maryannscraps
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,729
Aug 28, 2017 12:51:28 GMT
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Post by maryannscraps on Sept 25, 2017 12:19:34 GMT
At 2:30 am we were sound asleep and woke up to a bang, and then what sounded like a small explosion (like a whooshy gun). I was completely foggy and couldn't process it, but DH jumped out of bed to go outside. Turns out a young woman crashed her car head on into a big tree in our front yard. She was ok, just really shaken up. The second sound was the airbag going off. Thank the Lord she had her seatbelt on and had an airbag in the car -- I'm positive she'd have been killed without either one. Her car looks looked a smooshed accordion and was stuck in my tree, with car parts all over the yard and street.
So DH was talking to her and she said "my car just went out of control and ran into the tree". Seriously? There were no skid marks, and the car was seriously smooshed. Mind you, my street is marked 25 mph for a reason -- it's a giant hill that's windy. I'm positive she was texting and driving.
She was ADAMANT that we not call the police and saying that her boyfriend was a mechanic and on his way. DH told her he hoped the boyfriend brought a wrecker, nothing was going to fix that car. DH called 911 and wow, the entire town emergency services showed up on my tiny street -- literally all the police on duty, the big fire truck, and ambulance. Good to know there's such a fast response (Yay for my town police and fire, they are the best!).
It was very sobering to see how bad that accident was. Everybody finally left around 4:30 and now I really need a nap.
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Post by mikklynn on Sept 25, 2017 12:21:12 GMT
Yikes. I am glad she's ok. I'm sure you are correct in thinking she was distracted.
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blue tulip
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 2,983 
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Post by blue tulip on Sept 25, 2017 13:05:09 GMT
at that hour, it also would've been a likely situation that she fell asleep at the wheel. but I agree with the sentiment that WAY too many people text and drive and cause accidents!
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basketdiva
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,614
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Post by basketdiva on Sept 25, 2017 13:11:08 GMT
I'm positive she was texting and driving.
How judgemental with no proof. Like another poster said, she could have fallen asleep.
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Post by gritzi on Sept 25, 2017 13:18:59 GMT
There's no reason that a driver should text/drive. The accident could have been caused by a myriad of reasons other than texting. It could be attributed to a medical issue, the driver fell asleep at the wheel, a vehicle malfunction, alcohol, etc.
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Gravity
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,229
Jun 27, 2014 0:29:55 GMT
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Post by Gravity on Sept 25, 2017 13:22:27 GMT
With her being adamant that you not call the police, I wonder if she was under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
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Post by Bitchy Rich on Sept 25, 2017 13:31:04 GMT
At 2:30 am, my money is on drunk driver.
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Post by crazy4scraps on Sept 25, 2017 13:42:41 GMT
DH drives around all day in a work truck that's high up off the ground and he sees it happening all.day.long. He said he would guess every other car is being driven by someone with their phone directly in hand doing something. Every other car. It's for that reason he will never own another motorcycle, there are far too many distracted drivers out on the roads today. It's crazy.
My guess is that since she didn't want the police called, it probably wasn't her first accident.
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Post by jumperhop on Sept 25, 2017 14:01:44 GMT
Dang!!!! We live on a steep hill right where there is a sharp corner. This is s fear of mine. And my bedroom is next to the road.
Glad everyone is okay.
Yikes!
Jen
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River
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,507
Location: Alabama
Jun 26, 2014 15:26:04 GMT
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Post by River on Sept 25, 2017 14:07:02 GMT
I'm glad to hear she is ok. What a nightmare for her and you guys! I'm glad your DH called 911 instead of going with her wishes. Now a proper investigation can be done to determine cause.
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maryannscraps
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,729
Aug 28, 2017 12:51:28 GMT
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Post by maryannscraps on Sept 25, 2017 14:10:10 GMT
Sorry, I didn't give all the info I could. I was sitting on my porch watching what was going on, and DH was with the police. I'm pretty she wasn't under the influence -- the police gave her a field sobriety test and she passed. I doubt she had fallen asleep since she said she was coming from one of the neighbor's houses that was about 300 yards away. There didn't seem to be a medical condition -- she was checked by the EMTs and didn't leave in the ambulance. I'd think if the car really went out of control or had a malfunction, she'd have at least touched the brakes. She had to be going a full 25 mph and not touch the brakes to cause that kind of damage. My house is on the other side of the street, so she swerved across the road to hit the tree, it wasn't on her side. The police searched her car thoroughly -- I don't think she had any drugs in the car since they didn't arrest her.
I don't think I was being judgemental, just figuring the most likely scenario. To me, it looked like distracted driving, and since she was on her phone, even while talking to her friends and the police, that came to mind.
I honestly don't know why she didn't want to call the police, but DH came back into the house to call since she was so upset about it. She was very shaken up -- she probably wasn't thinking straight. When her friends showed up a few minutes later and were also yelling at DH not to call the police. I really don't know, I just thought it was a response I wouldn't have had. She was super scared, as expected -- she is very very lucky to be alive.
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Post by jlynnbarth on Sept 25, 2017 14:58:27 GMT
I'm glad she wasn't injured. She's very lucky. My dd was rear ended by a texting teenager in July. Thankfully my dd was in my dh's truck so there was minimal damage and she wasn't hurt, but the girl's four runner was mashed. The Mom begged us not to call the police and paid cash for our new bumper because her son had just totaled his vehicle the month prior and she didn't want another hit on her insurance. One of my friend's daughter's best friends was killed while texting and driving. It's heartbreaking because it's so preventable.  |
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Deleted
Posts: 0
May 1, 2024 9:22:56 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Sept 25, 2017 15:33:29 GMT
I honestly don't know why she didn't want to call the police, but DH came back into the house to call since she was so upset about it. She was very shaken up -- she probably wasn't thinking straight. When her friends showed up a few minutes later and were also yelling at DH not to call the police. I really don't know, I just thought it was a response I wouldn't have had. She was super scared, as expected -- she is very very lucky to be alive. She may have enough of a bad driver record she either has no insurance, or is about to lose her insurance or lose her license. She may be under the assumption if the police aren't called she won't face the consequences... no police record no way to prove she was the driver. |
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maryannscraps
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,729
Aug 28, 2017 12:51:28 GMT
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Post by maryannscraps on Sept 25, 2017 15:41:06 GMT
I am so glad that you called the police. So many people do not concentrate on driving, but on other stuff. There was no doubt that we would call the police. Even though she seemed fine, she easily could have had an injury that was unseen; she needed to be looked at by the EMTs. |
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M in Carolina
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 3,128
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Post by M in Carolina on Sept 25, 2017 16:15:20 GMT
Hitting fixed objects--primarily trees is the #1 cause of car wreck fatalities. Trees don't move, so there's no shock absorbing by the other vehicle going backwards. So even if you're not going really fast, there's a lot of damage to your vehicle.
The girl probably had a lot of moving violations and/or previous accidents. Not sure how she thought she could get her car replaced without insurance. She probably totaled it.
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Post by bc2ca on Sept 25, 2017 17:47:24 GMT
I completely agree that no one should text and drive, or just read emails or text while driving, I still wouldn't rule out her nodding off at that hour even if she was only in the car for a few minutes.
I'm glad the only damage was to your tree and not the house and that she appears to be okay.
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Southern Side eyed Pea 