Tedd Thompson

Very close call, I mean about as close as it gets without an obituary to follow. Headed home in the Money Pit, with about fifth or so cars in line, stopped at a major intersection, light turned green, but traffic had not started to move at my end yet when I heard the sliding screeching of tires from behind and to the right of me. In my rearview mirror this SUV flashed crossed my view, both sides, this all happened in less than a second, when truck, SUV, slid sideways so close that I closed my eyes and griped the wheel in anticipation of impact They missed me by inches, jumped the curb and hit a pole at the side of the road at my left, went up in a cloud of steam as the radiator burst. Needless to say, I was shaken up some, many cars stopped but I didn't. Probably should have as an afterthought. I don't know if anyone was hurt, but the SUV was going at a high rate of speed and sure could have...Tedd

no1oldsfan

Oh my goodness I so feel your pain. Living out here in Denver is just crazy. There is a brewery/pub near me. I walked my dogs down the street the other day. Thirteen cars along my side. Thirteen cars and every single car was an out of state plate. So so so many people driving here with ZERO clue. Zero.

66SportCoupe

You lucky bastard!!

redoldsman

Congrats Tedd. I think the big guys from upstairs was riding shotgun with you today. Really glad you are okay.

Fun71

Glad they missed you. There are so many self absorbed idiots on the road who rate operating their motor vehicle as a third or lower tier activity.

edzolz

Reminds me of the time when I was working at Texas Instruments on Gaston Avenue in Dallas. There is a long sharp curve from Garland Road onto Gaston and a Goodwill truck was making the curve too fast, started to tilt over into my lane, bounced once and tilted the other way on the other two wheels. I was driving a 73 Ford Maverick with a 302 V8 and when I saw the truck coming into my lane on two wheels, I hit the gas and jumped in front of a car in the right lane beside me. The trucks two wheels that were in the air ran down the side of me taking out the front fender and both doors, drivers side. If I hadn't hit the gas the truck would have crawled right over the top of me.

rocketraider

That's why I try to leave at least a car length between myself and vehicle in front of me a either a stop light or sign. Gives me a slight escape route. But I come from a time when defensive driving was taught.

Best you can hope for is that the physical and financial pain from this crash might make the SUV driver pay a little more attention to driving in the future. People often get what their stupidity or inattentiveness deserves.

Glad you escaped unscathed.

Vintage Chief

Rule of thumb when I learned to drive was one full vehicle length in front for every 10mph.

Tedd Thompson

I was at a dead stop or nearly just starting to move, may have had my foot off the brake and he thought the whole line was moving, not stopping, don't know? As I look at the thin sheet metal on the back of the Money Pit I'm happy he chose the pole to hit rather than my ***...Tedd

OLDSter Ralph

Tedd, I know about your situation. The last two accidents I have been in, I was "rear ended". There is absolutely no time to react.

Bfg

I’ve seen the increase of aggressive driving in the last few years, don’t know what’s causing it. You wonder the mentality of these idiots. People need to start realizing that driving is a privilege, not a right!

Jamesbo

Tedd a few years ago, I was stopped dead still at a light and got rear ended by a semi in my 2500 Suburban Totaled Consider yourself luck to still be vertical

rocketraider

I wish I knew. Virginia has elevated "aggressive" driving above "reckless" driving as an offense but not sure how tightly it's enforced unless it results in a crash.

Olds64

Good to hear you are ok. Definitely a close call.

bobs72

Tedd the car gods are not finished causing you problems with the MP and could not let that driver spoil their fun!
Glad all ended up well for you

no1oldsfan

I was driving on one of the main streets out here in Denver. Broadway. Probably about a year ago or so. I was driving normal. Far left lane. Older guy turned right in front of me taking a left. I hit my brakes and thought boy I hope everyone else stops. Some guy flying probably sixty hit the far right lane. T boned him. Zero braking at all. Car flipped multiple times. That man was ejected and killed. Right next to me. Talk about nerves hitting the high end. I was shaken up all night. The guy that hit him walked away with no injuries at all. He was in an older Cherokee. Car he hit was a four door Impala pretty sure. It was tragic.

About today's drivers. People are way too distracted. I see so so many people on their phones. Constantly.

Fun71

And on top of this vehicle manufacturers put in touch screens so you have to take your eyes off the road and look at the LCD screen to change the fan speed, radio station, etc. How does the NTSB let them get away with that?

no1oldsfan

No ****. I have thought the same thing. How many new cars have a screen in the middle of the dash now? So looking at the middle of the dash is safer? But they are pushed on us all now. Apparently looking in front of yourself as you are driving has been overridden.