![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Mar. 16th, 2008 12:41 pmon the way to SNB yesterday, i witnessed an accident. traffic was heavy and congested, and we were all going a pretty good clip -- probably faster than the conditions would warrant. we'd just left the heavy fog for overcast and damp, we'd just passed a state trooper which had everyone hitting their breaks and generally acting like idiots. i was in the center lane, and just ahead of me in the left lane was a tight cluster of cars. at least three, but it might've been 4-5. these cars were all crazy-bumper-to-bumper, the ones in the rear pushing the ones in front to go faster.
as we reached an overpass at an exit, the third car from the rear spun out - i saw his tires start smoking and his tail end swing into my lane, and he spun 1-2 times before flipping side-over-side, landing on the drivers side just as i passed him.
i managed to slow down enough to not get hit as he tumbled (and he had the decency to stay in his lane as he cartwheeled, how kind), but there was no place for me to pull over, and i knew i had a cluster of cars on my tail, so i kept going.
after catching my breath, i remembered i had my cell phone out, so i called 911. i hope i was an acceptable accident-reporter. i gave my location (southbound highway at X exit, on the overpass, left lane), the approximate number of cars (one that flipped, two behind him that probably chain-reaction hit, possibly one in front), and that we'd just passed a state trooper a few miles back.
i felt bad for not stopping but (a) there was no safe way for me to stop AT the accident scene, (b) i had the presence of mind to report it, which had to help somehow and (c) i saw two cars turn around and head back just as soon as they could, so i knew there'd be others at the scene. plus, the state trooper a couple miles back would be much better equipped to help than i would.
the whole thing left me rattled for a very long time, and my drive home from cincinnati made me a bit nervous. traffic was lighter than normal going home, but i still was leary of any car coming near me.
which brings me to a poll:
[Poll #1155096]
as we reached an overpass at an exit, the third car from the rear spun out - i saw his tires start smoking and his tail end swing into my lane, and he spun 1-2 times before flipping side-over-side, landing on the drivers side just as i passed him.
i managed to slow down enough to not get hit as he tumbled (and he had the decency to stay in his lane as he cartwheeled, how kind), but there was no place for me to pull over, and i knew i had a cluster of cars on my tail, so i kept going.
after catching my breath, i remembered i had my cell phone out, so i called 911. i hope i was an acceptable accident-reporter. i gave my location (southbound highway at X exit, on the overpass, left lane), the approximate number of cars (one that flipped, two behind him that probably chain-reaction hit, possibly one in front), and that we'd just passed a state trooper a few miles back.
i felt bad for not stopping but (a) there was no safe way for me to stop AT the accident scene, (b) i had the presence of mind to report it, which had to help somehow and (c) i saw two cars turn around and head back just as soon as they could, so i knew there'd be others at the scene. plus, the state trooper a couple miles back would be much better equipped to help than i would.
the whole thing left me rattled for a very long time, and my drive home from cincinnati made me a bit nervous. traffic was lighter than normal going home, but i still was leary of any car coming near me.
which brings me to a poll:
[Poll #1155096]
