watched a video of someone shootin' up an abandoned car with one of those -- Awesome.

I don't think about tickin' off someone with a firearm, I worry about maniacs in general. The only time someone tried to attack me (partially my fault -- I tried to "teach him a lesson" for HIS bad driving that almost killed me) he came after me with a pipe.

Do they have pipes in Canada?

[irregularjoe]

Anywhere south of Canada is gun country. ...Unfotrunately.

I'd say something, but since no one ever gets shot in other countries there's really nothing I can ... HEY! Yes they do!

BTW, that huge weapon looks like it'd be a TON of fun. I watched a video of someone shootin' up an abandoned car with one of those -- Awesome.

I don't think about tickin' off someone with a firearm, I worry about maniacs in general. The only time someone tried to attack me (partially my fault -- I tried to "teach him a lesson" for HIS bad driving that almost killed me) he came after me with a pipe.

Do they have pipes in Canada?

Sorry, but you misread this JD.

I wasn't referring to you but to Honda Boy's thoughts on pissing off a nut.

I should have been more specific.

Joe

[robroy]

I got rear ended last night, at a stop light. THe other driver just took his eyes of the road to look ahead to the traffic signal then locked up his brakes trying to stop. I wasn't hurt but now the rear bumper is all messed up. At least the Insurance companies can't argue - we both had the same one

[JDoors]

I got rear ended last night, at a stop light. ...

Hope it was minor w/o injury. I've been hit from behind more than anything else but one of the funniest was the guy who, after hitting the back of my car, said, "Didn't you see me coming?!?"

[Honda_Boy]

wow wreck after wreck. I hope my new 96 civic hatchback can avoid them at least for another 2 or 3 years