So, you know how I like (wrong word) to talk about the crazies that I share the road with in beautiful CT? Well, one of them nearly lost his life this morning. I was into my highway stretch and doing 55-60 in the second lane to the right (right lane was exit only) when I saw a Chevy S-10 approaching from behind. He was in the right lane doing 75-80 and had passed me to exit when he swung wide into the second lane on the exit ramp. Now, that's a 45mph ramp and he had to be at his handling limits for the curve as it was. Then things got really screwy when some guy in front of him, who wasn't expecting to see someone approaching at 30mph differential speed and probably didn't check the mirrors, changed lanes in front of the speeding truck. I expected him to go off the road, which is what very nearly happened. It looks like he managed to scrub off just enough speed to keep from hitting the other car and keep it out of the ditch by a foot or two. It could have been really ugly, though...nothing but a ditch and hardwood on the outside of that ramp. No place to be at 70mph+. I hope he learned something but somehow I doubt it.
Oh, he probably figures he avoided a wreck because he is a smart a$$. Guess the law of averages will eventually catch up with him and he might take a hard look at his driving after the wreck...
Not unless the eventual wreck he gets in is completely, undeniably his fault ... which it won't be, as far as he's concerned. If he had rolled it today, it would have been the fault of the person "cutting him off", not his for doing 70 on an off-ramp. Even if he's all alone on a perfectly dry road and loses it, he'll find some excuse to absolve himself of the blame. This is the biggest problem I have with the general public (and driving in particular) these days. There just seems to be too much of an "all that matters is what I want" attitude.
It is for reasons such as this that I stop when I witness a wreck. Several years ago, a semi merged into the side of my car and literally pushed me sideways into another lane. No joke. I was in the center lane and he was in the left. He just changed lanes - into me - and pushed me into the right lane before I had even really put together what was happening. My driver-side doors were scratched up by his lug nuts, but that's it. When we pulled over, he was - of course - all apologetic, claiming responsibility, and saying that we'll settle it like gentlemen; like real men. Once insurance got involved, it turned out that we were both merging into the center lane at the same time and collided. Total BS. Since it was deemed no-fault or equally-at-fault, I had to pay for my damages. Additionally, I have seen way too many moron drivers and just hoped that they got what they had coming to them. For both those reasons - to make sure the innocent one doesn't get screwed and to make sure the guilty one gets penalized - I stop and file a police report as an eye witness to whatever happened. I suggest that everyone does. Some day you'll be in the same spot I was with dozens of people around and not a single witness and then you'll understand.
Hi Tim: ___I have seen my share of close calls as well as fully involved accidents when the white sheets are spread out over the pavement covering up the dead. This guy was absolutely the luckiest and stupidest driver on the road that day and we can all just hope this guy was scared straight. ___Tony, I had a similar incident as yours on at the I294/94 interchange at Lake Cook road Northbound about 5 years ago. A semi pulled over into the right lane that I was occupying at the time and I was bouncing like a Ping Pong ball off the cement side barrier and his trailer for what seemed like an eternity. The Nissan P/U’s drivers side cab was practically sheared off as well as the entire right side of the truck being ripped to shreds … Fortunately for me, the car was still drivable as I was spit out the back in a spin given the SOB didn’t stop. I pulled up next to (her) and tried to wave her to pull over with no avail. I took all the plate info and truck details. I came across a trooper on the side of the road around Half Day to give him the report. Nothing happened with the report because the trucking company was out of state and even my insurance company said we can only pay the totaled cost minus deductible. I got on the phone for what seemed like the fifth or sixth time saying I have had enough and was taking Martin (the trucking company) to small claims here in Illinois. Only then did I receive a check to cover the totaled but still running P/U truck. She had over 100K miles on her so it wasn’t a great loss but I sure was mad! More scared out of my mind during the actual event in reality! ___In the case of Tim’s aggressive driver, it is too bad for all of us but this kind of behavior will continue. The real victims will be one of us or worse, a minivan full of kids that ended up in a rollover trying to avoid the little BAS$##%# driving while basically out of control thinking he is in control. ___Good Luck ___Wayne
