Yesterday, I was involved in a car accident. I'm ok, Gena's ok, my other passenger (a friend of mine, John) is ok. The car is a little banged up but will be fine, I'm sure.
The three of us were on our way to a picnic in Greenfield, NH and were passing through Nashua from Boston. As I was approaching an intersection, preparing to make a right turn the light went yellow. I slowed down to come to a stop (there was also a no turn on red sign). The light turns red, I stop. As soon as I stop *WHAM*. I get rear ended. After a very fast damage assessment (everyone ok? car intact?) I pull off to the side of the road and turn on the hazards (>1 minute post impact). Call 911. Connected to NH Highway patrol, they route the call to Nashua PD. Apparently your cell phone goes into this emergency beacon mode when you call 911. I never knew that. Kinda neat.
So I remain in the car, get out my license, registration. The other driver gets out and starts looking over the damage to her car. I decide to stay in the car at the wheel until the police arrive. Less than 5 minutes later an officer shows up. I speak to him, give him my account as well as my license and registration. He speaks to the other driver, then returns to his car. I return to the slightly banged up '89 Corolla (that thing is built like a tank!). After about 10 minutes the officer calls over both the other driver and myself, gives us both copies of the "accident information form" and I say my first words to the other driver, "are you ok?" "Yeah, yeah" she responds.
So she's just 3 years older than our Corolla and her car is a full 10 years younger than the Corolla. This amuses me for some reason. Also, her car looked much worse for the impact. She also seemed so calm about the whole thing I almost feel like she's done this before. But anyway...
So yeah. I ramble. I'm still a little shaken up from the whole experience, but I feel like I did the right thing, right? I mean, the other driver sprang out of her car right away, so since she wasn't visibly hurt I didn't want to say anything until the police arrived. Was that rude of me? And why do I even care when she rammed me at a red light (that I even had my break lights on while approaching)? I mean, gah.
And Gabe, you now have yet another reason to be happy you don't own a car.
1 comment:
the only downside to not owning a car is that rarely do you have seedy individuals fingering what may or may not be a rucksack full of plastic explosives in your back seat.
i'm glad you're ok. and i think you did the right thing. it seems to me that you took care of business and took stock of the situation before engaging in any of the niceties of automobile accidents. that alone, most likely, made the situation easier on all parties involved
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