I saw a very strange and terrible accident this morning

[Droopy]

I was at work doing my trucking route. I had just gotten off a highway and was on the city street that led to my last customer. It was about 5:30 this morning so it was still dark. I'm heading south down this street and there is a traffic light up ahead that is red. There is another truck already at the light waiting to turn left. The light turns green and the truck eases out into the intersection and starts to turn left. The problem with that was that he didn't seem to see the car coming at him from the opposite direction. The speed limit is 50 mph on that street and this car is doing every bit of that. The truck stops, but he is already into the oncoming traffic lane. This is where the strange part comes in. The car driver proceeds like the truck isn't even there. Even though the truck had pulled out in front of him the car still had time to slam on the breaks or take an evasive maneuver. The car never hit the breaks, never even slowed down, and slammed straight into the right front of that truck doing at least 50 mph. I know that car had at least enough time to jam on the brakes and maybe even enough time to avoid the accident altogether. Both drivers just acted like the other one wasn't there.

The truck driver will be cited in the accident and he may face other charges depending on whether the driver of the car lives or not, which looked to me to be doubtful. After I was done delivering my stuff I had to go back the direction I came and drive right by the accident. The police were there directing traffic while some firefighters worked frantically to free the driver of the car. By the way those firemen were working things didn't look good for the driver of that car.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

1. My dear Droopy!

Oh, that sounds dreadful...

Who knows what the car driver was thinking?

Suicidal?

Distracted?

I'd be very suprised if that driver survived this...

I'm sorry you had to see it...

:hug:

[zanne]

7. I think that some "accidents" aren't accidents at all.

If the driver of the car didn't even try to stop, it could very well have been a suicide attempt

[Whoa_Nelly]

2. Yikes!

Did you also make a report of the accident?

Horrible to see things like htat happen.
Actually watched a head-on two lane hwy. collision years back..a car and a pick-up. The driver of the car was at fault for passing, no passing lane up a hill, and slammed right into a pick up truck headed downhill. Hwy. 395 Nevada just south of Carson City. My house at the time was on a hill overlooking the highway. I was the first to report it. And then, about 6-8 minutes later, some guy comes climbing up my hill (there were actually two more leveled out rows of streets below my top level), and starts banging on my back door. It was his brother that was in the car, and he was frantic to make sure help was on the way, and wanted to use my phone. I told I had already called it in, but that he could call anyone he needed to from my phone. He was too upset...he ran back down the hill to the accident.


So hard to watch crashes happen :hug:

[Droopy]

4. I called it in to 911 and left my number with them

Just in case they needed to talk to me. I'd say the cops were on the scene within 2 minutes of my call. The ambulance and the fire truck another 2 minutes after that.

[ThomCat]

3. I am amazed at how little attention most people pay to where they are going.

Even on the sidewalk it's a shame. I drive an electric wheelchair, and I have to watch where I'm going and how fast I'm moving at all times. People around me are oblivious. They walk around without looking or seeing, without listening. Often too busy on the cell phone or blackberry or ipod or some other little device.

I often wonder if they drive on the road the same way they walk in halls and on sidewalks. :(

We're training people to split their attention, and to not pay attention. With every new gadget that comes out on the market it seems to get a little bit worse.

I don't know if little gadgets were responsible for the accident you saw. I'm just speculating. But I'll bet they cause a high percentage of accidents. :(

[lost-in-nj]

5. Thats horrible Droopy

but I don't understand why the truck driver is getting cited..

he was turning on the green?? and you can vouch for him, can't you??
or am I missing something

:hug:

glad your ok..
like CP said who knows what the driver of the car was thinking..

at 5:30 they might have been drunk, or coming off late shift and fell asleep
its awful to watch something like that happen and not be able to do anything about it..... :(

lost

[Droopy]

6. The driver of the car also had a green light

It was the job of the trucker to yield to oncoming traffic before making the turn.

[lost-in-nj]

8. Oh

thanks you for clearing that up

I guess i was reading it wrong.....


:hug:


lost

edit: I went back and read it again...


I understand now...