Yeah, I Was Lucky

As most of you have heard, I was in a pretty bad wreck last night.

I was in the right lane of SR 417 in Orlando, FL. I was going about 60, getting ready to bear right to pay a toll. As the new right lane started to become available for the diversion to the change / receipts toll plaza ...

BOOM!

Hit on the driver's side. I never saw it coming. Suddenly the car was starting to go the wrong way as the back was skidding to the left. I tried to maneuver the car but it didn't seem to respond. I saw a white SUV that I knew I was going to hit.

Boom.

Not as loud or as jarring. I clipped the rear bumper. Next thing I know I'm heading for the guard-rail. I thought I was going to crash right through it and head down the steep hill into the ravine. At that moment I thought, this might actually be the end of this story. You know. Then end of MY story. Anyway, I imagine I had my foot on the breaks by now.

Boom.

I hit the guardrail. The car stopped and the guardrail was no worse for the wear. The radio was still on. The engine was still running. I was still strapped in. No glass. No blood.


I got out of the car and a nice young man of about 27 or 28 years pulled over to see if I was O.K. I told him I was. He asked me what happened? He didn't see the impact - just me sailing down the highway like it was an episode of the Rockford Files. I told him I got sideswiped by a vehicle as yet unknown. I called 911 and asked the guy to tell the dispatcher where I was, because I was not sure and still feeling quite a bit disoriented.

He returned my cell phone and left the scene. Next, the driver of the S.U.V. that I had hit came running over to see if I was all right. I told him I was and he told me everyone in his car was fine. He asked me what happened? He didn't see it either. Said he saw pieces of my car flying through the air. Then saw me hit him.

Next the Sheriff showed up. I told him what happened. He told me to sit tight for a few minutes. After that the EMT showed up. The driver of the SUV that I hit wanted his young son checked out just in case, because he complained that his neck hurt a little. The EMT said the boy was fine.

After that the Florida Highway Patrol officer was on the scene. He dismissed the Sheriff, took my license and asked me what happened? I told him too. At first he misunderstood me and thought I was intending on changing into the left lane. I didn't realize that right away, but in the next conversation I explained to him that the left-lane was for people with an electronic toll pass, and I didn't have one, so my intention was to go into the right lane that was coming up so I could pay the toll.

The driver of the SUV that hit me was parked a few hundred feet down the road ahead of the SUV that I hit. The policeman informed me that the other driver's position was that I hit him. He told me that the police would investigate the evidence and would make their report and basically the insurance companies, and if necessary, the courts would sort it out.

I went back to the point of impact and noted that my skid-marks started in my lane, so that supported my side of the story.

The tow truck driver showed up. He had tattoos all up and down his arms and a Pink Floyd Dark Side of the Moon t-shirt. He managed to get the car on the bed of his truck.

Meanwhile, I approached the driver of the SUV that hit me and I asked him what happened? He was perhaps 5' 10'' and extremely over-weight. Obese. 400 pounds maybe. He muttered something unintelligible, which may have been, "You tell me." I said, "The officer said you say I hit you?" He said, "yeah." I said, "You hit me!" He muttered "Speak to my lawyer." I understood him, but I said "What?" His lady companion said, "He said, 'speak to his lawyer.' "

I walked away shaking my head.

The tow truck driver drove me to the airport. I filled out an accident report and was given another car.

Not the best day of my life, but as Connie was quick to point out, at least she didn't go to bed a widow last night.