At around 9:45 or so on my way to school was when it occured.
A Honda was making a right turn against a red light, but barely slowed down at all. Came around the corner going around 35 or so, and accelerated out of it to about 45. The driver clipped a Taurus (Which turned out to be an undercover cop car) right at the rear right wheel, and spun it around enough so it was headed towards the curb, and it smashed into the drivers side door of a third car, this one I think was a Nissan.
The driver of the Nissan was killed. Had to be, the car folded on itself almost in half. Totally wrecked, with the door pushed in about 2-3 feet. I suspect the driver was killed from neck or spinal trauma.
It was pretty nuts. Cops were on the scene in less than 5 minutes, with firetrucks and ambulences a few minutes after that. Apparently the undercover cop was able to put out a call before he passed out, and I guess they issued an emergency officer-down type call (If there’re any cops that could say what kind of call would be put out in this type of situation, I’d really like to know).
We just got a foot of snow dumped on us here. Apparently people forgot how to drive in a Minnesota Winter. I’ve seen at least 14 serious accidents, been in 2 (one 10 car pile-up and I parked my car in a ditch for a while), and our Life Flight helicopter is constantly flying over my house, on its way to the hospital with yet another statistic.
Yeah, I gave them all my information, but I doubt they will need to ask me. What with the undercover cop on the scene already, and with about 20 other witnesses of it, I doubt I will be needed.
It shocks me that someone had to die so some fool could go around a corner fast. Dumbass driver.
That’s not dumbass, that’s plain reckless endangerment. I hope they throw the book at that driver and take his license away for a good long time. There’s no reason whatsoever to take any corner that fast. I feel sorry for the family of that third driver.
‘…and I guess they issued an emergency officer-down type call (If there’re any cops that could say what kind of call would be put out in this type of situation, I’d really like to know).’
I can’t speak for all departments but in NYC its a 10-13 and in the suburbs of the city its the same or a 113
About a year ago Easter - we were driving in town on a two-lane road (1 lane going each way). There were cars going both ways about 25-30 mph, but traffic was spaced out fairly well.
Suddenly, the car in front of us (black 2 door) goes into the other lane - no brake lights, no nothing. Just like changing lanes, except into the WRONG ONE!
The oncoming car was able to swerve into our lane with enough room to get by - tho we got a LOT closer to him than either of us wanted to.
While this is going on & everyone is coming to a stop, the black 2-door continues across the other lane - hits a telephone pole left center and FLIPS OVER.
We call 911 on the cell phone & apparently the residents of the house did too.
The driver (thankfully the only one in the car) was able to get out of the car OK - the airbag went off & he was complaining of chest pains. When asked how he felt, he said “Embarrassed”. ???
We gave our info to the police & left - found out later that he had reached over to the passenger’s seat to get some Easter candy … and apparently pushed off with his left hand against the wheel.
Seeing this made me a LOT more aware of trying to do other things (check maps, get CD’s out, etc)while I’m driving.
Politzania : your story makes me think of something that happened a couple of years back near where I’m from.
There’s a large stretch of highway that is notoriously dangerous going from sherbrooke to Drummondville (QC). It zigzags through mountains and for the most part its only one lane in both directions. They’re in the process of widening it up at the Drummond end, but between the two cities would require a LOT of mountain blasting to increase it’s width.
Anyways, there was an accident in which a driver going northbound was distracted momentarily by something slipping off the dashboard (you know how most cars have that little shelf to put things on? Something slipped off of that) and he lost control of his car, sending it into another lane. I don’t recall whether he hit the van coming the other way, or it just got forced off the road (possibly more dangerous due to rock walls) but the van got totalled. There was a family in the car, the kids went to the schools in the school board my mom works for.
The mother was killed, the father suffered some internal bleeding and several broken bones, and all three children, ages 10 and 12 (I think - the two older were twins) were paralysed for life. I don’t recall the exact extent of the paralysis, but its certainly permanent. The younger child, the girl, suffered severe liver/kidney damage as well, and brain damage.
All because of something distracting the driver. It’s a split-second thing. I feel just as bad for that man as for the family. Apparently he met the father after the accident, and the father was able to forgive him - they were very religious, and I guess that helped a lot in that case. AFAIK, there was still some contact between the two men, but I dont know about the kids. I haven’t heard anything about it in a long time, though.
Terrible stuff happens for stupid reasons. Either irresponsibility or split second distractions. I commute every day, and see a lot of stupid stuff. Believe me, I drive a lot safer than I used to, because I don’t want to be one of those statistics.