Witnessed an accident yesterday

[rabernet]

Yesterday I had to go into work for a few hours, then swung by Canine Assistants to pick up a dog for a home visit this weekend.

As I'm driving home on GA-400 (the GA equivalent of the German Autobahn), the sky lets loose a torrential rain. The type of rain where the cars ahead appear as shadows.

All of the sudden, ahead of me I see this shadow of a truck look like it was weaving in and out of traffic, and I realize that it's hydroplaning and fishtailing across four lanes of highway and I immediately start slowing down, because he's not THAT far ahead of me (and I'm already going 15 miles below the speed limit because of the rain) and then I see him just crash head first into the middle barrier (which is taller than I am). Flipped the truck back around so that the nose of the truck is facing back into the traffic across the far left lane.

I immediately throw in my hazards and start breaking so that I can stop to make sure that he's ok. Planned to pull the car into the lane that his truck was now blocking, but in front of him, at a safe distance in front so that if any other drivers saw it too late to stop, I wouldn't be hurt.

As I get right to the front of his truck, he throws the door open and is yanking his cell phone out of his pocket to call 911. I asked him if he was ok and if he'd like me to stay with him while help arrived. He assured me that he was physically fine and that I didn't need to stay with him.

I was very relieved that he was ok enough to get out of that truck, the crash was violent enough for me to let out a few expletives when it happened. Luckily, no other cars were involved, though I'm not quite sure whether or not a car had cut him off prior to the accident to cause it or not, since visibility was so poor.

He's very "lucky" that his truck hit the middle median and didn't go off to the right - because the accident happened on a bridge that goes over another six lanes of traffic. Had he gone off to the right, and if the impact would have flipped the truck up, he would have gone up and over the bridge.

[spitfireashlea]

Wow, good thing he survived! Good Samaritan award *gives to you*.

[rabernet]

Wow, good thing he survived! Good Samaritan award *gives to you*.

Thank you - I'd like to think I was just doing what I'd hope someone would do for me if I were in his shoes. Although I was shocked that four or five cars ahead of me didn't even break to see if he was ok and drove right on past.

[Samuel]

Really .. others didn't stop?

That almost your responsibility as a human when you see something like that, I don't mena everyone stop in the middle of the highway, but pull over, or turn around somewhere ... SOMETHING. Even if you are not an EMT or have no clue how to fix what may be broken, if you have a cell phone you need to at least see if that is needed. Even just being with someone, keeping their mind active by talking to them and asking question is enough reason to stop.

ugh.

Good for you, and I am glad he and you are alright.

[spitfireashlea]

Most people don't want to be bothered with that sort of thing. *Sigh*.

[cinderbird]

yesterday must have been an accident extravaganza.

You're a very nice person. I've called in quite a few accidents, but doing 70 on the highway it wasn't safe for me to stop at the time to check to see if people are ok. But at least i know help is on the way because of the 3-4 accidents ive called in, 911 said no one else had called (and some of these i'd been sitting in traffic watching the site for 5 minutes or more).

No one stopped for me yesterday either, but all vehicle occupants were out of their cars and walking around. People just dont want to be bothered. Its sad really.

I bet he was very thankful for you though, that could have ended very badly.

[Laooda]

So glad it ended well... Things like that are a true reality check. You can be driving one moment, and flipping around like a dish rag the next. Props to you for stopping Robin!

[mainbutter]

wow, good thing he survived! Good samaritan award *gives to you*.

+1