Close calls you have had.

[Tabonga | 2,390]

 In April of 2019 a runaway truck coming down from the mountains slammed into a traffic backup on I-70 eastbound at the Denver West entrance/exit - destroying 12 cars, 3 other semis, killing 4 people and injuring several other people.  (There was an accident several blocks east of there which caused the traffic jam.)

 

   I live relatively  close to that site - there is a large mall and other shopping areas near there.   I go out to that area fairly often and I generally get on the freeway eastbound for a short dog leg to get on the streets I use to go home.  On that day I was going to do that and once I went up the incline to the overpass I saw that the on ramp was backed up and I was able back up and take another route home.  If I had been there just a few minutes  earlier I likely would have been right in that mess when the accident happened.

Any close calls anyone else has had?

 

 

 

 

[RH | 5,054]

Interesting question.  When it comes to various types of "close calls", I've had the following happen to me or people I was close too.

• I was in a car wreck when I was 16.  It smashed a lower vertebrae in my back and I had to have massive reconstructive surgery.  I had two, near close calls with that one.  First, the damage was oddly shaped and the first set of x-ray's didn't show the damage.  I was in excruciating pain and my mother wouldn't let them discharge me until they figured it out. Well, after a few more x-rays and a CT scan, they realized that a vertebrae was compacted and needed reconstruction.  #2 is not only was it compacted, but one of the little bone-nubs (not sure what it's called) right in the middle had broken off.  According to the doctors, if the force of the impact had been a little bit harder, I would have severed my spinal column and I would have been paralyzed.  So, not only did I dodge paralysis, I also dodged the issue not being diagnosed for a while, which would have certainly made matters worse and I'd probably be suffering chronic pain issues to this day.
• Years ago in my home city, a school bus driver loss control as it was pulling up to a bus stop to pick up some 5-7 elementary kids.  I'm not sure what happened, maybe it was a heart attack or a tire burst, but whatever it was, the bus veered off and hit most of the kids, killing them.  This was the school bus stop of my two sisters that lived with my Dad, however, his wife usually took them to school and that was one of the days where she took the girls too school.
• Before I dated my wife, she was taking a sharp turn on a country road.  She turned too sharp, and on the right-hand side was a deep ditch, maybe 10 feet deep.  There was also an intersection there with a stop sign.  She hit the stop sign and it literally cut through the middle of the car, inches from her shoulder. She walked away with a nasty belt-burn and that was it.  Had she veered just a bit sharper, she'd likely been cut in half by the stop sign.

Edited May 14 by RH

[Tabonga | 2,390]

6 minutes ago, RH said:

Interesting question.  When it comes to various types of "close calls", I've had the following happen to me or people I was close too.

• I was in a car wreck when I was 16.  It smashed a lower vertebrae in my back and I had to have massive reconstructive surgery.  I had two, near close calls with that one.  First, the damage was oddly shaped and the first set of x-ray's didn't show the damage.  I was in excruciating pain and my mother wouldn't let them discharge me until they figured it out. Well, after a few more x-rays and a CT scan, they realized that a vertebrae was compacted and needed reconstruction.  #2 is not only was it compacted, but one of the little bone-nubs (not sure what it's called) right in the middle had broken off.  According to the doctors, if the force of the impact had been a little bit harder, I would have severed my spinal column and I would have been paralyzed.  So, not only did I dodge paralysis, I also dodged be not-diagnosed for a while, which would have certainly made matters worse and I'd probably be suffering chronic pain issues to this day.
• Years ago in my home city, a school bus driver loss control as it was pulling up to a bus stop to pick up some 5-7 elementary kids.  I'm not sure what happened, maybe it was a heart attack or a tire burst, but whatever it was, the bus veered off and hit most of the kids, killing them.  This was the school bus stop of my two sisters that lived with my Dad, however, his wife usually took them to school and that was one of the days where she took the girls too school.
• Before I dated my wife, she was taking a sharp turn on a country road.  She turned too sharp, and on the right-hand side was a deep ditch, maybe 10 feet deep.  There was also an intersection there with a stop sign.  She hit the stop sign and it literally cut through the middle of the car, inches from her shoulder. She walked away with a nasty belt-burn and that was it.  Had she veered just a bit sharper, she'd likely been cut in half by the stop sign.

When I was in kindergarten I was in a neighbor's station wagon coming back from a movie with a bunch of other kids (it was a birthday party) a drunk slammed into us head on and I was propelled over the rear seat and did a face plant with the windshield - spent about 4 hours in surgery while they picked glass shards out of my face.  I have a not very big scar there which has faded over time.

 

 

[RH | 5,054]

1 hour ago, Tabonga said:

When I was in kindergarten I was in a neighbor's station wagon coming back from a movie with a bunch of other kids (it was a birthday party) a drunk slammed into us head on and I was propelled over the rear seat and did a face plant with the windshield - spent about 4 hours in surgery while they picked glass shards out of my face.  I have a not very big scar there which has faded over time.

 

 

That's a serious bullet-dodge there!  Yes, that was some serious damage, but when you get thrown into the wind shield, it doesn't take a lot more force to do fatal damage.

 

[Tabonga | 2,390]

22 minutes ago, RH said:

That's a serious bullet-dodge there!  Yes, that was some serious damage, but when you get thrown into the wind shield, it doesn't take a lot more force to do fatal damage.

 

I suspect I hit just right and it was the right side of my face that hit fairly flat with the main point of contact the bone just below my temple.  I didn't break any bones just tore the f out of that side of my face.

I remember I had asked the woman driving  if I could ride in front on the way back and she wouldn't let me - likely saved my life since that was long before even lap belts were in many passenger cars.

I am not sure how fast the drunk was going - but cars were a lot heavier back  then - which meant more protection but much more  momentum at whatever speed.  I think the driver of our vehicle knew she couldn't avoid the hit and hit the brakes hard (which was likely what catapulted me over the seat - there is a good chance that I was in the air when the actual collision occurred - never know for sure though.  Happened quick - all I remember is winding up facing backward on the front seat with lots and lots of blood.  Didn't feel much pain but I was probably in shock/

[RH | 5,054]

19 minutes ago, Tabonga said:

I suspect I hit just right and it was the right side of my face that hit fairly flat with the main point of contact the bone just below my temple.  I didn't break any bones just tore the f out of that side of my face.

I remember I had asked the woman driving  if I could ride in front on the way back and she wouldn't let me - likely saved my life since that was long before even lap belts were in many passenger cars.

I am not sure how fast the drunk was going - but cars were a lot heavier back  then - which meant more protection but much more  momentum at whatever speed.  I think the driver of our vehicle knew she couldn't avoid the hit and hit the brakes hard (which was likely what catapulted me over the seat - there is a good chance that I was in the air when the actual collision occurred - never know for sure though.  Happened quick - all I remember is winding up facing backward on the front seat with lots and lots of blood.  Didn't feel much pain but I was probably in shock/

Yeah, that was my general experience with my wreck.  In fact, it was similar, except someone backed out into the road we were driving down and we rear-ended them going 45mph.  I was wearing a lap belt, and the injury was caused by me snapping forward (I always forget to add the part where I broke my nose from hitting it on my knee) and then when I snapped back up, it crushed the vertebrae.

Anyway, immediately speaking, neither my nose or back hurt.  I just notices "something" was dripping down my face.  Turns out it was blood.  I got out of the car and walked away.  I think I was standing and seemed fine for about 10-15 minutes before the pain started, but when it did, it was horrible.  I laid down on the ground and then didn't get up, from a laying state, for 14 days.

[Tabonga | 2,390]

2 minutes ago, RH said:

Yeah, that was my general experience with my wreck.  In fact, it was similar, except someone backed out into the road we were driving down and we rear-ended them going 45mph.  I was wearing a lap belt, and the injury was caused by me snapping forward (I always forget to add the part where I broke my nose from hitting it on my knee) and then when I snapped back up, it crushed the vertebrae.

Anyway, immediately speaking, neither my nose or back hurt.  I just notices "something" was dripping down my face.  Turns out it was blood.  I got out of the car and walked away.  I think I was standing and seemed fine for about 10-15 minutes before the pain started, but when it did, it was horrible.  I laid down on the ground and then didn't get up, from a laying state, for 14 days.

All things considered I think we both got off much lighter  than what might have happened.

I did wind up with a small settlement which was put in trust for me - I was able to use a little to help with college expenses and got the remaining balance (around 8K) when I turned 21.

[RH | 5,054]

1 minute ago, Tabonga said:

All things considered I think we both got off much lighter  than what might have happened.

I did wind up with a small settlement which was put in trust for me - I was able to use a little to help with college expenses and got the remaining balance (around 8K) when I turned 21.

Dude, even more of the same.

I got an insurance settlement which settled right at the time time I was going to college.  It paid for my college, a car and a computer.  It was a fair chunk of change but I put it all to use for good purposes.  It actually ran out my very last semester.  I paid my tuition and had to get a job to pay for my apartment and food.

Well, I can't say I didn't use it for fun at all.  I did by me a Rickenbacker 330.  That was my college guitar.  I have no regrets.

[Tabonga | 2,390]

Just now, RH said:

Dude, even more of the same.

I got an insurance settlement which settled right at the time time I was going to college.  It paid for my college, a car and a computer.  It was a fair chunk of change but I put it all to use for good purposes.  It actually ran out my very last semester.  I paid my tuition and had to get a job to pay for my apartment and food.

Well, I can't say I didn't use it for fun at all.  I did by me a Rickenbacker 330.  That was my college guitar.  I have no regrets.

The lawyer told my parents that if I had been a girl I would have had a much much larger settlement (because of facial disfigurement).  If I had been older I would have told everyone I got the scar from my time in Heidelberg.......

[Code Monkey | 2,028]

I drive a car with a roof line below most pickup truck wheel wells, I stare death in the face daily.

[Tabonga | 2,390]

6 minutes ago, Code Monkey said:

I drive a car with a roof line below most pickup truck wheel wells, I stare death in the face daily.

 

[Strange | 1,706]

Might be closer than you intended but an SUV pulled out in front of me and stopped suddenly when I was leaving work one day.

I went to the ER. No long-term injuries, just pain for a little while. The EMTs couldn’t believe I walked away but maybe they say that to everyone idk.

Edited May 15 by Strange

[JamesRobot | 5,858]

[Richardhead | 2,918]

@JamesRobot crashed his motorcycle once on a ride he didn’t tell anyone where he was going. Luckily he was wearing a damn helmet!

[Tabonga | 2,390]

26 minutes ago, Richardhead said:

@JamesRobot crashed his motorcycle once on a ride he didn’t tell anyone where he was going. Luckily he was wearing a damn helmet!

 

[fcgamer | 4,801]

I was merging onto the main drag running through the city about six months back, on my scooter. Suddenly a bus appears out of nowhere in the lane I'm merging into, and a car that was behind me on the other road also starts merging over. I had nowhere to go, just had to drive incredibly straight and fast to get out of the mess, probably had a two-foot area to maneuver and any knee-jerk reaction from a vehicle's horn likely would have made me hit one of the vehicles. It was honestly one of the scariest moments I've experienced while driving, the busses here just go flying down city streets without regard for anyone, in or outside of the bus.

Another time, back when I was still living at home in the States, my brother and I were headed somewhere, likely the mall. I was driving, and when we came to the main road to get on, I saw a car go zooming at an abnormal speed down the road (this wasn't a highway / freeway, but it was a 2 x 2 major road for the area). Then we see a bunch of police chasing after the car, and when it's finally clear that we can get to go, we also see that spikes had been laid out on the road. If we had been there any sooner, we would have likely been involved in the whole thing in one way or another.

Turns out that the guy in the car had just shot (and killed) a police officer, who had stopped him and found out that he had an unregistered gun in his car. The rational? The guy had just gotten out of jail for drugs or something, and didn't want to head back to jail for being in possession of a firearm. Well he did go back to jail anyways, a police officer lost his life, and in an odd twist, the guy who committed the crime was the son of someone that worked for my father.

[JamesRobot | 5,858]

2 hours ago, Richardhead said:

@JamesRobot crashed his motorcycle once on a ride he didn’t tell anyone where he was going. Luckily he was wearing a damn helmet!

Shit I'm probably on life number 5 at the moment.  And that's mostly true except for the helmet.  I actually totalled my last bike back in August.  I wear a helmet now though.

@Richardhead was straight rundown on his bike a few years ago.  Blood all over the road.

Spoiler

 

[T-Pac | 7,677]

When my high-school Track coach was a kid, he refused a car-ride offered by some local guy.

Later he found out that guy was John Wayne Gacy.

[T-Pac]

[RH | 5,054]

9 minutes ago, T-Pac said:

When my high-school Track coach was a kid, he refused a car-ride offered by some local guy.

Later he found out that guy was John Wayne Gacy.

[T-Pac]

That's truly the craziest one yet. Not a close call, but it reminds me of why this card is desirable:

Why?

Spoiler

Those two guys on the side lines on the left are The Menendez Brothers.

Anyway, a more mundane close call for me is that I spent a summer living with my uncle in Northern, Rural Kentucky.

Jokes aside, there was a real reason why that was often dangerous.  Up near the Ohio river, there were a ton of tobacco farms and they were farmed by old farmers of old families.  My uncle told me to be careful around the farms because, for reasons only God knows, farmers would drive around on tractors like they owned the place and almost never, ever looked before pulling into the roads.

I never got super-close to getting into accidents, but that was largely because my uncle told me to pay attention.  For the entire summer I lived there, and the many times I drove around the back rural roads, I can confirm, these farmers would straight-up pull out of a path in the woods, on to a busy back-roads high way, not even stop to look and just drive.  If you're not paying attention and going 55-6o, you could easily hit them.  I was paying attention and I know I had to slam on breaks several times.

[Tabonga | 2,390]

33 minutes ago, T-Pac said:

When my high-school Track coach was a kid, he refused a car-ride offered by some local guy.

Later he found out that guy was John Wayne Gacy.

[T-Pac]

When I was in high school I was briefly in contact by mail with a guy who would later become a notorious serial killer.

 

[Reed Rothchild | 9,675]

I once sleepwalked off into the Utah wilds as a child.  Woke up out in the middle of the dark, cold woods.

Luckily I only made it a couple hundred feet and was able to spot the headlights and flashlights for everyone looking for me.

Also, I didn't walk straight off a ledge or something.

I also once used a metal paperclip to prop up my SNES power supply.  My dad was thrilled to discover that one.

I also once almost got hit by a bus doing jumps on my bike.  Someone called my dad about it.  Again, very thrilled with me.

And finally, on two occasions I've lost traction on an icy interstate.  Lots of people die that way up here.  I credit video games with fine tuning the skills in reacting to that.

[RH | 5,054]

Ah, I knew there was something I was forgetting!

Back in early high school (and probably the winter right before the above-mentioned car wreck I was in) I wanted to try and take up snowboarding.  Now, growing up in South Carolina, if you want to get into snowboarding and you can't afford to fly all over the US, you have to take what you can get in the mountains of NC or Tennessee.  My second time snowboarding, I was at Wolf-Laurel which is probably one of the most Southern ski resorts in the nation.  These slopes aren't really bad but they can have the problem of having warm days, followed by cold nights, then followed by another warm day.  This causes the snow to basically be a thinnish layer of snow, on top of ice.  Snowboarding (or skiing on ice just isn't a good idea.)

Well, it was my second time snowboarding and I thought I had gotten the hang of going down the mountain.  Weeeeeeelll... I accidentally got up way more speed than I intended since I was practically on ice and being that I was 15 or 16, I just decided to go with it, only to realize I was soon approaching the sky lodge and... I wasn't the best stopper.  So, I turned to stop and did a fair job but since I didn't have ANY clue how fast I was going, the edge of my board cut into the ice/snow, sent a massive wall of ice spraying into the air, I landed on my back and skidded at least 50 feet, stopping about 5 feet in front of a crowd.

I was stupid, but I got lucky.  Everyone looked at me and cursed me out cause I looked like some jerk trying to spray a wall of snowy ice on basically everyone at the base of the lodge.  I just walked it off, apologized but called it at that.  I could have easily NOT stopped and plowed into 10-20 people and injured myself and others really bad that day.

[JamesRobot | 5,858]

3 hours ago, RH said:

That's truly the craziest one yet. Not a close call, but it reminds me of why this card is desirable:

@Richardhead has this card.

[Reed Rothchild | 9,675]

5 minutes ago, JamesRobot said:

@Richardhead has this card.

I'm sure I do as well

[Hammerfestus | 3,963]

Hit a deer once on the highway driving to work at 3 am.  Caught him with the front passenger side.  Wasn’t up to full 70 or whatever on the highway (who’s in that much of a hurry to get to work at that time lol) but it did a number on my car.  Holy shit crazy feeling.  I was completely fine and when I called the cops to come out that guy definitely rolled up expecting me to be drunk.