[prattrc]

A few years ago, I was driving south on I-75 in Manatee County, FL (just south of Tampa). It was morning rush hour, but traffic was moderate. We bunched up as we approached a construction zone. In my rear view I saw a black Mitsu Eclipse flying in and out of traffic, weaving back and forth. I muttered to myself, "I hope he gets in an accident." He flew past me and I lost sight of him. A couple of minutes later, traffic came to a near stand still.

I came up to the scene of the accident and was horrified by what I saw. The Eclipse was in the median, upside down, front and rear ends crushed in, totaled. The driver and his two passengers were also in the median (apparently thrown from the car). Passers by had stopped to help, but one of the passengers was already dead, or so I assume, since someone laid a shirt over her face. The other passenger was laying on her side, shaped like an "L" with her legs going the wrong way. She was still moving a bit. The driver was struggling to get up, but someone was holding him down (for his own good, no doubt).

Given the scene and his earlier behavior behind the wheel, I figured he weaved too far to the left and dropped a wheel off the road into the median (there was about a six inch drop from the road to the gravel), then he cut back too hard and rolled the car.

They were so young, probably a couple of years younger than me. I drove the next two hours with the radio off, in virtual hypnosis.

Maybe FHP is trying to stop this sort of thing from happening.