Survive a close one

[wdfifteen]

I took the company's "new" HHR on a 400 mile drive yesterday. I was headed north on I-75 in Ohio at the 174 mile marker, passing a car in the passing lane. A little red car heading south drove into the median and was aimed right at me. There is a cable barrier between the lanes there and he hit the barrier about 10 feet from me. By the time he hit the barrier I could hardly see the car for all the mud and sod he was throwing up. It looked like the cable was going to stretch and let him hit me. It looked like I could have reached out and touched the car as i whizzed past. If the cable hadn't been there he would have hit my driver's door at about a 45 degree angle. When the mud and crap hit me it was so loud that my first impression was that he had hit me. It happened so fast I don't think I even took my foot of the throttle. I looked in my mirror long enough to see the red car go back into the southbound lanes and get hit by a something. I saw it just as it erupted into a shower of parts. Apparently the cable acted like a rubber band. I called 911 and told them about it and asked if I should go to the next exit and turn around and go back. She got my phone number and told me to stop and check my car and only go back if it was damaged. I didn't see any damage, took a photo of the mud, and went on my way. Apparently I got off without a scratch, but god it was close. There was nothing about it on the traffic report web site yet this morning. I'm going back past there this morning. This happened very near where the two college girls were killed when hit head on a couple of weeks ago.

[billybek]

Did they draw that big lottery ticket yet?
Perhaps this is the day you need to buy one...

Glad to hear that you are OK. Hope the others involved are as well.

[Laneco]

Wow - glad you're around to write this!

If you need tips on cleaning the seat - let us know.

angela

[jhynesrockmtn]

We had several of these incidents in WA state several years back that resulted in fatalities. They started putting cable barriers up when the public outcry got bad enough.

[GH85Carrera]

I see the cable barriers that have taken a hit all the time. Most of those hits would have been a crossover accident. Those cable barriers are a great thing. I just hope the driver that hit the barrier pays to have it fixed. It most likely saved their life.

[wdfifteen]

I forgot something I was going to post about the HHR. This was my first out of town drive and I had gone about 100 miles and noticed the gas gauge had hadn't moved. I was thinking wow, this thing really is good on gas. At about 150 miles I was thinking there must be something wrong with the gauge. When a warning light came on I started looking closer and realized I'd been watching the water temp gauge.
So far I like the HHR just fine.

[GH85Carrera]

Originally Posted by wdfifteen

I forgot something I was going to post about the HHR. This was my first out of town drive and I had gone about 100 miles and noticed the gas gauge had hadn't moved. I was thinking wow, this thing really is good on gas. At about 150 miles I was thinking there must be something wrong with the gauge. When a warning light came on I started looking closer and realized I'd been watching the water temp gauge.
So far I like the HHR just fine.

Did you do the Homer Simpson DOH!

[porsche4life]

I had the same thing happen to me.... Scary as chit!

And I damn near rear ended the idiot in front of me that mashed on the brakes and came to a nearly complete stop when the mud hit..... On a 4 lane wide highway, traffic all doing better than 70....

[Rikao4]

glad your okay..
those cable are great..
unless your on a bike..
like that fool that blasted by me in the heavy fog..

I trying to figure out were here was...
when I started finding parts..

Rika