PacWestGS
01-20-2006, 08:25 PM
Whew, :eek this was sort of close on my morning commute. It was lightly raining, the road was very wet, very dark and the morning rush-hour was just beginning. I'd only been on the road for about 10-minutes so I too was just getting myself going for the day. (Not that I didn't already have my riding mindset going, I just really wasn't in the thick of it yet, so was kind of just going down the road at this point).
I had just passed through a busy intersection and was resuming my speed of about 40-MPH (Posted 40-MPH on a four lane highway with a center left-turn lane) I was in the inside (left) lane. The two cars in front of me signaled for a left-turn and moved to the turn-lane and slowed, at this time I could not see past the first vehicle (pickup with canopy) that was turning. I went back to my ride and my threats, knowing that these two no longer posed one to me.
The second car (Buick) started its left turn about the same time I saw the oncoming car in the opposite lane, going the speed limit. I was probably still about 50-feet behind all this, and could only watch it all happen. The lane next to me was empty so I swerved that way to make some more space but at 40 there wasn't a whole lot of time to do much. I was going past and nearly perpendicular to both vehicles went they impacted. I remember seeing the backend of the turning car swing a partial 180 as it was hit right in front of the rear wheel. The car that had right-of-way (Saturn) was spinning on its front end and the rear wheels were off the ground and spinning in a 90-degree turn with its back end (seemingly) swinging right towards me. It was all more than about 20-feet away, but man did it seem closer, and even with earplugs and a helmet, I could hear the impact, the crunching of metal, and the sounds of a crash. I don’t even think the driver had time to brake. When it all settled behind me the Saturn was in the middle of the lanes, and the Buick had completed its 180 and rolled back on to the side street. Both vehicles Air bags deployed.
No one else was nearby at the moment so I slowed fast and swung a U-Turn into the corner parking lot and shined all my lights (yes, those new Xenon lights too) onto the car left in the middle of the road. I could see the first woman (the turner) was OK but the woman who was driving at 40 had her head on the steering wheel. I was thinking bad things lay ahead. How ever long it took me to take off my gloves, helmet and dig my cell phone out of the tank bag, I called 911 and gave them the situation and location while I was walking to the injured driver, (about 45-seconds). I opened her door and she looked up, (for those who don't know me the username is not fake, I was an Paramedic once, I guess always will be) I asked if she was OK, and she was, Her first sentence was, "What happened, Yeah I'm Ok, and My car, my car". I asked her (20-24 y/o) again if she felt OK and if anything was hurt, she was really pretty good. As I walked back to the other car the elderly (60-65 y/o) was getting herself out of the car, I asked if she was OK and other than the fact that she had a really good nose bleed she affirmed that she too was uninjured. I secured the three road-flares out of my panniers and proceeded to mark the lanes in both directions so that others wouldn't drive into it. Some other people had stopped and asked me if everyone was OK and then they all went about their business, (THANKS), I guess they thought I was a cop because I had my Hi-Viz reflective vest on. The elderly woman had moved to the younger woman and said guess what,
"I DIDN'T SEE YOU", I'm so sorry, I have insurance, I just didn't see you"
I thought she needed some treatment to stop the nose bleed so I asked if see had some tissue in her car, we looked but there wasn't any, I asked her to just have a seat in her car and pinch her nose and hold her head down for little bit to stop the bleeding. She was so apologetic the whole time, and even asked if I was involved.
I got the other driver out of the road and she used my cell phone to call friends and relatives and stood in the parking lot while waiting for police. I directed traffic while waiting for EMS and the police.
Oh and while I’m standing in the road, with a flashlight, a reflective vest, mercury road flares burning, people in cars still drove right up to the scene like nothing was wrong and they too hadn’t or couldn’t see past their morning Latte. I almost got run over twice out of about 30-some vehicles. I swear people driving these days, are F’n BLIND.
I left my bike idling the whole time, about 20-minutes, I checked on it twice and the temp gage stayed in the normal area, thank someone for a 41-degree day. I think my tranny fluid was pretty warm when I did get back on the road.
The State Patrol showed up, we talked, they pushed the cars out of the road and I retrieved my phone said goodbyes and got on my bike to ride away into the sunset (OK the rest of my early morning commute). The last thing I said was to the (Pretty Cute) female Patrol Officer, "I sure hate getting back into morning traffic on this thing after that". She chuckled and I drove away.
I had just passed through a busy intersection and was resuming my speed of about 40-MPH (Posted 40-MPH on a four lane highway with a center left-turn lane) I was in the inside (left) lane. The two cars in front of me signaled for a left-turn and moved to the turn-lane and slowed, at this time I could not see past the first vehicle (pickup with canopy) that was turning. I went back to my ride and my threats, knowing that these two no longer posed one to me.
The second car (Buick) started its left turn about the same time I saw the oncoming car in the opposite lane, going the speed limit. I was probably still about 50-feet behind all this, and could only watch it all happen. The lane next to me was empty so I swerved that way to make some more space but at 40 there wasn't a whole lot of time to do much. I was going past and nearly perpendicular to both vehicles went they impacted. I remember seeing the backend of the turning car swing a partial 180 as it was hit right in front of the rear wheel. The car that had right-of-way (Saturn) was spinning on its front end and the rear wheels were off the ground and spinning in a 90-degree turn with its back end (seemingly) swinging right towards me. It was all more than about 20-feet away, but man did it seem closer, and even with earplugs and a helmet, I could hear the impact, the crunching of metal, and the sounds of a crash. I don’t even think the driver had time to brake. When it all settled behind me the Saturn was in the middle of the lanes, and the Buick had completed its 180 and rolled back on to the side street. Both vehicles Air bags deployed.
No one else was nearby at the moment so I slowed fast and swung a U-Turn into the corner parking lot and shined all my lights (yes, those new Xenon lights too) onto the car left in the middle of the road. I could see the first woman (the turner) was OK but the woman who was driving at 40 had her head on the steering wheel. I was thinking bad things lay ahead. How ever long it took me to take off my gloves, helmet and dig my cell phone out of the tank bag, I called 911 and gave them the situation and location while I was walking to the injured driver, (about 45-seconds). I opened her door and she looked up, (for those who don't know me the username is not fake, I was an Paramedic once, I guess always will be) I asked if she was OK, and she was, Her first sentence was, "What happened, Yeah I'm Ok, and My car, my car". I asked her (20-24 y/o) again if she felt OK and if anything was hurt, she was really pretty good. As I walked back to the other car the elderly (60-65 y/o) was getting herself out of the car, I asked if she was OK and other than the fact that she had a really good nose bleed she affirmed that she too was uninjured. I secured the three road-flares out of my panniers and proceeded to mark the lanes in both directions so that others wouldn't drive into it. Some other people had stopped and asked me if everyone was OK and then they all went about their business, (THANKS), I guess they thought I was a cop because I had my Hi-Viz reflective vest on. The elderly woman had moved to the younger woman and said guess what,
"I DIDN'T SEE YOU", I'm so sorry, I have insurance, I just didn't see you"
I thought she needed some treatment to stop the nose bleed so I asked if see had some tissue in her car, we looked but there wasn't any, I asked her to just have a seat in her car and pinch her nose and hold her head down for little bit to stop the bleeding. She was so apologetic the whole time, and even asked if I was involved.
I got the other driver out of the road and she used my cell phone to call friends and relatives and stood in the parking lot while waiting for police. I directed traffic while waiting for EMS and the police.
Oh and while I’m standing in the road, with a flashlight, a reflective vest, mercury road flares burning, people in cars still drove right up to the scene like nothing was wrong and they too hadn’t or couldn’t see past their morning Latte. I almost got run over twice out of about 30-some vehicles. I swear people driving these days, are F’n BLIND.
I left my bike idling the whole time, about 20-minutes, I checked on it twice and the temp gage stayed in the normal area, thank someone for a 41-degree day. I think my tranny fluid was pretty warm when I did get back on the road.
The State Patrol showed up, we talked, they pushed the cars out of the road and I retrieved my phone said goodbyes and got on my bike to ride away into the sunset (OK the rest of my early morning commute). The last thing I said was to the (Pretty Cute) female Patrol Officer, "I sure hate getting back into morning traffic on this thing after that". She chuckled and I drove away.