I was almost in a head on collison today

ping

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So my friend had to go back to the ER today because the pain she was in was unbelievable. She had tried to go to work this morning but ended up in the ER. So she calls to ask me to come get her because they were giving her a pain shot and she could not drive like that. Of course I dropped everything to get up there and get her.

Well when we live the hospital we have to get her some meds from the pharmacy. So here we are at a red light. I am in the left turn lane waiting for my light to turn green so I can make my turn. So the little arrow turns green so I can make my turn. Well I always wait a sec or to after the light turns green to go. Well as I proceed to move forward a car in the opposite direction decides to run is light to make his left hand turn. I had only moved an inch or 2 but this guy came so close to getting my front end going probably 50.
l l
-----l l --him--
----- ------ (rough diagram)
-----l lmel-------
l l l

I have never been so scared. But it also reenforced why I wait a few seconds after the light turns green to move my car. I have been in these incidents way to often. 1 time is too often.
 

gailc

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Its amazing how many people do not obey traffic signals. So is your heartrate back to normal now?? Its was a pretty close call.
 

sarahp

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Oh man that is scary!!!!

We nearly got wiped out by a motorbike today - he was weaving through traffic, and didn't see us to his right and just about smashed in to me - I have no idea how he missed me!
 

clixpix

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Lots of intersections here have cameras. If someone runs the light, flashes go off to take pictures of their car/license plate. If you're near enough to the offender, it's like paparazzi!
 

saundby

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Just reading the title of the thread made me draw my breath in.

I had a friend killed by a red light runner when he moved into the intersection after a light change. I have another who was an athlete until a car flew over the divide and planted itself in the front of his car, now he's still alive but only just so, physically. My grandfather was put in a wheelchair for several years before he could walk again, and my grandmother never walked again after a sports car decided he could make a quick turn in front of their pickup before they got into the intersection. The engine of the pickup ended up in their laps.

I used to be careful about pulling into an intersection when I was in front, but now I'm even more so. I don't even consider moving until I've looked and seen folks stopped on the cross way and opposite in the case of left turns and such.

If you're behind me, honk at me if you like, I'll assume you're saying "hello" and wave, and we'll both live longer.
 

carolpetunia

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Originally Posted by saundby

Just reading the title of the thread made me draw my breath in.

I had a friend killed by a red light runner when he moved into the intersection after a light change. I have another who was an athlete until a car flew over the divide and planted itself in the front of his car, now he's still alive but only just so, physically. My grandfather was put in a wheelchair for several years before he could walk again, and my grandmother never walked again after a sports car decided he could make a quick turn in front of their pickup before they got into the intersection. The engine of the pickup ended up in their laps.

I used to be careful about pulling into an intersection when I was in front, but now I'm even more so. I don't even consider moving until I've looked and seen folks stopped on the cross way and opposite in the case of left turns and such.

If you're behind me, honk at me if you like, I'll assume you're saying "hello" and wave, and we'll both live longer.
This thread made me remember something that happened when I was in high school: in the wee hours of morning, with no traffic in town at all, a family of four was coming home from their vacation, and they pulled up to a red light to make a left turn. When the light changed, they pulled out to turn, and the one other car in the whole town at that hour came racing through and killed the whole family.

That had always stuck with me, and about three weeks ago, it happened again just a few blocks from our house: two parents, their daughter, and two foster daughters, coming home from church in minivan... and somebody was speeding so fast through an intersection that he just demolished the minivan and killed them all -- on a residential street on a Sunday morning!

So Saundby, you're absolutely right, and I thank you for the reminder... it's foolish to assume that having the legal right of way makes you safe.
 

whisky'sdad

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I'm confused...if you were making a left turn and he was making a left turn from the opposite direction, how would he have hit you? Unless he kept going straight before turning.
 

alleygirl

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My uncle was killed because of someone not obeying traffic laws, and my brother was hit by someone running a red light (thankfully not hurt) while on the way to the uncle's funeral.

I always look before I pull out, to make sure someone else hasn't tried to run the light.
 

mom of 4

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Originally Posted by CarolPetunia

That had always stuck with me, and about three weeks ago, it happened again just a few blocks from our house: two parents, their daughter, and two foster daughters, coming home from church in minivan... and somebody was speeding so fast through an intersection that he just demolished the minivan and killed them all -- on a residential street on a Sunday morning!
And the guy was going 97 in a 40! He even had to go up on the curb to avoid the cars stopped at the light in front of him.
This was the nicest family - now gone. And the mother of the girls in foster care is making noise like she is getting ready to sue CPS. "I was just about to get my girls back...." Ummm, they were with this family for a year. CPS says you weren't even close to getting them back.
 
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ping

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Originally Posted by Whisky'sDad

I'm confused...if you were making a left turn and he was making a left turn from the opposite direction, how would he have hit you? Unless he kept going straight before turning.
Its hard to explain:

see if this diagram is better:

I am the red one he is the black one. The little green mark shows who had the light:

 

monaxlisa

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Wow, thank goodness nobody was hurt. I just moved from the west coast to the east coast and I still cant get over how people drive here, three or four cars will go through a light after its turned red!
 

whisky'sdad

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Originally Posted by Ping

Its hard to explain:

see if this diagram is better:

I am the red one he is the black one. The little green mark shows who had the light:

Gotcha! Thought he was coming from the opposite direction.
 
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