Today.
Just something I need to get off my chest.
Today I was nearly in an accident on I-10 in East Texas. I have witnessed accidents before, but never one that occured right beside me and nearly involved me.
I was driving along a stretch where there were several entrance ramps in a row that merged from the frontage road that runs along I-10. I was hanging out in the granny lane (slow lane) and keeping my cruise set at my maximum allowable speed of 60 MPH. I was scanning my passenger side mirror to make sure there wasn't anyone coming on the entrance ramp that was merging with my lane. It was all clear and I continued to maintain my speed. I then glanced over to scan my drivers' side mirror out of habit (a damn good habit, I might add) and I saw a teal blue pickup truck dart out from behind my trailer into the hammer lane (passing lane).
The driver of the truck was accelerating at an high rate of speed. The truck was traveling at what I guestimate to have been at least 75-80 MPH (in a 70 MPH zone). At some point in the milli-seconds that the truck was in the hammer lane beside me, the driver lost all control. I saw the truck swerve left towards the jersey wall then right, towards my rig. I responded quickly by tapping my brake to break my cruise control and I drifted over onto what I had for a shoulder, which was not more than a couple feet as there was a jersey barrier next to me as well.
The driver severely over corrected the swerve towards my truck and that's when all control and contact with the road was lost. The truck then swerved and smashed into the jersey wall sending it in what I can only describe as an end over end collision which ended in a single barrel roll and then a slide of unknown length.
Thankfully the shoulder next to me opened up at another entrance ramp from the frontage road and I was able to do a quick check for no merging traffic and take my truck into that lane to decelerate and eventually stop on the shoulder ahead. I barely missed hitting the truck as it slid into my original path of travel.
I don't know how the truck didn't hit me, or me it. I pulled over and pulled the brakes and grabbed the cell and pressed my speed dial number for 911. I had to swallow back a little stomach, which had worked it's way up into my throat while all of this crap was happening, before I could speak to the operator.
I was the third person to call it in according to the operator and help was on the way. I hung up, checked my mirror to see if anyone else had been involved and it appeared that it was just the one vehicle which was now at a complete stop, on what I couldn't determine, maybe it's top or it's side. The truck was severely mangled and I could only hope that the driver was ok.
I sat parked, calming down for about 15 minutes. I half expected someone to come to my truck and start asking questions or seeing if I was okay. But they didn't. I had turned on my CB radio and asked if anyone just witnessed this from behind me. One driver said "Yeah, you got lucky he just missed hitting you." Another driver going the opposite direction on the interstate came back also saying that the truck just lost control passing me.
I was so afraid that somehow it was my fault. That's the fear that you get to hold onto as a truck driver. That if there is an accident near you or involving you that it will automatically be your fault. You can lose your license, your job, everything.... if you're considered at fault. And in most accidents involving a truck, the truck is found at fault.
I can't afford that and while I was sitting there, trying to calm down I kept thinking... was it me? did I do something wrong? could I have prevented this?
I concluded that the answer to all three was "no". I was doing everything I was taught to do. I scan my mirrors constantly, I keep my self undistracted by cell phones or laptops or books... etc. I was driving under the posted speed limit (because I cant' go the posted speed limit anyway!) and I was alert, awake and attentive. I saw the truck behind me, I saw it dart out from behind me, apparently anxious to get on up the road, I noticed the high rate of accerleration, and then I saw every swerve and flip and crash thereafter. All from my side mirror as I was attempting to avoid collision.
I'm still sick about it, actually. I will probably have nightmares about it. I know it wasn't my fault. I don't know exactly what caused the accident other than that the driver obviously lost control after the final over correction. Who knows what was going on inside the truck. I don't know how many people were in it, as the windows were tinted almost a complete black.
I wanted to go back to the scene, but traffic was erratic and I didn't want to risk getting hit as a pedestrian by an oncoming vehicle. As I said before, I sat in my truck watching from my side mirror. I saw other vehicles stop and people get out and go over to the truck. I hated not being there, not that there was anything I could have done. I'm not a medical professional and I don't even have a CPR certification. I waited until the first police car came and stopped. No one came to talk to me and so after my breakfast was settled back into my stomach I started the truck up and drove on.
I hope I did the right thing by going on. I wonder now though, should I have stayed? Would my statement have been helpful or would it have made me a target for blame? I will never know.
Today I was nearly in an accident on I-10 in East Texas. I have witnessed accidents before, but never one that occured right beside me and nearly involved me.
I was driving along a stretch where there were several entrance ramps in a row that merged from the frontage road that runs along I-10. I was hanging out in the granny lane (slow lane) and keeping my cruise set at my maximum allowable speed of 60 MPH. I was scanning my passenger side mirror to make sure there wasn't anyone coming on the entrance ramp that was merging with my lane. It was all clear and I continued to maintain my speed. I then glanced over to scan my drivers' side mirror out of habit (a damn good habit, I might add) and I saw a teal blue pickup truck dart out from behind my trailer into the hammer lane (passing lane).
The driver of the truck was accelerating at an high rate of speed. The truck was traveling at what I guestimate to have been at least 75-80 MPH (in a 70 MPH zone). At some point in the milli-seconds that the truck was in the hammer lane beside me, the driver lost all control. I saw the truck swerve left towards the jersey wall then right, towards my rig. I responded quickly by tapping my brake to break my cruise control and I drifted over onto what I had for a shoulder, which was not more than a couple feet as there was a jersey barrier next to me as well.
The driver severely over corrected the swerve towards my truck and that's when all control and contact with the road was lost. The truck then swerved and smashed into the jersey wall sending it in what I can only describe as an end over end collision which ended in a single barrel roll and then a slide of unknown length.
Thankfully the shoulder next to me opened up at another entrance ramp from the frontage road and I was able to do a quick check for no merging traffic and take my truck into that lane to decelerate and eventually stop on the shoulder ahead. I barely missed hitting the truck as it slid into my original path of travel.
I don't know how the truck didn't hit me, or me it. I pulled over and pulled the brakes and grabbed the cell and pressed my speed dial number for 911. I had to swallow back a little stomach, which had worked it's way up into my throat while all of this crap was happening, before I could speak to the operator.
I was the third person to call it in according to the operator and help was on the way. I hung up, checked my mirror to see if anyone else had been involved and it appeared that it was just the one vehicle which was now at a complete stop, on what I couldn't determine, maybe it's top or it's side. The truck was severely mangled and I could only hope that the driver was ok.
I sat parked, calming down for about 15 minutes. I half expected someone to come to my truck and start asking questions or seeing if I was okay. But they didn't. I had turned on my CB radio and asked if anyone just witnessed this from behind me. One driver said "Yeah, you got lucky he just missed hitting you." Another driver going the opposite direction on the interstate came back also saying that the truck just lost control passing me.
I was so afraid that somehow it was my fault. That's the fear that you get to hold onto as a truck driver. That if there is an accident near you or involving you that it will automatically be your fault. You can lose your license, your job, everything.... if you're considered at fault. And in most accidents involving a truck, the truck is found at fault.
I can't afford that and while I was sitting there, trying to calm down I kept thinking... was it me? did I do something wrong? could I have prevented this?
I concluded that the answer to all three was "no". I was doing everything I was taught to do. I scan my mirrors constantly, I keep my self undistracted by cell phones or laptops or books... etc. I was driving under the posted speed limit (because I cant' go the posted speed limit anyway!) and I was alert, awake and attentive. I saw the truck behind me, I saw it dart out from behind me, apparently anxious to get on up the road, I noticed the high rate of accerleration, and then I saw every swerve and flip and crash thereafter. All from my side mirror as I was attempting to avoid collision.
I'm still sick about it, actually. I will probably have nightmares about it. I know it wasn't my fault. I don't know exactly what caused the accident other than that the driver obviously lost control after the final over correction. Who knows what was going on inside the truck. I don't know how many people were in it, as the windows were tinted almost a complete black.
I wanted to go back to the scene, but traffic was erratic and I didn't want to risk getting hit as a pedestrian by an oncoming vehicle. As I said before, I sat in my truck watching from my side mirror. I saw other vehicles stop and people get out and go over to the truck. I hated not being there, not that there was anything I could have done. I'm not a medical professional and I don't even have a CPR certification. I waited until the first police car came and stopped. No one came to talk to me and so after my breakfast was settled back into my stomach I started the truck up and drove on.
I hope I did the right thing by going on. I wonder now though, should I have stayed? Would my statement have been helpful or would it have made me a target for blame? I will never know.
Comments
David
Drive safely! Be back to read more soon.