We almost were in an accident tonight!

15 years ago

I worked 8 hours today, called before I came home because I really didn't want to make dinner and asked Alex if he wanted to go eat out somewhere. He said "yes", for once (he's not much for eating out), because he wanted to pick up some games and a mouse for his computer. He also wanted to drive and needs more hours to get his license.

On the way home, right before we got into our city limits, someone came up behind us in a 45 mph zone, doing about 80 mph, went around us, nearly hitting the corner driver side of our car and got in front of us. I told Alex the guy was probably drunk and to slow way down because I thought he was going to hit the guy who was in front of us. He passed that guy too, only there were four other cars in both lanes in front of him so he went in between them! He hit someone in a white car who was in the left hand lane sending them into the median and he went in the opposite direction off the right side of the road. I told Alex to pull over and stop. Called 911 and then got out to see if anyone was hurt. No one was, thank goodness. We turned our emergency lights on and sat there for a while trying to get back out on the road but cops started to show up and more traffic, driving too fast.

We finally got home and Alex got on the computer and IM'd his best friend only to find out that it was his brother who got hit in the white car and the other guy was drunk. Apparently he caused more than one accident in Frankfort, where we had just come from. I stayed up to watch the news but nothing about either accident mentioned. I hope no one was hurt in the other one/s either.

I worry about Alex driving, especially being a boy and hope he is careful when he starts driving on his own and now knows to stay far away from crazy drivers if he can. Four more teenagers were killed yesterday in KY. They were driving on ice and snow in the southern part of the state and hit a coal truck. They showed pictures of their car and the whole top was gone. Makes me scared to death knowing my son is going to be on his own shortly too.

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Comments (12)

sheilajoyce_gw
15 years ago
I delayed my kids' driving for quite a while with concerns for their safety and safe driving.
Cherryfizz
15 years ago
That is scary and I am glad that you and Alex weren't hit by that guy.

More than ever it seems that young people are being killed in traffic accidents - at least around here. The Ontario government is wanting to put more limitations on young drivers and one of the limitations is that a young driver can only have one passenger in the car - family excluded. I had a young cousin and his buddy that were killed in a traffic accident last Monday and neither he nor the driver seemed to be wearing their seatbelts. Very sad.

Glad you made it home safely.

Anne
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susan_on
15 years ago
Glad you and Alex are ok. That must have been a very scary experience. I went through a nervous period for both of my kids when they started driving. Somehow you get through it. It's hard not to worry so much that you project your anxieties onto the young drivers, because that only makes the situation worse. But I sure know how you're feeling.
grammahony
15 years ago

wow

Wow, I'm glad it turned out okay. I know the feeling of letting your teenager learn to drive, then allowing them to do it alone later. The worry of it all. This added a few gray hairs to this head.
Leslie
grammahony
15 years ago
Oops, I hit submit to quick.
heather_on
15 years ago
Hopefully that near accident left an impression on Alex and he will be careful. Sometimes a scare like that is all that a young driver needs.
Mystical Manns
15 years ago
Thank goodness no one was hurt! With a driver like that, the potential for catastrophe was HUGE!

And because of that, I can say this ... what a valuable learning experience this was for him! The good news is that for this experience, Kath, you were with him and could guide him on the safest move to make. If the drunk hadn't hit the white car up ahead (and the fact that it was someone he knows makes an even bigger impression) he might not have retained your 'slow down' suggestion for future use. But he saw the accident, he heard about it from his friend, and he can now associate your guidance with an unwanted result.

HUGS to you both!
User
15 years ago
I'm glad everyone is okay. My son borrowed my car to go to his company Christmas party on Saturday. It was in Red Deer which is 2 hours north of Calgary (if you do the speed limit, that is.....). They hold it there because the company also has a warehouse in Edmonton and this way everyone drives the same distance and they only have one party. Anyways, it snowed like crazy all day yesterday. Before my son left on Saturday, I told him to do the speed limit and stay in the slow lane and to let people pass him. We were expecting freezing rain but that didn't happen. He made it there safely and had a great time at the party. It was coming home that gave him grief. The vehicle ahead of him lost control. My son tried to veer out of the way of the out of control vehicle but they ended up colliding. He said he did everything he could to not hit him, and to stay out of the ditch. Our car is a convertible and he was afraid if he hit the ditch it would flip. Everyone in both vehicles are okay, but our car isn't. I haven't seen it yet, it's at the tow yard in a small town about an hour north of Calgary. My husband is going to try to get up there either today or tomorrow to tow it home. Lucky for us, he's a tow truck driver we won't have a bill to pay for that tow. So now I have no car and my husband has to take time off work 3 days a weeks to get me to my physio therapy! Ugh!

Near my home after the salt and sand it the roads: Red Deer is 2 hours --> in the picture. =o)
jannie
15 years ago
Wow, that was scary! Glad you are okay. I worry constantly when my daughters (19 and 20) are out in their cars. Not that they will drink, but about all those other crazy kids/adults out there.
Kathsgrdn
Original Author
15 years ago
Debby, sorry to hear your son was in an accident and your car got damaged. I'm glad he's ok too.
nodakgal
15 years ago
I HATE winter driving! Snow and ice are scary enough, add a drunk driver to the mix and its nothing but heartache!
I hope the kid will be ok. I know the feeling too of teenage drivers (I had 3) and it is like anything else, you get over the first fear, but still worry.

Debby I am sorry about your car, will the insurance company pay for a rental? Check your policy, sometimes you're covered. When I needed it I was covered but had to drive 45 miles away and get a rental and then was limited to like 35 miles a day or something so we got along without, but you need your car.
gardenspice
15 years ago
I don't envy the Mother's and Father's grey hairs on teen driving. Drivers are so much more aggressive in my town than they were even 10 years ago. Half the time, I think that they are just distracted. We narrowly missed a collision last week when a woman on a cell phone just wandered into our lane after going through a light. I don't think she ever saw us and I was annoyed that TG did not give a little beep, so she knew she was not alone on the roads.
Kathy - Thank goodness you were with him. This is a perfect example of the value of those practice hours with an experienced driver.

We almost were in an accident tonight!

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sheilajoyce_gw

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We almost were in an accident tonight!

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