So, I nearly killed someone tonight.

[Caris]

I was driving home at around 10pm, I had just been to Tesco for some ice cream. Coming back it was pitch black obviously and I came up to a crossing, a girl ran out whilst the traffic lights were green and hit me. I slammed my breaks on but it was too late, she hit my bumper, went over the bonet, along my windscreen and flipped on to the road. I looked over and saw her lying there. Without a doubt the worst few seconds of my life, I was looking at her and all I could think of was that I had killed her.

 

I threw my hazards on and got out the car, no idea how but she got up and just started crying saying sorry over and over again. The relief I got to find out she wasn't dead was just incredible. I pulled over at a car park near by and just made sure she was ok, my dad followed by the police came and we just confirmed everything then went on our separate ways.

 

I really needed to vent somewhere because this hands down was the worst experience of my life, I've been shaking none stop for about 3 hours and can't sleep.

 

There is some damage to my car bug I really couldn't care I just hope she really is ok as she had been drinking and I'm worried it might not have sank in that she's injured.

 

So yeah, I'm in a pretty bad state right now. I can't shake the feeling of thinking I had taken someones life. I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy.

Edited August 8, 2010 by Caris

[MadDog]

Damn, i don't know what your going through, as i have never done anything like that.

 

But it sounds really bad, how fast was you going?

[Eenuh]

Aww man, that really is quite bad! It's good to hear that she's ok, it could've ended way worse like you said.

 

You don't really have yourself to blame for anything, you couldn't have avoided it. Hope you can find some rest soon and set your mind at peace, though I know it will probably take some time. Maybe put on some relaxing music to help calm you down?

[Fierce_LiNk]

Whoa, no wonder you were shaking. Must have been scary.

 

You didn't do anything wrong. In fact, you did very well by making sure she was ok and by showing obvious concern for her. You're a good man for doing this.

 

I don't think this could have been prevented on your part. So, try to be at peace with yourself. It could have gone very, very badly, but it didn't.

[The fish]

Shit dude, that's pretty fucking traumatic. You didn't do anything wrong - I know too many people who'd have just driven away from that, so kudos for stopping to see how she was.

[Pit-Jr]

I had a similar experience the other morning where i almost hit a guy on a moped. He was stopped in the middle of the lane just after the crest of a hill. Strike one.

 

I was texting and driving (i know...i should be shot). Strike two.

 

Luckily i swerved just in time so nothing happened but it was still incredibly unnerving so i can only imagine how horrible it must feel to actually hit someone.

 

Good to hear that the girl in your situation was able to walk it off!

[dwarf]

To be fair you'd have to be a bit of a bastard to see a girl flipping over your car and just driving off as if it didn't happen. But man, that shit is scary Caris, hopefully it won't happen again.

 

I was quite close to dying in a car crash recently. Was just a car driving in front of us, when suddenly a car going 60mph on a small country road roared towards us, lost his grip, and slalommed in between the car in front and us. If the bellend driving so fast had even as much as clipped the car in front, he would've lost his steering and careered straight into the bonnet. It's weird after a moment like that, you just feel shocked for a few seconds, confused at how you didn't expect it to ever happen to you, and you start thinking 'what if?'

 

Meh, I'm still alive, it's fine.

[James]

Was she fit?

 

Sorry, I had to ask.....but at least she's ok, got up and no problems I would imagine with her. Plus it wasn't your fault the booze obviously ruined her decision making skillz.

 

At least she got up and spoke to you, I saw a girl walk out into a car in Sydney, flipped up smashed the windscreen, got up and jumped in a taxi, the freak.

Edited August 8, 2010 by James

[soag]

Fuck, I can't imagine what that must of been like, I'd prob have to see a shrink to get over something like that.

 

Hope your both ok

[Jonnas]

Damn.

Good thing she didn't get serious injuries. Like Flinky said, you did the best you could (and should) have done. Don't feel bad, the worst has been avoided.

[Dan_Dare]

Woah that's crazy, man. Sounds like you did the right thing though.

[Ville]

Wow. Hope everything turns out fine...

[MoogleViper]

You didn't do anything wrong so don't worry about it.

[Guy]

Yeah, dude. She ran out infront of you so if anything happened it was her own fault. I'm sure she's learned a valuable lesson tonight and just be thankful everything worked out okay.

 

Terrifying experience though, but seeing her get up must have been the biggest relief ever. Like spending all of December thinking you weren't gonna get a copy of Ocarina of Time and opening a copy on Christmas morning.

[Caris]

Thanks for the comments everyone, means a lot.

 

You can't help but think if the situation was the slightest bit different that I could of killed her though.

[Raining_again]

You didn't do anything wrong so don't worry about it.

 

Trufax. But very easy to say and incredibly hard to do in the actual situation

 

Caris, you're a good bloke, you know you did the right thing. =)

 

*sends lots of hugs your way*

 

 

Just goes to show why binge drinking is the STUPIDEST thing you can do... In a different place, with a different driver it could have been a whole lot worse!

[Dan_Dare]

True- but when I was fifteen I was about 6 inches short of walking in front of a bus going full speed. Slightest difference then and I'd be dead. Dwelling on what might have happened and what didn't happen is useless, especially when you did everything you possibly could in the circumstances.

[Dog-amoto]

Thanks for the comments everyone, means a lot.

 

You can't help but think if the situation was the slightest bit different that I could of killed her though.

 

I know what you mean and I know that this is a horrible thing to say, but if she had have been killed, it wouldn't have been you who did it, it would have been her.

 

She should have been paying more attention to what she was doing, and you really mustn't blame yourself. It sounds like you reacted well to what happened, and the fact that you slammed on made the collision better than it could have been.

 

It's more than likely that you saved her life, so try to think of it that way.

 

Obviously, I can't comment accurately on the scenario, but work more on your peripheral vision scanning - when you drive, pay more attention to the pavements on both sides of the road instead of what is just in front of you. Too many drivers just look in front of them and not enough to the sides. I don't want to sound like I'm blaming you, and I know it was dark at the time, but people don't just come out of nowhere like I hear people say all the time. If visibility is poor, then adjust your speed accordingly.

[S.C.G]

^ Dan's right, dwelling on it won't help but then we weren't in that same situation as you were so take a bit of time to reflect if necessary but try not to let it consume you.

 

Learn from it though, it wasn't your fault true and I'm sure you were paying attention etc but it just goes to show that you've got to be thinking for every other pedestrian and driver out there who just isn't thinking - she clearly wasn't due to alcohol - there may not have been anything you could have done this time but if there's ever a next time then circumstances may be different.

 

Say for in stance you may have been well under the speed limit for that area but now every time you drive past that stretch of road you're probably gonna be driving even slower due to what happened, so just take that and apply it to any set of oncoming traffic lights where it's safe to do so.

 

I don't mean to be a back-seat driver as such, just trying to offer what little advice I can, anyway, you're a good man for checking she was alright Caris so try not to let this haunt you, just reflect and move on as quickly as you feel you can.

[Ryan]

Your avatar looks great with that original post..

[Raining_again]

Its about being aware, not slowing to a snails pace when someone might dare to think about diving in front of you. If you slow down you'll cause a hazard on the road. If he was speeding or not watching the girl would have been dead instantly.

 

Caris did all he could and I don't think he'd appreciate backseat drivers to be perfectly honest.

[Ellmeister]

Bitch be crazy.

 

Surprising she just got up and walked like that though, least there was no hospital issues involved so you shouldn't feel bad really.

 

Try not to think about if something had been different. It wasn't, and thus you shouldn't worry!

 

What ice-cream was it? I probably would have scoffed that down to calm myself/ just because I'm always hungry.

[Caris]

I just ate the ice cream I went out for last night, full tub of Haagen Dazs cookies and cream downed in 10 minutes.

 

Feel a bit better now.

[MoogleViper]

I just ate the ice cream I went out for last night, full tub of Haagen Dazs cookies and cream downed in 10 minutes.

 

I think your avatar has brain freeze.

[Ramar]

That would shit me up, it would probably take me a week just to sit back in my car.