I’m tooling along on a divided highway this morning when I see an SUV coming the other way swerve off the road. It hits the median at high speed, goes airborne and begins rotating.
RIGHT AT ME.
I accelerated and swerved right. My car got sprayed by gravel dug up from the median, and the SUV passed behind me by probably less than 6 feet. In the rear view mirror I saw it soar off the road and into the trees.
Don’t think I’ll ever forget seeing a hunk of metal that big head straight for me at such a speed sideways!. Had I been in the left lane or been driving slightly slower, I would probably be dead.
After calling 911 I went back to help, and there were already people on the scene. The car was upside down, thankfully not on fire. To my amazement, they pulled out three kids without a scratch and were working on pulling out an adult who was conscious.
I’m currently working as a flight instructor, and I want back in my airplane! This driving stuff is dangerous!!!
I nearly got hit by a car today. I had just walked my son to school and was walking back. We have to cross a big road with fairly heavy traffic. I waited at the light and walked on the signal. Some guy in one of those shiny little boxy quasi-Toyotas didn’t see me in the crosswalk and almost plowed into me. I saw him and was able to sort of jump a few feet to one side. If I hadn’t been watching for him I’d probably have some broken bones, or at least some nice abrasions, but would have likely survived it. I made sure he could read my lips as I pointed to the signal and crosswalk markings.
Jeebus crow, narrow miss. Congrats on your bill of excellent health!
I had a recent narrow miss that had my hands shaking once I realized what had happened.
Less than 1/4 mile from my house, I pass under a railroad bridge, then immediately over a small river below a dam. Both exchanges are single-lane with stop signs, which most normal people manage to navigate with the old honor system of “taking turns” - business we all learned in driver’s ed.
I was already under/through the railroad bridge and had performed my requisite full-stop before entering the bridge over the dam, where the vantage allows a driver to view about 1/4 mile of oncoming traffic through the metal bridge supports. Nobody coming on this fine sunny spring day, so I slowly (15 or so MPH) proceed.
At about 1/3 mark over the (very short) bridge, I notice a black Jetta whizzing towards the other end, probably at about 60 MPH.
Hm, he’s not slowing very much.
Not slowing at all.
Jesus WTF.
Is he going to stop?
HOLY SHIT DUDE HOLY SHIT WHAT THE
about 15 feet from the end of the single-lane bridge, where I have no escape whatsoever from a head-on collision, I stopped my car and LAID ON THE HORN.
Amazingly, Johnny Douchebag managed to look up in time and somehow screeched to halt, burning rubber & shimmying sideways for about 10 feet - without hitting me and, undoubtedly, killing me.
To my regret, I cannot report that I had the presence of mind to calmly step from my vehicle, extract him from his & forcibly introduce him to the eight-sided red & white sign at his end of the bridge.
Next time I will, although I hope there isn’t a next time.
I was recently thinking about starting a “your closest brush with death” thread…
… A few years ago I was on the Vine St. Expressway going through central Philadelphia in rush hour traffic. The traffic in front of me stopped; so did I. The tractor trailer in back of me didn’t. I got out of it with just a large gash on my forehead (from where my head hit the steering wheel or something – it happened so fast I had no sense of hitting anything, just BAM and then I was sitting there bleeding like hell). But I count every day since June 19, 2006 as a bonus day.
Lordy, I hate those. Glad to hear you’re OK. Has your heart stopped pounding yet?
I had something similar happen to me in Austin once; I was shaking for hours. I saw such stuff from somewhat farther off every week. It would be hard to overstate how much my life has improved now that I telecommute full time.
Sheesh. That might as well be the Angel of Death giving you a fly-by, screaming “THIS IS A PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT! YOU’RE MORTAL! HAVE A NICE DAY!” at the top of his ethereal, desiccated lungs.
