I was in 6 car pile up... a rant!

[Arlo Kalon 2.0]

If only I could have stayed at work that extra 5 minutes yesterday instead of leaving a bit early! Coming home on rain slick roads I navigated a congested freeway just fine. Getting off on secondary highway however was another story. The traffic on this road was unusually heavy, owing I guess to slower speeds because of the rain. The car in front of me came to a sudden, abrupt stop and as I stood on my brakes I knew they just had a collision in front of me. I slid into the rear of their car without enough force to deploy my airbags.

Upon getting out, I was surprised to see five other cars ahead of me quite seriously damaged. Standing in the freezing rain talking to the others involved I learned a truck had swerved in front of the first car - causing them to lock up their brakes. One by one the five cars following took turns hitting the cars in front of them. The two cars in front of me stopped abruptly because they also hit a concrete abutment at the side of the road. If not for that fact, I would have had plenty of time to stop.

Fortunately, I was the only car capable of driving away... albeit just barely. The whole front end on my wife's beloved car is shot. I'm sitting here waiting for an adjuster who is an hour late right now. After I'm done with them, I have to go to the doctor for some pain medicine. I boogered up my back just after having spent months in treatment and finally having total relief from the last flare up. And I have to obtain a rent car and get wife's car towed to body shop before I can go into work.

My impatience is legendary. I was bored yesterday and just HAD to cut out of work a few minutes early. That extra five minutes would have prevented all this. FML!!!

 

[wes70]

Glad you are ok... could of been much worse! Yeah, people just don't want to slow down and adjust their driving to the conditions.

 

[BigfishDM]

Wow your real blessed to be ok from that, it could have been alot worse thats for sure.

 

[The Vector Doctor]

Don't blame yourself. Who knows, maybe there was a day in your past when you left five minutes early and actually avoided another catastrophe. Can't fight fate, just glad that you are ok

 

[Arlo Kalon 2.0]

Don't blame yourself. Who knows, maybe there was a day in your past when you left five minutes early and actually avoided another catastrophe. Can't fight fate, just glad that you are ok

I actually believe the same way.

 

[Marlene]

glad to hear you weren't hurt too badly!

 

[rambo555]

Glad to hear your OK though. At the end of the day, even though this is a PITA, you walked away. I just went through something similar with my wife. I was heated but then sat and thought to myself that it was OK as she was able to come home. Don't beat yourself up.

 

[Arlo Kalon 2.0]

Glad to hear your OK though. At the end of the day, even though this is a PITA, you walked away. I just went through something similar with my wife. I was heated but then sat and thought to myself that it was OK as she was able to come home. Don't beat yourself up.

You're right - I walked away. If it had happened on the freeway I had just exited it might have been a different story. Just got back from dr.'s office. The impact aggravated a bad lower back problem I had only just recently obtained total relief from. With the Vicodin script I'll be feeling too good for awhile to beat myself up any. The insurance adjuster was here this morning. I did $3500 damage to front of car. I'm waiting for delivery of rental car so I can finally go into work. At least I was only car involved that could drive away from it.

 

[Kwiksigns]

damn that sucks. at least your ok. That happened to me once. a month into me buying a car, $1800 for a Geo Metro haha, i left work right at 5 and everyone was stopped in the lane left of me but mine was clear so I was driving and next thing I know a big ass SUV rammed into the driver door. It even bent the roof of my car hahaha. repair was more than the car and they gave me $2100 so it worked out in the end.

 

[Flame]

Glad you are ok... could of been much worse! Yeah, people just don't want to slow down and adjust their driving to the conditions.

Around here, everyone is durn chicken to drive even when it's raining. You can do just fine on the freeway at 60mph in the pouring rain, no need to try for 35.

grrrrr, the PNW is full of wussy drivers that cause more accidents out of fear than aggression.


but back on topic, glad you're ok!!! Sorry about the car though.

 

[Si Allen]

Yup! There are days that if it wasn't for bad luck...we'd have no luck at all!

 

[Lunatic Taskbar]

So sorry to hear of your misfortune Arlo, But I am very pleased your ok. Metal and plastic can be fixed...

I hope the pain meds help your back.

I am a firm believer in everything happens for a reason. having this happen may have avoided something much worse.

Ian

 

[Steve C.]

Glad it was not worse Arlo.
My wife was in a 6 car back in November down on the Granbury Lake bridge.
She was not so lucky. She and my daughter were not injured but our
Trail Blazer was totaled. The real bad part is we owe more than the insurance
will cover and did not have GAP. So it cost us about a grand and now we
cant afford to replace her vehicle. We're looking for a clunker 'til things get
better.

 

[Bly]

Look on the bright side. Could have been much worse Arlo.

This is me a month ago on a nice Sunday ride.
Choppered to hospital with broken leg, foot and hand. But no spinal, head, rib, pelvis or knee damage.
I'm still able to type one handed.. some of my unkind friends have suggested I've been doing that for years..

 

[OldPaint]

and if you woulda left work 10 MINUTES.........EARLIER.........INSTEAD OF 5........... guess where that woulda put ya!!!!!!
glad your ok, go to a chiropractor, they treat you really good when you got AUTO INSURANCE payin for your 3-4 months of treatment!!!!!!!!

 

[GypsyGraphics]

Yep, coulda not left early, coulda been worse, coulda-shoulda-woulda... just glad you're hear to tell your story and read all your well wishes!

You too, Bly! that photo's a scary site... laying on the side of the road!

 

[SignManiac]

Thankfully you were not seriously injured and it could have been a lot worse, you could have been kite boarding and killed by a shark attack. I always look to the bright side...

 

[Gino]

Glad to see you're alright. Feeling some pain and blaming yourself is natural.... especially for those that walk away from it all.

At least no one was killed and you all still are around to talk about it. Metal can be fixed or replaced..... whereas lives can almost never be brought back.

 

[Jillbeans]

Glad you both will be OK, Arlo and Bly.
Scary stuff.
Love.....Jill

 

[jiarby]

The guy on the end of a multi car pile up has no one to sue!!

I was in a 3-way accident once...
I barely tapped the rear bumper of teh car in front of me, which was being driven by my wife (now ex!). No damage, but I knew I was going to get my butt kicked. Just as she is starting to look into her rear view mirror at me with the death ray eyes I got slammed from behind HARD, which then knocked me BACK into the wifes car.

go easy on the vicodin, I hear that stuff is addictive.