- Nov 18, 2005
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Last night I discovered that the airbags in my car do indeed deploy and, as apparent in this instance at least, they are not of the lot that throw shrapnel at the occupants.
Unfortunately, I had to find out the hard way. I might addrisking an oft-fulfilled desire to digressthat there is definitely a palpable taste of propellant that lingers in the air for hours after the fact, no doubt further stirred by the vented air as I tried to coax heat into the frigid and lifeless car. The efforts on that front failed, mind you, but we'll get to that.
Suffice it to say, you must understand by now I was in an accident. Thankfully, with luck I have never known myself to possess, I escaped without harm, save for that to my pride and, I'll presume, already-meager financial situation.
I was traveling southbound on I-75, on my way to battle assemblya.k.a. drillfor the weekend. Specifically, since I live so far away from my unit, I was to be put up in a hotel the night before the first day we are together. I had attempted to get everything in order so that I may wrap up my three-hour journey at a respectable time and, perhaps, relax with a book well before I should fall asleep. That plan failed.
The entire trip had looked to be shrouded in rain and strong and gusty winds, judging by the forecasts I viewed prior to leaving. Yay, I thought, all the ingredients that make for a delightful excursion.
There were plenty of hairy moments on the drive, just as I had gleefully expected. It seems 90% of I-75 in Ohio is undergoing work, which is only to make way for the routine appearance of our dear friend Orange Barrel. If I had more digits and limbs, I might just be able to count on them the number of miles that ol Orange Barrel has not set up residence along my travel route. Im told this is all to make things better, to make the concept of the anticipated and constrained two-lane [four lane divided] major highway almost extinct in this travel corridor, to improve safety they say, but Im not holding my breath.
It was in the construction zone I most feared my fellow man. I routinely despise all fellow drivers, as I feel they lack for brains in all faculties deemed most important, and they only make my case stronger when the weather is bad. Add unevenly-paved roadways, constantly fluctuating speed limits, and more twists and turns than a proper Grand Prix circuit, and you create a stronger sense of impending doom than all the miscreants of life can instill on this All Hallows Eve.
Oddly enough, the journey ended not among our orange friends, rather, in the smoothly-paved three-lane clear just north of Dayton, Ohio. It was approximately two hours into the experiencediscounting a scheduled pit-stop for McDonalds, the dinner of champswhere I first spotted what I would later recognize to be the last thing I should ever hope to see while driving.
I had just driven through Tipp City, Ohio, of which I think might have one exit dedicated to its presence on the map, as if to say, See, we didnt forget about you! At this point, I can still not clearly recall whether it had been raining, or if all the moisture in the air was the result of the rooster tails of the moderately heavy traffic. My windshield wipers were on, that much I know. After two hours of nearly constant rain or drizzle, you might forget as well.
I was in the left-hand laneactively passing, if you must ask, at least Im fairly certain that was the caseand the view ahead was fairly clear, save for the presence of a lot of water in the air. And, lest you forget, it was also in the dead of the night, so the completely set the scene, it was a cold and dreary night, there was rain in the air, and brake lights and headlights bore reflections galore. Oh, yes, headlights. Not those produced by cars in the northbound lanes opposite the concrete barrier, these headlights belonged to an SUV facing against traffic in the left shoulder.
Why might an SUV be facing the wrong way in the shoulder? Given that I was bearing down on its location, I could not tell if it was moving toward me, or stationary. I saw no emergency lights, yet that made no impression on my brain during the impossibly short moment I had to process anything. It was at this time that I also recognized a whole mess of debris on the highway in front of me. In the span of perhaps five seconds at most, I went from seeing a few brake lights ahead, to witnessing a vehicle facing the wrong way, and observing some debris. I suddenly had a clear moment of cognizance, and it all made sense. Something foul was afoot ahead, this much was clear, yet precisely where the dangers lie I had not a clue.
It was precisely one millisecond after this truth dawned on me, that that which was not previously there suddenly jumped out and bit my car. What I believe I saw is a new vehicle, not that one facing the wrong way, suddenly swerve in front of me from the left. I think it bounced off the concrete barrier; Im also fairly certain it was absolutely pitch black, no lights or anything to observe to determine position or motion.
I felt the terrible crunch seemingly after my airbags suddenly swelled to block my vision. Thankfully the force was more directed laterally to my forward motion, centered squared on the front left quadrant and wheel. I could barely direct the vehicle as it came to a stop further ahead, and once frozen in place, it was most content with the notion of staying in place; I could rev the engine in gear, yet not move an inch. The visible damage to the exterior seemed fairly minor, but I believe that belies what lies underneath. The tire was mostly shredded and flat, and the sheet metal surrounding the wheel hub was torn up and responsible for the shredded rubber. There was a lean that went beyond what one expects with a flat tire. I hadnt tried starting the car for a fair while, and the emergency four-ways and dome light started to drain the battery far too much, at least that is what I suspect. Otherwise, when the car engine wouldnt turn over when I tried later in the evening, might just suggest far greater damage is not immediately visible. It was a very jarring impact, so I fully expect it to be sidelined indefinitely.
Immediately after the car came to a rest, or at least after a few moments to determine that no more cars were bouncing around the interstate, I egressed through a door that would barely open, and set about trying to help where possible. It was exceptionally heartwarming to see that I was not alone in my quest, as the uninjured swarmed the scene. I think quite a few witnesses, those among the many who sat gridlocked on the then-closed highway, stepped up to participate. Roughly half the occupants involved in the multiple car and semi collision, which littered a roughly half-mile stretch and all southbound lanes, felt it was their duty to seek out ways to help.
Unfortunately, the main thrust of our efforts focused upon searching for a missing young child, who was no longer in a particular vehicle, of which looked beyond destroyed. I had seen individuals tending to the passengers, I believe three of them, but I had not observed their injuries. I set about looking through the various debris on the road, in the grass on the side, and under vehicles. The older gentleman who had initially recruited me in the effort later called me off and said they found him, with a dour look on his face. I pressed for further clarification and he revealed the kid did not make it. I heard some discussion that made it sound like the kid may have been ran over after the ejection.
Later, once the emergency personnel and paramedics were on the scene, and I was walking back toward my vehicle to get out of the way and attempt to warm up, I watched as one of the individuals involved in the mess focused the attention of a first responder toward a fatality, pointing toward a small bundle in the middle of the right lane among strewn wreckage and debris. He was a good 15-20m ahead of the vehicle from which he was ejected, and thats just where said vehicle came to rest. After the fact, once the details were cleared and released to the media, I saw both fatalities of the night were from that same vehicle. The kid was 5, the other an adult, either the father or step-father; the last I read, the media did not have sufficient clarification. I essentially saw both bodies, as I imagine the adult passenger was in one of the seats of the vehicle when I had looked in on them through the group gathered around. Between five and seven additional passengers were taken with injuries according to the media.
Ultimately, I returned to my car and attempted to remain patient and keep warm. The more I sat still, the more I began to shake. It was part shivering, part trembling of the nerves. I made a few different calls in this time. A few different times throughout the night, I spoke with the Troopers or Paramedics nearby, or those who approached my car, and recounted what I could or offer what might help.
The initial accident occurred around 9:15pm, and I want to say it wasnt until about 12:00 or 1:00am that I was officially asked to provide a written witness statement. I provided what details I could muster. It was a little after this that I had the first offer to warm up in one of the patrol cars. I brushed it off at first, enjoying the lean back in my front passenger seat. It got cold though. I ended up putting on a second pair of my wool-like boot socks (synthetic), and while I had a hooded sweatshirt over a t-shirt, I donned the henley I had thankfully thought might be appropriate for grabbing dinner the following night. This helped. Mind you, at this time, I had also attempted to get heat out of the vents. With the car only on accessory power, it was basically cold air. I attempted to start the car, but the engine never turned. All the air served to provide is a stirring of the particulates involved with the airbag system. It smelled faintly of gunpowder the entire night.
I did take up the offer the second time it was presented, and was both immediately satisfied with the decision and regretted it entirely. I was warm, but incredibly uncomfortable in that hard plastic contoured bench the stood in for proper accommodations. The warmth won me over, of course.
In-between a couple calls to insurance while in the back seat, I was overhearing the discussion between this particular Trooper and other entities. From what I could gather, it seemed they were leaning towards an initial incident between two semi trucks that caused a series of reactions and over-corrections among the cars behind them. I had overheard some discussion that the one SUV, which bore the two fatalities, was part of an earlier accident (post-semi-accident), and proceeded to get hit numerous times by the traffic that followed.
Media reports and some witness statements seem to corroborate this scenario, and one suggested a third semi that was in the middle of the mess may have hit that SUV, possibly after it had lost control, which probably set it spinning, and I suspect sometime in this sequence of events that SUV made its way into my lane precisely when I had zero chance to react.
After all this, I also hear that the Troopers might be leaning toward two or three separate accident reports, and that the latter, the one which collected my car, might end up holding no one at fault.
My car, along with all the others, were ultimately towed to an impound lot where they are going to be held as evidence for further investigation. It might be a few days until the cars are released. So I grabbed my bags out of the car and put them in the car in which I sought warmth. At around 3:30 in the morning, when they started with opening one lane after getting most of the scene cleaned up, to include biohazard, the one Trooper suggested I get into a different vehicle as he would be there for awhile longer. Previously, they had offered to take me to wherever I needed nearby, be it a rental car business, hotel, or Waffle House.
I searched for a good hotel nearby, and got a damn good rate for checking in around 4am. This I appreciated, after a very long day, it was nice to have a hospitality concession such as the half-rate offer.
I wouldnt dare miss the free breakfast, so I only had about five hours of sleep and stumbled downstairs to the lobby. After the sustenance was taken care of, I got in contact with the claims department for my insurance. Sadly, I have no rental car option on my policy, so Im definitely out whatever I rack up in rental car fees. Further, I have no collision coverage, so if the investigation does indeed ultimately determine no party specifically at fault for my accident, I am out a car without compensation.
I dont dare complain, not to the fullest extent possible at least. I walked away with nothing worse than some faint burns of friction burns on my forearms from the steering wheel airbag. Considering the off-center impact, more lateral than anything, I missed the fun of getting thrown into the exploding airbag. A buddy of mine recounted such an experience, replete with burns to the forehead and a black eye, and I know of much worse. All things considered, I came out of this much much better than what was possible, so I should count my blessings. I type that more as a reminder to myself than a statement I fully believe, but hopefully with enough repetition it will stick.
Unfortunately, I had to find out the hard way. I might addrisking an oft-fulfilled desire to digressthat there is definitely a palpable taste of propellant that lingers in the air for hours after the fact, no doubt further stirred by the vented air as I tried to coax heat into the frigid and lifeless car. The efforts on that front failed, mind you, but we'll get to that.
Suffice it to say, you must understand by now I was in an accident. Thankfully, with luck I have never known myself to possess, I escaped without harm, save for that to my pride and, I'll presume, already-meager financial situation.
I was traveling southbound on I-75, on my way to battle assemblya.k.a. drillfor the weekend. Specifically, since I live so far away from my unit, I was to be put up in a hotel the night before the first day we are together. I had attempted to get everything in order so that I may wrap up my three-hour journey at a respectable time and, perhaps, relax with a book well before I should fall asleep. That plan failed.
The entire trip had looked to be shrouded in rain and strong and gusty winds, judging by the forecasts I viewed prior to leaving. Yay, I thought, all the ingredients that make for a delightful excursion.
There were plenty of hairy moments on the drive, just as I had gleefully expected. It seems 90% of I-75 in Ohio is undergoing work, which is only to make way for the routine appearance of our dear friend Orange Barrel. If I had more digits and limbs, I might just be able to count on them the number of miles that ol Orange Barrel has not set up residence along my travel route. Im told this is all to make things better, to make the concept of the anticipated and constrained two-lane [four lane divided] major highway almost extinct in this travel corridor, to improve safety they say, but Im not holding my breath.
It was in the construction zone I most feared my fellow man. I routinely despise all fellow drivers, as I feel they lack for brains in all faculties deemed most important, and they only make my case stronger when the weather is bad. Add unevenly-paved roadways, constantly fluctuating speed limits, and more twists and turns than a proper Grand Prix circuit, and you create a stronger sense of impending doom than all the miscreants of life can instill on this All Hallows Eve.
Oddly enough, the journey ended not among our orange friends, rather, in the smoothly-paved three-lane clear just north of Dayton, Ohio. It was approximately two hours into the experiencediscounting a scheduled pit-stop for McDonalds, the dinner of champswhere I first spotted what I would later recognize to be the last thing I should ever hope to see while driving.
I had just driven through Tipp City, Ohio, of which I think might have one exit dedicated to its presence on the map, as if to say, See, we didnt forget about you! At this point, I can still not clearly recall whether it had been raining, or if all the moisture in the air was the result of the rooster tails of the moderately heavy traffic. My windshield wipers were on, that much I know. After two hours of nearly constant rain or drizzle, you might forget as well.
I was in the left-hand laneactively passing, if you must ask, at least Im fairly certain that was the caseand the view ahead was fairly clear, save for the presence of a lot of water in the air. And, lest you forget, it was also in the dead of the night, so the completely set the scene, it was a cold and dreary night, there was rain in the air, and brake lights and headlights bore reflections galore. Oh, yes, headlights. Not those produced by cars in the northbound lanes opposite the concrete barrier, these headlights belonged to an SUV facing against traffic in the left shoulder.
Why might an SUV be facing the wrong way in the shoulder? Given that I was bearing down on its location, I could not tell if it was moving toward me, or stationary. I saw no emergency lights, yet that made no impression on my brain during the impossibly short moment I had to process anything. It was at this time that I also recognized a whole mess of debris on the highway in front of me. In the span of perhaps five seconds at most, I went from seeing a few brake lights ahead, to witnessing a vehicle facing the wrong way, and observing some debris. I suddenly had a clear moment of cognizance, and it all made sense. Something foul was afoot ahead, this much was clear, yet precisely where the dangers lie I had not a clue.
It was precisely one millisecond after this truth dawned on me, that that which was not previously there suddenly jumped out and bit my car. What I believe I saw is a new vehicle, not that one facing the wrong way, suddenly swerve in front of me from the left. I think it bounced off the concrete barrier; Im also fairly certain it was absolutely pitch black, no lights or anything to observe to determine position or motion.
I felt the terrible crunch seemingly after my airbags suddenly swelled to block my vision. Thankfully the force was more directed laterally to my forward motion, centered squared on the front left quadrant and wheel. I could barely direct the vehicle as it came to a stop further ahead, and once frozen in place, it was most content with the notion of staying in place; I could rev the engine in gear, yet not move an inch. The visible damage to the exterior seemed fairly minor, but I believe that belies what lies underneath. The tire was mostly shredded and flat, and the sheet metal surrounding the wheel hub was torn up and responsible for the shredded rubber. There was a lean that went beyond what one expects with a flat tire. I hadnt tried starting the car for a fair while, and the emergency four-ways and dome light started to drain the battery far too much, at least that is what I suspect. Otherwise, when the car engine wouldnt turn over when I tried later in the evening, might just suggest far greater damage is not immediately visible. It was a very jarring impact, so I fully expect it to be sidelined indefinitely.
Immediately after the car came to a rest, or at least after a few moments to determine that no more cars were bouncing around the interstate, I egressed through a door that would barely open, and set about trying to help where possible. It was exceptionally heartwarming to see that I was not alone in my quest, as the uninjured swarmed the scene. I think quite a few witnesses, those among the many who sat gridlocked on the then-closed highway, stepped up to participate. Roughly half the occupants involved in the multiple car and semi collision, which littered a roughly half-mile stretch and all southbound lanes, felt it was their duty to seek out ways to help.
Unfortunately, the main thrust of our efforts focused upon searching for a missing young child, who was no longer in a particular vehicle, of which looked beyond destroyed. I had seen individuals tending to the passengers, I believe three of them, but I had not observed their injuries. I set about looking through the various debris on the road, in the grass on the side, and under vehicles. The older gentleman who had initially recruited me in the effort later called me off and said they found him, with a dour look on his face. I pressed for further clarification and he revealed the kid did not make it. I heard some discussion that made it sound like the kid may have been ran over after the ejection.
Later, once the emergency personnel and paramedics were on the scene, and I was walking back toward my vehicle to get out of the way and attempt to warm up, I watched as one of the individuals involved in the mess focused the attention of a first responder toward a fatality, pointing toward a small bundle in the middle of the right lane among strewn wreckage and debris. He was a good 15-20m ahead of the vehicle from which he was ejected, and thats just where said vehicle came to rest. After the fact, once the details were cleared and released to the media, I saw both fatalities of the night were from that same vehicle. The kid was 5, the other an adult, either the father or step-father; the last I read, the media did not have sufficient clarification. I essentially saw both bodies, as I imagine the adult passenger was in one of the seats of the vehicle when I had looked in on them through the group gathered around. Between five and seven additional passengers were taken with injuries according to the media.
Ultimately, I returned to my car and attempted to remain patient and keep warm. The more I sat still, the more I began to shake. It was part shivering, part trembling of the nerves. I made a few different calls in this time. A few different times throughout the night, I spoke with the Troopers or Paramedics nearby, or those who approached my car, and recounted what I could or offer what might help.
The initial accident occurred around 9:15pm, and I want to say it wasnt until about 12:00 or 1:00am that I was officially asked to provide a written witness statement. I provided what details I could muster. It was a little after this that I had the first offer to warm up in one of the patrol cars. I brushed it off at first, enjoying the lean back in my front passenger seat. It got cold though. I ended up putting on a second pair of my wool-like boot socks (synthetic), and while I had a hooded sweatshirt over a t-shirt, I donned the henley I had thankfully thought might be appropriate for grabbing dinner the following night. This helped. Mind you, at this time, I had also attempted to get heat out of the vents. With the car only on accessory power, it was basically cold air. I attempted to start the car, but the engine never turned. All the air served to provide is a stirring of the particulates involved with the airbag system. It smelled faintly of gunpowder the entire night.
I did take up the offer the second time it was presented, and was both immediately satisfied with the decision and regretted it entirely. I was warm, but incredibly uncomfortable in that hard plastic contoured bench the stood in for proper accommodations. The warmth won me over, of course.
In-between a couple calls to insurance while in the back seat, I was overhearing the discussion between this particular Trooper and other entities. From what I could gather, it seemed they were leaning towards an initial incident between two semi trucks that caused a series of reactions and over-corrections among the cars behind them. I had overheard some discussion that the one SUV, which bore the two fatalities, was part of an earlier accident (post-semi-accident), and proceeded to get hit numerous times by the traffic that followed.
Media reports and some witness statements seem to corroborate this scenario, and one suggested a third semi that was in the middle of the mess may have hit that SUV, possibly after it had lost control, which probably set it spinning, and I suspect sometime in this sequence of events that SUV made its way into my lane precisely when I had zero chance to react.
After all this, I also hear that the Troopers might be leaning toward two or three separate accident reports, and that the latter, the one which collected my car, might end up holding no one at fault.
My car, along with all the others, were ultimately towed to an impound lot where they are going to be held as evidence for further investigation. It might be a few days until the cars are released. So I grabbed my bags out of the car and put them in the car in which I sought warmth. At around 3:30 in the morning, when they started with opening one lane after getting most of the scene cleaned up, to include biohazard, the one Trooper suggested I get into a different vehicle as he would be there for awhile longer. Previously, they had offered to take me to wherever I needed nearby, be it a rental car business, hotel, or Waffle House.
I searched for a good hotel nearby, and got a damn good rate for checking in around 4am. This I appreciated, after a very long day, it was nice to have a hospitality concession such as the half-rate offer.
I wouldnt dare miss the free breakfast, so I only had about five hours of sleep and stumbled downstairs to the lobby. After the sustenance was taken care of, I got in contact with the claims department for my insurance. Sadly, I have no rental car option on my policy, so Im definitely out whatever I rack up in rental car fees. Further, I have no collision coverage, so if the investigation does indeed ultimately determine no party specifically at fault for my accident, I am out a car without compensation.
I dont dare complain, not to the fullest extent possible at least. I walked away with nothing worse than some faint burns of friction burns on my forearms from the steering wheel airbag. Considering the off-center impact, more lateral than anything, I missed the fun of getting thrown into the exploding airbag. A buddy of mine recounted such an experience, replete with burns to the forehead and a black eye, and I know of much worse. All things considered, I came out of this much much better than what was possible, so I should count my blessings. I type that more as a reminder to myself than a statement I fully believe, but hopefully with enough repetition it will stick.
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