Almost Got Creamed While Driving Home from Costco Today

SeaBreeze

SeaBreeze

Endlessly Groovin'
Location
USA
I was driving home from food shopping today and almost got into a crash, luckily I was quick to respond and wasn't going that fast. I was in the left lane going to make a left turn where there are two left turn lanes with a traffic arrow. I was in the right left turn lane, which was almost empty, maybe one car waiting at the red arrow up ahead.

To my right were two lanes of traffic going straight ahead, which were stopped at the time. Suddenly, a car comes out right in front of me from the right. Obviously, the traffic let this guy in probably thinking he was going to go across the lanes and make a left in one of the two left turn lanes like I intended to. Well, this character wasn't planning on that, he rushed right out of a car wash lot, across traffic and directly in front of my car. I had to slam on my brakes not to hit him directly in his driver's side door with the front of my car.

He not only cut me off, but shot across the left left turn lane and made an illegal left hand turn onto the main street instead, across a double solid line. If anyone was coming up on the left of me, or coming in the other direction of traffic, we could have had a serious multiple car crash, speed limit was 40mph.

After I was able to stop a couple of feet from his car, I leaned on my horn....but he was on a mission and didn't care about anyone around him. I looked to my right and a man in a blue pick up truck was just shaking his head as I was for this incident. He could have easily been involved too if I wasn't able to stop in time or swerved.

I went from being surprised and anxious, to being really PO'd, to being thankful that the crash was avoided. Although I'm not perfect and try to drive carefully and considerate of other drivers, I don't ever want to be in a crash whether it's my fault or not. With my luck this joker probably didn't even have any automobile insurance. Just glad to get home after that in one piece. :rolleyes:
 

Good driving on your part. Have to be watching all the time.

I nearly got creamed walking to the grocery store at three in the morning. Walking across a green light. A motorcycle comes around the corner at speed and cuts right in front of me. One more step and I was a goner. That's how close it was and I was carrying a flashlight. He obviously didn't see me. I never start walking without looking back for cars. I wasn't prepared for a motorcycle coming from way back.
 
Glad you're okay Camper, can't be too careful these days, that's for sure. I remember crossing busy streets in a big city when I was young and feeling safe and confident. Now you have to be defensive at all times, whether on foot or in a vehicle, you can't trust others at all to know what they're doing or not to have their faces buried in a cell phone while driving.
 

SB, glad you escaped the traffic mishap unscathed; you mentioned honking your horn(understandably), here in Southern Calif. you don't honk your car horn unless you have a loaded firearm....:shrug:
 
tnthomas said:
SB, glad you escaped the traffic mishap unscathed; you mentioned honking your horn(understandably), here in Southern Calif. you don't honk your car horn unless you have a loaded firearm....:shrug:
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tnthomas, when I lived down there, there was a high-speed chase at least once a day, and even the cars the cops were chasing didn't use the horn! You just damn sure better see them coming.
 
SeaBreeze said:
Glad you're okay Camper, can't be too careful these days, that's for sure. I remember crossing busy streets in a big city when I was young and feeling safe and confident. Now you have to be defensive at all times, whether on foot or in a vehicle, you can't trust others at all to know what they're doing or not to have their faces buried in a cell phone while driving.
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It's amazing the number of motorcycle accidents and deaths we have every year in my city. And it's not always the motorcycle at fault. But they are so unprotected.

We also had a pedestrian death this year walking across the street and a car turning left hit him.
 
tnthomas said:
SB, glad you escaped the traffic mishap unscathed; you mentioned honking your horn(understandably), here in Southern Calif. you don't honk your car horn unless you have a loaded firearm....:shrug:
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Thanks. :) I'm really a laid back driver, don't get excited when the light turns green and the guy in front of me takes a few seconds to go, if I'm accidentally cut off, I understand, not a road rager at all....but when I cleared this idiot's car and didn't collide, I automatically leaned on my horn because he could have killed me or put me in the hospital at least. I don't conceal carry (yet), but there's no car accident that would warrant my using a gun, because if I drew my firearm it would be to kill. Only would do something like that if someone was attacking me on purpose and threatening my life.
 
I know a couple of people who were killed driving their motorcycles. Near where I live I saw some police activity and some kind of accident while I was driving, there was a motorcycle all banged up, and a body covered with a blanket in the road. A woman was down on her knees crying and wailing, looked like she was the driver of the vehicle that killed him. I think he might have swerved around her and got into the left lane without her seeing him, but don't know the details. I'm not one for motorcycles in general, if I drove one I would at least wear a helmet and drive defensively and safe as possible.
 
Seabreeze, glad you emerged in one piece. One of the scariest bits of information I've ever seen was an article reporting that a study had shown that at any given time, 1/4 of all the drivers on the road are under the influence of alcohol. (Not sure exactly what the alcohol content has to be for that designation, but I'll bet that your guy was either drunk or totally nuts. Or maybe an immature and irresponsible teenager? Or all three?)

Although I am not opposed to pot smoking, I have to wonder what effect the use of drugs has on driving. Probably pot would make drivers more laid back, but what about cocaine, amphetamines, etc.? Enough to give you nightmares!
 
An experience like that can leave one rattled for days. Glad you avoided the crash, SB- you were attentive with good reflexes!

Now, someone who was texting while driving at that time would have been clobbered, no doubt.
 
So glad you're okay Seabreeze. Driving is not pleasure it once was. I got hit a couple of months ago when someone in front of me decided to stop and back into a parking space without signaling. I had to swerve left in a hurry and was hit by a woman in a truck who passed me and whacked my side mirror askew. I was shaken up all day by it. The woman didn't even stop although she knew she hit me. :mad:
 
Sunny said:
Seabreeze, glad you emerged in one piece. One of the scariest bits of information I've ever seen was an article reporting that a study had shown that at any given time, 1/4 of all the drivers on the road are under the influence of alcohol. (Not sure exactly what the alcohol content has to be for that designation, but I'll bet that your guy was either drunk or totally nuts. Or maybe an immature and irresponsible teenager? Or all three?)

Although I am not opposed to pot smoking, I have to wonder what effect the use of drugs has on driving. Probably pot would make drivers more laid back, but what about cocaine, amphetamines, etc.? Enough to give you nightmares!
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I think he was just immature, late 20s maybe from the split second I looked at his head as he was right in front of me. His car was wet, it was an old sports type car, he probably just was in a rush to get somewhere and wasn't thinking. It was afternoon, I don't think he was drunk, and I wish he was high on weed, he would have been going slower and been more thoughtful of his driving instead of more aggressive, the whole incident might not have even happened.
 
RadishRose said:
An experience like that can leave one rattled for days. Glad you avoided the crash, SB- you were attentive with good reflexes!

Now, someone who was texting while driving at that time would have been clobbered, no doubt.
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Thank you Rose. You're right about if someone was texting, that would be it. Honestly, it was such a freak move through traffic and his car wasn't visible until it was in front of mine, that even if I was changing radio stations I might have not been so lucky....whew! :p
 
Happy you are ok SeaBreeze and everyone else with their close calls. Just reading these posts give me the jitters. My son just recently bought a motorcycle. He likes to take it out on our country roads and tries to stay off the main highways. I'm still very nervous until I know he is home. Some of those side roads have loose gravel which can cause an accident. I'm hoping he will get it out of his system and sell the darn thing.
 
Lara said:
^What Rose said. :drive:You came so close. Take care...we don't want to lose you.
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Thanks Lara. :)

chic said:
So glad you're okay Seabreeze. Driving is not pleasure it once was. I got hit a couple of months ago when someone in front of me decided to stop and back into a parking space without signaling. I had to swerve left in a hurry and was hit by a woman in a truck who passed me and whacked my side mirror askew. I was shaken up all day by it. The woman didn't even stop although she knew she hit me. :mad:
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Thank you Chic. That was bad what happened to you, I know what you mean about people suddenly with no warning, flipping into reverse to back into a spot when you're right behind them. That's happened to me, but luckily I got out of the way without trouble. I can't believe that woman didn't even stop! Isn't that a hit and run? You must have been very upset over the whole thing, glad you didn't get injured.

CeeCee said:
Glad you're okay and were able to avoid an accident. There are a lot of scary drivers on the road these days, driving for me isn't a pleasant experience at all anymore.
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Thanks CeeCee, I think driving in California is probably more hairy than Colorado, from what I hear the traffic in many areas of California is bumper to bumper. We've been there in the past, late '70s and it wasn't too bad back then in the olden days. :D

Falcon said:
Sea, WHEW ! Happy you escaped unharmed.
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Thanks Falcon. :sentimental:

MarkinPhx said:
Glad you are OK. It's amazing the number of emotions that can be felt during such an incident no matter how even keeled you usually are.
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Thanks Mark, the emotions were intense and changed rapidly. I didn't really calm down until came home and was able to vent to my husband, he was really happy too that I was safe and sound.
 
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SeaBreeze said:
I think he was just immature, late 20s maybe from the split second I looked at his head as he was right in front of me. His car was wet, it was an old sports type car, he probably just was in a rush to get somewhere and wasn't thinking. It was afternoon, I don't think he was drunk, and I wish he was high on weed, he would have been going slower and been more thoughtful of his driving instead of more aggressive, the whole incident might not have even happened.
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You are kidding? Weed? I dread the day when Canada is going to introduce legal weed. Going slower on weed is a myth used by those promoting it. Impaired is impaired no matter what substance you are on.
 
SB you should have followed the idiot and in no uncertain terms let him know that you wouldn't let him off so easily if it ever happened again. :)

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