Police car almost T-boned me last night

[stormcrow]

My wife and I had just finished dinner last night and were heading to the movies, it was about 9:15. We were travling west on a two lane highway when coming in the opposite direction was a police car with its flashing lights on. I was at an intersection so I pulled over to let him by.

I continued on with caution and as I approached the next intersection (light was green in my favor, doing about 35 at about 75 feet from the light) a police car came out of nowhere with flashing lights attempting to enter the intersection from the right (he had the red light).

I immediately slammed on my brakes but couldn't stop in time and skidded into the intersection right in front of him. Lucky for me, he stopped in time to keep from broadsiding me. Talk about getting the s**t scared out of you.

The road I was on was is not very busy at that time of night and there were houses on both sides at the intersection. There was no way I could have seen him until he was at the intersection.

I continued on a short distance to get out of his way and when I looked in the rear view mirror all I saw was the smoke from my tires, and his flashing lights going off in the distance. It would have been a mess if he hit. My wife wasn't sure how to react and didn't say a word.

I always thought that when an emergency vehicle came into an intersection they were supposed to slow down and proceed with caution going through it. It didn't look to me like he was going that slow when I saw him. I guess St Christopher was riding with me last night.

Just goes to show you that you always have to be on guard when your driving about and you never know what can happen.

Steve

[Fishcop]

You're right Steve, you never know what is comming at you next be it a police car, drunk driver, big f/n truck...whatever. You can't argue fault when you're dead

You are your only friend when driving

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John Forcier
69 911T

[Greg-slant/cab]

Our policy is to stop at all red lights before going through them and then proceed at no more than 15 mph. There are some people that drive dangerously even police officers.

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Greg-slant/cab
http://www.geocities.com/gregslantcab/

[MBA83Targa]

Steve, I'm glad to hear everyone is okay from what sounds like a VERY close call.

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Mark

[RoninLB]

A friend was driving an 12 ton Fire Truck. Lights, siren, Could see smoke 1/4 mile away from top of hill. Smoke = Fire = people in mortal danger. On way down hill brakes went out. Intersection ahead, plenty of cars, death waiting ahead. As intersection nears a wild left turn into one way street the wrong way. Slides into utility pole with mid-section of rig. Pole comes down, truck winds up on very left side of street still out of control where cars are parked facing him. Hits another utility pole dead center of windshield then slams head on into parked new Cherokee. Wires come down from pole covering fire truck as Cherokee explodes. Driver leaves engine on , puts truck into pump gear. Fire truck covered in flames and high voltage wires. Firemen get out through black smoke and flames. They unload hose to put fire out not realizing the danger of electrical wires draping across truck. The fire truck was reported for 9 months with brake problems that were never resolved.I started this thread as to balance the public perception of what goes on with Fire and Police Departments. The ordinary man is involved in action, the hero acts. This is a true story.

[Eric Coffey]

Glad you're OK man. The hypocrisy level of some of these cops really angers me. Things like speeding up to 80mph in a 40mph zone so they can catch up to you and give you a ticket for doing 50mph! It kind of reminds me of the terrible tragedy that happened in Temecula, California some years back: A law enforcement truck driving way too fast, struck a van in an intersection killing 6 high school students. To make matters worse, he wasn't chasing a murder, rapist, or even bank robber, but suspected illegal immigrants. Very sad, and very avoidable with just a little common sense.
-Eric

[MMARSH]

Stromcrow,
That that was probably pretty scary, I'm glad your okay. But, from your post I dont understand what the policecar did wrong. you said that he was attempting to enter the intersection and was able to stop instead of broadsiding you. He must not have been going very fast if that is the case. When you tried to stop you skidded into the intersection. Dont misunderstand me, I'm not suggesting that you did anything wrong, just wondering what it was exactly that the cop did wrong. Our policy is to clear the intersection lane by lane as you go through, its sounds like if he hadnt done that he would have slammed into the side of you for sure. Regardless, glad it worked out ok.

Michael

[stormcrow]

My field of view was restricted because of the house on the corner. I was on a two lane road, and the house on the corner didn't have much of a front yard so it was up close to the road.

The police car being in the right lane was at a three lane intersection, the center being the turning lane so this gave him a much wider field of view to his left. That is probably why he he stopped in time without hitting me. He was a lot further away from the intersection than I was when he saw me.

I didn't hear any siren, and that probably would have made a difference. Neither police vehicles had their sirens going, just flashing lights - they may have been responding to a burgarly in the area.

Steve

[mm86911]

Steve - glad to hear you're ok.

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Mike - Atlanta
'86 911 3.2 Targa

[sweater914]

glad to here you're alright, almost had a head on, about a 2 years ago on a two lane road, some idiot in a saturn was trying to dial his cell phone, his car was 3/4 of the way into my lane, our mirrors almost touched, my little 914 would have been totalled in a fiery wreck, i tracked the guy down and want to be the crap out of him at least vandalise his car, but good judgement kept me from doing anything stupid