I dodged a bullet....

[Beau]

...so yesterday I was on the highway driving to class, when some asshat in an SUV slammed on their brakes (no warning, no turn signal) to turn across an island in the median. I see idiots do this all the time, this one actually left a sweeping tire tread of their skid, but THIS time the driver of the SUV didn't pull all the way into the median, but left most of their big honkin' truck sticking out into the left lane (which is where I was, during rush hour traffic). I had been going about 75, and the Porsche didn't fail me, it was braking nicely in time to avoid colliding with the SUV....however, the guy in the BMW behind me wasn't slowing down fast enough, and as I glanced in my rearview mirror and saw his car's front end nosing towards the pavement with still too much speed, I let off the gas with a quick glance at my right mirror to ensure the lane was sort of clear. I'd rather be sideswiped than rear-ended.

Just as I let off the brake and nailed the gas, I juked out into the right lane enough to get around the offending SUV, and the guy in the BMW *tapped* my rear end, and I got right back in the left lane and pulled off into the median. The BMW driver wasn't so lucky, the person in the Honda behind him must not have been paying attention at all, because she plowed into him at full speed. The guy in the BMW got slammed flat, his seat stripped its gears and wouldn't re-incline up after the accident, it just made a pitiful whining sound and jerked once it went up an inch or two. The girl in the Honda that hit him had no front end left at all, it was totally accordioned with engine parts all over the roadway; she had to be taken away by ambulance, but the EMT's said she had a few broken ribs at most. The Honda was totalled, and I'm pretty sure the Beemer will be too. The BMW had dimples in the roof from what appears to be the frame twisting.

I got away with having my license plate being dented; it didn't even damage the license plate lights, just bent it inwards & downwards.

This was the first accident I'd been involved with in over 10 years, I forgot how scary it can be. Time slowed down 'Matrix'-style, my eyes were hitting all my mirrors while I slammed it into low (yeah, it's an auto) and hit the revs once I was sure I was going to be hit, leaning on the horn with my elbow all the while.

Final tally:

Me - Car pretty much undamaged
BMW - Totalled, bent frame
Honda - scrap metal, if that
Red SUV that caused the whole brouhaha - drove away without stopping

The cops asked me if I had gotten the SUV's tag number....I said I didn't have time to think about tag numbers, all I knew it that it was big, red, and in my way! :P

And yes, I was selfish, I've just gotten my car out of paint & bodywork, the first thing I checked was the damage to my car. However, after seeing no damage was done, I called the cops and stayed around to make sure everyone involved had a lift, hospital care, and/or contacted their loved ones, even though I was missing a graduate-level class to do so. :P

It should be noted once again, though, I could have come to a complete stop safely if there hadn't been others right on my arse, in case someone mis-reads this. I could have come to a complete stop easily if the others hadn't been following too closely, I only had to bust out the risky driving because of the people on my tail.

Anyway, that's my tale, hope you enjoyed it.

[Aufgeladen944]

That sucks. I've been in similar situations. The worst one? Being rear-ended and smashing into my friend's BMW right in front of me. That was pretty bad...

You're right about car crashes and the time-slowing-down thing. I keep getting hit by other people. I'm 22 and I've been ran into 6 times (!!!!). Most of the time it's happening, I'll say out loud something like that "uggh, here we go again..." or, my favorite I said when a woman was spinning around and hit me head on, "Hmm, that's not right (smash)."

Too bad you didn't get the plate number for the SUV, as they are at least partially at fault.

My first crash was me rear-ending somebody else; it only takes one time, I think, to leave A LOT more space between you and the car in front. You want to take bets that both the BMW and Honda drivers will be a lot more cautious next time?

[phoenix_iii]

Good story telling Beau. Thanks for typing that out. Glad you were okay and quick to get out of the way. I've been in similar situations (though without the tapping or collisions behind me), but I always worry...

What if you had changed lanes, and then got the side swipe (better than reared), and the BMW and Honda both stopped in time. If you didn't get the tag of the offending SUV... it would be a 'your fault' accident. I guess better to pay $ than to be in the hospital, so good call either way. =)

[callmethewander]

i recently got reared in stop and go traffic she didn't remember the stop part, no damage tho. good , alert driving on your part, and the girl in the honda, well each car behind has less time to react so she may not have been any closer or faster than you or the bimmer, it's too bad i hope she's ok. this is also a good reason to keep a little digital camera in the car. I have some nice pics of the last time i rear ended a semi, that woke me up, literally.

[mattdavis11]

When I see tail lights in front of me, I check behind me. I've had to pull out of a lane of traffic to save my own arse many times.

Glad to hear you didn't get all mangled up.

[callmethewander]

Sometimes it is our fault. Asleep at the wheel! i really almost bought it this time.

[Aufgeladen944]

^yeah, don't do that