So this happen.
Here’s what happen in a much detail as I remember so I won’t have to repeat it alot.
The Mrs and I had tickets to Ballet Magnificat at Beltway Park Church for Wednesday night. We decided to make an evening of it and went to Tokyo Fusion for dinner. That ended up taking a little longer that we hoped and we were on our way in a hurry to the event. We came down Hwy 83 S and exited for Beltway drive. There was an unusual amount of traffic, but not enough for stop and go.
I was in the right hand lane on the one way, two lane feeder. There was a black SUV in front of me. The SUV slowed suddenly to turn the right. I swerved to the left to go around it.
And didn’t realize there was a large pickup truck in the left lane.
We impacted. My driver’s rear side and her front passenger bumper.
Really the next few seconds is a blur in my memory, but this is what else seemed to happen.
She was probably swerving to miss me, but I was too fast for that, and when we hit it pushed her off the road on to the left. There is a rather steep embankment down from the feeder to the main highway. She realized this and swerved back to the right on the road.
By this time my car has spun some, so she slammed back into me directly on the driver’s door. The glass shattered, though I’m not sure it broke at that moment.
At this we both came to a stop, though not together. Both vehicles were still movable, so I pulled over to the side of the road and she did as well.
The truck contained a young woman and her daughter. They had been shopping at the mall with her mother, who was following them and pulled over. Her daughter of about 10 was in the passenger seat and was very upset, but uninjured. Driver was shaken, but ok as well.
Grandma took the daughter and comforted her and walked her to her car.
We got out. Called the cops and did all the post wreck stuff.
Cop arrived, got statements. I called GEICO, arranged a tow and filed a claim.
I got a citation for ‘Failing to drive in a single lane.’
Tow trucks arrived and towed my car to our house. My son arrived shortly before and took the Mrs home.
They drove Contessa up onto the flatbed wrecker and off again at the house. She’ll move, but the driver’s door won’t close. Which caused an interest symptom. Normally if you are in a Tesla, at a stop and open the driver’s door it puts the car in park. So when I went to slowly drive it into the garage, everytime I came to a stop it put itself in park.
It is displaying a warning message that “Autopark is disabled.”
When I got to the house my son was concerned the Mrs was concussed. She lacks the symptoms, but we’re keeping an eye on her. I believe she’s OK, but she’s going to call the doctor and see if they want her to come in and have her head examine.
I believe in taking responsibility trying to learn from things, so here’s what I’ve got to say.
I could have avoided this all by being in less of a hurry. I could have checked my blind spot before changing lanes.
I think though I made the right decision to hit the truck on the side rather than rear-end the vehicle in front of me. If that was the choice. Maybe I could have just made that stop with out rear-ending anyone. But a side swipe collision is better than with a stopped vehicle. Those physics are all about relative speed. Our impact was probably less than 20 mph difference. Rear-ending would have been more like 40mph.
How do I feel about the wreck?
Last night I said, “It is just a thing. But my favorite physical possession in the world.”
It’s sad, but no one was hurt. Insurance will pay for everything. I’ll be inconvenience for awhile and miss Contessa.
I’m blessed to have a God who comforts and protects.
Today I’m as back to as normal as can be. Have a protege meeting with an existing protege and a meeting with a brand new one.