Number Five Accident

Today's Thoughts 3/29/12 Number Five Accident

Number five accident happened today. That is five accidents that I have now been involved in while driving my big truck. Yet still I keep my perfect record. Each accident someone else's fault and I have yet to be charged. I am glad that everyone was able to walk away today the worst was just shaken up. I can hardly blame them though as finding one's self under the tail of an eighteen-wheeler at highway speeds I would imagine could be a bit scary.

Not too bad, I guess overall. The wheel from a small trailer that you would see pulled behind a car, somehow found itself in the windshield of a car. That car lost control hitting me in the rear and then sideswiping another pick-up. All this in an instant. I find it funny as the years go by the way I react as these things happen. I guess experience kicks in and you do not freak out as you did with your first one.

Anyway, I see the cars bumping and banging behind me so instead of slamming on the brakes so that they would slide into me for the second time, I just let my truck roll and stay just ahead of the mayhem going on in my left rear view mirror. Then as the action slows down, I work my way over to the emergency lane and come to a stop.

Training kicks in and first I check on all the people involved. Everyone seems ok so out comes the pen and paper and of course the camera. I take all kinds of pictures from all kinds of angles of course. This is a must do. Then of course come the drawing od sketches and writing up what happened while it is all still fresh in my mind.

And so it went, just the normal activities that you would see at the sight of an accident. They towed off the one car and the other two of us were able to drive away with no problems after we were released by the deputies on the scene. Best of all, no peeing in a cup required. So all seemed good.

Seemed anyway. You see, the county deputies cut me loose before the State Patrol and the DOT cops arrived. I am about ten miles up the road when I get a call from the police telling me to stop at the nearest safe spot on the side of the highway. I am not sure what is going on but I figured I screwed something up. Anyway, I find a nice wide spot up next to a high concrete wall that comes down to a height that I can take a seat on and I park next to it, put on my flashers, then walk back and make myself comfortable sitting on the concrete wall. Then about a minute and a half later, here they come.

Five lanes of packed north bound traffic plus the HOV lane and they have the sirens blaring and the blue lights flashing running about a hundred miles an hour coming after this desperado truck driver sitting on the side of the highway kicked back on a concrete wall waiting for them. Now you tell me that cops do not get to have a little fun every now and then.

They spot me sitting on the side of the road then make their way over and pull in behind me. The DOT cop was first and he jumps out, walks over to me sitting there and asks, "Why did you leave the scene of an accident?" This has to be at least forty five minutes after the accident occurred and after all the reports are filled out. So I tell him, "because the deputies on scene told me to leave." I said "I asked them if they had everything they needed as they returned all my paper work before I left. Was there something else I needed to do?"

About that time, the state patrol finds his way up to us and he wants to know why I left. He is a bit meaner looking but I know enough cops to know I will be ok if I just take the time to answer their questions and let them take the time to understand what is going on.

Much to my surprise, the DOT cop jumps in here and tells the State Patrol that I was told by the deputies that I should leave the scene. I had no clue that any state official concerning trucking regulations was on the way. He said that as he arrived at the original accident scene, everyone was left at the scene after I left was leaving so he actually used his DOT car to pull over the county deputy and that is how he got my phone number to call me. He was also told that I was told to leave. Lucky me.

So why you may ask all this fuss over a driver that was told to leave the scene? Well the state guys wanted to make sure that I did not meet the criteria of needing to have my truck inspected and then having to go take a drug test. All cool I guess. Just doing their jobs as we the tax payers pay them to do. but I have to tell you, for just a minute there as I was being descended upon with all the speed and pretty blue lights all lit up and sirens a blaring, I was once again amazed at just how calm I was watching them come at me. I must be chilling out in my old age. Or is it that I have learned over the years that most cops are out there just doing their jobs and I knew I would be just fine in the end?

Whatever it is, once again I met a bunch of law officers that professionally worked their jobs and all in all, turned out to be a right nice bunch of guys. As we were doing the things we needed to be doing, we had some nice conversations and with any luck, they found this desperado truck driver a bit on the professional side also. Who knows?

Be safe peeps …
Jeff Head.
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