My Brush with DEATH......

[thearrow]

Its 1:30 am on Saturday night and I am driving along Stoney Creek Rd. at Bexley (a dual carriage way in both directions) minding my own business, feeling a bit tired & thinking about what I have to do on Sunday, mow the grass, take the kids somewhere you know the normal stuff . The traffic is very light, a car passes me in the opposite direction every couple of minutes and I am doing about 80 clicks, as you do at that time of night.

I am stone cold sober & have not had a drink all night.

I see another car coming toward me about 100 metres away, as we get to about 50-60 metres he starts to drift across the road at first I wasn't concerned I just thought that's a bit strange and he will straighten up but he doesn't he keeps coming I flash my lights, he keeps coming, by now he is in my lane on the wrong side of the road.

WTF !!!!!!!! :

I swerve into lane 1 and sense his lights going past me inches away but now I am heading straight for the gutter and the brick fence just beyond that and the brick house just beyond that. I wrench the wheel back the other way and the car swerves back into lane 2, I straighten it up and get things tidied up as I stuff my heart back into my chest. I check my rear view mirror and he is still on my side of the road for about another 50 meters and finally wakes up and gets back on his side of the road.

I can honestly say the Cougar saved my life it performed the manoeuvre flawlessly under an emergency situation and I am convinced that driving a lesser vehicle would have invloved me in a serious accident.

I have been driving for 35 years and had my share of accidents but this is the closest I have ever come to being killed outright as there is no way anybody is going to survive a head on at 80KMH and live to talk about it.



Everytime I get in my Cougar now I give thanks and praise to the FORD engineers who designed my car & to brand new BFG tyres.

: : : :

[galaxy xr8]

And did you go after the other driver,
How do you not know if he/she was drunk behind the wheel, or if they were actually falling asleep behind the wheel, they were obvisouly not in the posistion to be behind the wheel, they could have either hit someone else or killed someone else latter on??.

[#Russ#Es#]

I drive on Stoney Creek Road often - would not be pretty seeing a head-on along there (or anywhere for that matter!), considering how close the houses are to the road on some parts.
If the driver was drunk, not sure if you can really do much can you? Even if they could pull over, who knows what they would do after that...

[MTL10N]

phwoar...very fortunate you (and the kitty) escaped unscathed...but drivers like that put all others on the road at risk. Let me pose this question: if it were you in that situation, the one avoiding the near-miss caused by another driver on the road due to DUI or micro-sleeping; do you think it’s your responsibility and/or the right thing to do is go after that reckless driver and warn/help them, even if it meant potentially saving a fatal crash incident? Do you go out of your way to be a Good Samaritan? I know it’s unheard of in this day and age and in most circumstances you would just drive off in opposite directions (whilst fuming, swearing your head off as usual), not giving it a second thought. Would you potentially put your own safety in question so that reckless driver is stopped somehow? If so, how would you go about it?

Part of my work involves road safety and this is one particular issue I would like to hear your opinions on. What would you do in thearrow’s position? Its easy saying you should do the right thing but in reality the right thing and our honest responses don’t always line up exactly.

[scout]

Several years ago I was driving to work dual lanes both ways bucketing down with rain and a semi trailer overtook in the fast lane the driver in the car infront of me paniced and hit the brakes which somehow I and those following missed. I followed the truck and it had a number on the back and a message that said "ring this number if you are not happy with our drivers" so I did and was advised they would contact me and advise of the outcome. 2 weeks later I rang them back and asked the outcome they advised there was non at that stage, I then told them not to worry as the same truck on the same corner in the same conditions had just left the road and travelled about 30 meters up hill and taken out a house, there was no coment. I should contacted the police in the first instance as this may have had an effect on the second. At least if you report situations like these it could be used later.
Trev

[zetec]

Originally Posted by MTL10N

phwoar...very fortunate you (and the kitty) escaped unscathed...but drivers like that put all others on the road at risk. Let me pose this question: if it were you in that situation, the one avoiding the near-miss caused by another driver on the road due to DUI or micro-sleeping; do you think it’s your responsibility and/or the right thing to do is go after that reckless driver and warn/help them, even if it meant potentially saving a fatal crash incident? Do you go out of your way to be a Good Samaritan? I know it’s unheard of in this day and age and in most circumstances you would just drive off in opposite directions (whilst fuming, swearing your head off as usual), not giving it a second thought. Would you potentially put your own safety in question so that reckless driver is stopped somehow? If so, how would you go about it?

Part of my work involves road safety and this is one particular issue I would like to hear your opinions on. What would you do in thearrow’s position? Its easy saying you should do the right thing but in reality the right thing and our honest responses don’t always line up exactly.

It's 1:30am and barely anyone's around... HANDBRAKE TURN!!! Smoke up the tyres and chase after him. Engage the PIT manouvre to stop him and then politely tell him to wake up.

[Petal]

Geez Dave, what a scare! Glad to hear that you got out of it OK, there are quite a lot of drivers around that would not have been able to avoid the accident. (BTW, if you are ever over near my work drop in & have a look at the kit)

Tony, in response to your question I would like to say that I would be a good samaritan & try to prevent them from injuring or killing anyone, but in reality I think I would more likely just keep going & thank my lucky stars that I had avoided the accident. If I had enough wits about me to have noted their rego number (we all know these things happen so fast) I would call the police & report the dangerous driving, although I think it would be pure luck that the police would find them!
The main reasons I would not try & stop them are:

• how do you stop them without injuring yourself or damaging your car if they do not want to stop?

• if they do stop are they going to be aggressive (or have a knife, screwdriver, gun etc.)?

Sad fact of life but that's the way it is these days. Just goes to show that "the right thing and our honest responses don’t always line up exactly".

[thearrow]

Thanks for the support guys but the last thing I was thinking about was the other guy/person. My heart was thumping in my chest I broke out in a cold sweat and just wanted to get home.

As for chasing someone let alone pulling them over there would be a huge amount of legal issues to be considered not withstanding what Melissa said about the possibility of being assaulted by the other driver.

Once you embark on that sort of action ANYTHING could happen.

If I had turned around and chased him/her the most I would have done was ring 000 and report it and the location and see what happened = probably nothing.

[FumDuk]

Freak stuff !

I have a temper... so I kinda agree with the hand break n' chase, if only to get their number plate n' call the cops... That being said, I dont blame you for just wanting to get home, what a scare... I been putting off buying new wheels until my tries are well n' truly 'ed... maybe its time, you never know when this sort of situation will pop up!

[paule11]

Ive had a similar thing truck with a trailer and a wheel fell off the truck causing the truck to fishtail across a bridge while im driving towards it the last thing you think of is doing anything to the driver all you think about is how lucky you are to be alive .

[zetec]

I was being slightly sarcastic.

I'd have shat myself too.

[Thunderbird]

I can add to this tail too.. SAME PLACE.. Stony Creek Road just past the Hurstville Turn-off.. its about 5.30 am.. I'm driving to work in my Mitz Lancer Coupe.. (1974 era type rally car - fairly rare now days).
Cruising the speed limit an on the inside lane.. a paper truck goes flying by... then moves to the left fairly sharply... urr WTF .. but OK.... next another .. but he miss judges and swipes the RHS front of the Lancer.. between his push and natural want to get out of the way.. and shear LUCK.. I mount the curb and go into somebodies scrubs and garden...
The trucks continue up the road.. don't want to wear this .. and with no time to think.. the engine was still going.. I could see some panel damage.. I reversed out and gave chase... thru a red light carefully and on about 1km or so.. as they approached a set of lights they slowed down and I pulled in front and stopped.
That's when I first really saw the damage on my car but they were a bit startled too.. I was in full uniform on my way to Long Bay for the early day shift.. the drivers did not muck around.. the 2nd truck who hit me.. still had all the yellow paint on his side bars and a side lamp broken.. A home owner came out .... preparing to call the cops....if needed... but this trucker seemed decent....
Later I learned he had a series of warrants out for him.. his employer covered the damage and they wrote the car off.. & they gave it back to me with a decent cheque. All ended up well... but .. without the chance that there was NO POLE in my way.. the car still started.. and drove... I was able to catch them & I was in uniform.. then entire situation could have been deadly and costly.

Somebodies looking after us.... we are the lucky ones....

[thearrow]

Jeez Thunderbird another close shave..... I can just imagine his face when he saw you in uniform his jaw would have dropped LOL.