[News] Last night I cheated death

[TugWilson]

Yes indeed, escapism......

Not my route though alcohol and blocking it out, glad your ok Durlston.
I and my friend were both taken out by a drunk driver on the wrong side of the road, as we left our scooter club meeting in Ormskirk riding back to Wigan, luckily for me I was behind my friend Jason, who sadly got hit first as the driver in his capri came hurtling round the corner, straight into him, throwing him from his scooter, the driver did not even brake, but the impact of his first collision slowed him down somewhat and by the time he hit me, I had time to swerve throwing me from my scooter, and my head hit his wheel arch and my elbow ripped his bumper off somehow.
My friend did not survive he was dead on the scene.

I still have flash backs and think of him often, along with another friend who died on his way back to France in exactly the same scenario, killed by a drunk driver on the wrong side of the road just 2 miles from his home.

I would love a scooter again, but there are too many idiots in cars that just do not think bike.

That`s awful , so sorry for your friend , thank God you survived . I am aware that you have had more than your share of shit in your life , but i am also aware that you are a fighter in life , i am sure @Durlston is too .

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

I had a head-on almost in sight of the Amex on the Falmer Road over the brow of the hill coming out of Woodingdean. I had my two early teenage children in the car on a dark December early evening and a car just came into our lane. I tried to avoid but it was head-on and we ended up the right way up having rolled over and down a slope with all the airbags having gone off. We were trapped and exited by the tailgate (which you could open from inside).

At the Inquest (the other driver was killed) it turned out had had an exhausting couple of days and simply fell asleep at the wheel. What killed her was a broken rib piercing her heart (old car - no airbag).

It makes you think. I never assume cars are going to stay in their lane and I am a far more cautious driver. It could easily been us had we been driving each others cars.

Anyway good luck Durlston - it created a massive amount of hassle but like you we walked away. Not everyone does.

 

[Greg Bobkin]

Drink driving is not a good idea.

Nor was posting this

 

[Thunder Bolt]

I had the silver foil around me as extra protection when the ambulance finally arrived. It was bitterly cold last night.

It was very cold, so black ice may be a factor.

 

[Easy 10]

I had a head-on almost in sight of the Amex on the Falmer Road over the brow of the hill coming out of Woodingdean. I had my two early teenage children in the car on a dark December early evening and a car just came into our lane. I tried to avoid but it was head-on and we ended up the right way up having rolled over and down a slope with all the airbags having gone off. We were trapped and exited by the tailgate (which you could open from inside).

At the Inquest (the other driver was killed) it turned out had had an exhausting couple of days and simply fell asleep at the wheel. What killed her was a broken rib piercing her heart (old car - no airbag).

It makes you think. I never assume cars are going to stay in their lane and I am a far more cautious driver. It could easily been us had we been driving each others cars.

Anyway good luck Durlston - it created a massive amount of hassle but like you we walked away. Not everyone does.

I find these kind of tales terrifying. You can be as careful a driver as you like, but if you are simply in the wrong place at the wrong time, then your number could be up through absolutely no fault of your own.

I had an experience on the northbound A23 coming up to Hickstead on my way to work some time last December. Nothing as dramatic as the experiences on here, but it proper shit me up. It was early morning, around 6.45, pitch black and honking down with rain. I was probably doing about 65, when out of nowhere, a large newspaper blew across the carriageway right in front of me. In that split-second instant I thought it was some kind of animal, jammed on the brakes and swerved to avoid it - almost lost control and nearly hit the central reservation, I could feel the front of the car juddering as I wrestled to stay straight. Went from the inside lane to nearly hitting the central reservation - I was just so lucky there was now other cars near me.

My heart felt like it had leapt out of my chest, and I had to pull over into a layby to gather myself. I was still shaking a bit when I got to my desk. Like I say, nothing dramatic, but in those moments when you're not entirely in control at speed, you feel like you're having an out of body experience.

 

[DJ NOBO]

At around 6pm last night, by Penland Road in Haywards Heath, my car overturned twice and by some miracle I only suffered minor injuries. I keep having flashbacks and panic attacks caused by it. I really thought my number was up and ready to meet my maker. I could smell burning and it was only with the help of medical teams, that I was able to get out, as my foot was trapped. I was hysterical as I thought my car was going to explode.

I got taken to the Royal Sussex County hospital and was discharged very late last night. There's a picture on the Sussex Roads twitter page of the upturned vehicle.

I'm still very shaken up. Just those extra few seconds in a situation like that with an oncoming vehicle can be the difference between surviving and dying.

Has anyone else completely written off their car or had such a scary experience on the roads? Feel free to PM me if you prefer.

All the best.

Durlston.

Don’t underestimate the impact this has and will have on you . My advice would be line up some counselling.

 

[ac gull]

someone I used to work with got spun round by a lorry on M42 - came back to work too soon after 2 weeks off - lasted a week or so then signed off for another month

it was more the delayed shock of what might have been than the injuries which was just loads of bruising as was an older car with not too many airbags

takes more time to recover mentally than physically

 

[AlbionBro]

Glad you are okay young man, it must have been very traumatic for you. Thankfully all around you were okay too.
I once had a scare on my BSA motorcycle, a Ford Anglia came at me on the wrong side of the road around a bend, I took evasive action through the top of a hawthorn hedge because the bike took off Paul Newman like, but I managed to stay on it but upon landing, I slid up the tank and bruised my undercarriage.
So an experience I will never forget.
One thing of note I have avoided that piece of road since, you may feel the same.

 

[Horses Arse]

Glad you're ok Durlston.

I flipped my car on a single track country lane. I was driving slowly but hit a blind verge. Nothing as dramatic as your incident but the car was totalled and everything seemed to happen in slow motion. No one was injured. Apparently other drivers had done the same thing. I suffered from shock for a couple of days. I made sure the first trip in my new car was along the country lane where I had the incident. Something to learn from.

I did similar, country lane in warwickshire in a lovely sunbeam rapier fastback I'd just bought after starting my year out from uni. Some guy not driving fast enough for me to show off my driving skills........ so I let him go then drove like a loon, started skidding slightly on the corner and decded to brake (like an idot), hit the greass bank which bent the front wheel out and dragged the car up the bank as it slowed to a halt before slowly tipping and smashing onto its roof. Only just taken a loan out to buy the car and I'd written it off.

Had to apologies to my passengers as we exited the car. Ended up being a valuable lesson to me. Such an idiotic thing to do

 

[Durlston]

So you were at fault then. Harsh, probably.

I've just broken down PMing my best mate on here, describing in gruesome detail what it was like and you're judging me?

I would honestly pray for you not to ever go what I went through last night. I think that says a lot about my emotional state fella.

Suffering from Post traumatic stress. Cut me some slack, please.

 

[AlbionBro]

I've just broken down PMing my best mate on here, describing in gruesome detail what it was like and you're judging me?

I would honestly pray for you not to ever go what I went through last night. I think that says a lot about my emotional state fella.

Suffering from Post traumatic stress. Cut me some slack, please.

If I was you young man, I would pick the phone up and talk it out instead, or better still ask them to come around for a chat.

 

[Ludensian Gull]

I live in Penland Road so I was almost home. They say that most accidents happen within five miles of your home. I just want to recover both physically and mentally as soon as possible. It's been a very eventful start to the year - both good and bad in very different ways.

I've had another health scare recently but that's unconnected to the accident.

Wishing you well mate, I've also got a lot on my mind at the moment and find myself answering questions that have no relevance what was being asked. So can relate to how this could have happened .

 

[Ludensian Gull]

No just mouthing off as usual. Was the insurance bit that set my cynical tentacles going.

Maybe just keep your gob shut in future, coming across an absolute tool

 

[drew]

If I was you young man, I would pick the phone up and talk it out instead, or better still ask them to come around for a chat.

Agree with this. Could be more cathartic actually talking to someone.

 

[Thunder Bolt]

I've just broken down PMing my best mate on here, describing in gruesome detail what it was like and you're judging me?

I would honestly pray for you not to ever go what I went through last night. I think that says a lot about my emotional state fella.

Suffering from Post traumatic stress. Cut me some slack, please.

Please put that poster on ignore. You don’t have to put up with that nonsense.

 

[South Stand Bonfire]

Great that you're OK, but what the f*** were you doing to roll a car twice here (just a few metres down the road from Harlands Primary School):

View attachment 156770

In the February just before the first Covid lockdown, I drove from Shoreham to get a train from Hassocks. Approaching the railway bridge, a Fiat Punto overtook a van coming towards me at around 30mph. It passed me on the wrong side of the road so I pulled over towards the pavement and in my mirror I saw the back of the car fishtail, hit the kerb and then did a double roll. Incredibly the driver got out without a scratch. I always thought you’d only roll a car doing 70+ in a high powered vehicle. I was wrong.

 

[BN9 BHA]

I've just broken down PMing my best mate on here, describing in gruesome detail what it was like and you're judging me?

I would honestly pray for you not to ever go what I went through last night. I think that says a lot about my emotional state fella.

Suffering from Post traumatic stress. Cut me some slack, please.

Ignore this troll Durlston, the decent people on this thread are the ones wishing you well.

Hope you feel better soon.

 

[A mex eyecan]

Ignore this troll Durlston, the decent people on this thread are the ones wishing you well.

Hope you feel better soon.

agree with this. Durliston, anyone who isn’t wishing you well isn’t worth the waste of time reading their bollox goads.

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

I find these kind of tales terrifying. You can be as careful a driver as you like, but if you are simply in the wrong place at the wrong time, then your number could be up through absolutely no fault of your own.

I had an experience on the northbound A23 coming up to Hickstead on my way to work some time last December. Nothing as dramatic as the experiences on here, but it proper shit me up. It was early morning, around 6.45, pitch black and honking down with rain. I was probably doing about 65, when out of nowhere, a large newspaper blew across the carriageway right in front of me. In that split-second instant I thought it was some kind of animal, jammed on the brakes and swerved to avoid it - almost lost control and nearly hit the central reservation, I could feel the front of the car juddering as I wrestled to stay straight. Went from the inside lane to nearly hitting the central reservation - I was just so lucky there was now other cars near me.

My heart felt like it had leapt out of my chest, and I had to pull over into a layby to gather myself. I was still shaking a bit when I got to my desk. Like I say, nothing dramatic, but in those moments when you're not entirely in control at speed, you feel like you're having an out of body experience.

We were driving south down the dual carriageway part of the A24 after the lower Southwater roundabout and driving towards Bucks Barn. The two carriageways divide and there are trees in between. It was about 1.30am and no other traffic and we had cut some corners where it gets windy.

I mean, it’s dual carriageway. And suddenly this car comes towards us and drives past as if it’s single carriageway. We were in shock. Combined speed about 140 mph. Could not believe it.

Another night and we’re all goners.

 

[Durlston]

Glad your OK thats the main thing. I remember asking a kid being in a car that overturned and rolled a few times. We got out with just a bit of cut lip and bruising but it could of been a hell of lot worse. Very good to know your old though

I'm not that old mate! Someone called round tonight to see if I was OK. They said they'd never seen anybody look so frightened and white in the face as last night. It's added a few grey hairs to my sideburns though.