Thursday, January 26

Steer into skid

Last night on my way home I took a different street from normal (there are 2 streets I can take to the street my apt's on). As I started the turn onto my street, there was this huge sheet of ice...and my car...'danced' on it for about 5sec. I was like shit, shit, foot off gas/brake...steer, steer, steer. Luckily no-one was illegally parked on the curb (like they usually are) and no cars were trying to come out at the same time I was at the corner. So I was able to just steer (sorta) until my car got over the black ice. Scary but I handled it.

I had a car accident 2 years ago on black ice...I was joining main traffic on highway and my car skidded from the edge of the exit into on-coming traffic. My car was facing the median and I was hit on driver's side. Seconds before, I could hear and see cars whizzing by me on either side. Then I realized I was going to be hit and I ducked away from the window. Good thing since my driver's side window was shattered and there was a huge crack in the windshield. The driver's side door was pushed in about 6 inches. The car was totaled but I was very lucky and only lost my glasses, banged up my leg and had problems with my lower back. But nothing was broken. I didn't even get cut. So lucky when I think about what my car looked like after the accident. The other guy wasn't hurt much either, I think he had a sprained ankle.
It was scary and I thought I was going to die. For months after, I would hear the noise of the crash (crunching metal/breaking glass) in my head at random times, sometimes while driving. I started driving 4 days after(with crutches in tow). I got my current car 12 days after the crash. The skid brought this all back to me. My friend D thinks maybe I started driving again too soon after the accident. But what else could I do. You do what you have to do and you try to move on from things like this. At least I had all my limbs. Maybe that's when I started losing my mind? Just kidding. That's D's theory anyway well sort of. She thinks my current anxiety started from then. I'm not so sure about that.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oh man, that accident sounds terrifying. I don't know if I'd want to get in the car again after that. I started sliding into the other lane at least twice last week; good thing nobody was in the other lane at the time.

I sympathize with your accident flashbacks. About a year and a half ago I was rear ended on the highway by a guy going about 50, and TO THIS DAY I get antsy at a stop light when someone's coming up behind me. I mentally brace myself for the impact! Is that crazy or what.

Petra said...

I don't think that's crazy at all and for both of us not unusual to have flashbacks. I've been rear-ended as well(last year) and it doea make me nervous whenever other people follow too closely-I think -are they going to stop or what?