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ocelotOriginal: http://www.kuro5hin.org/story/2001/3/19/164619/890
Yesterday afternoon I went out and practiced driving with a friend of mine (yes, I'm 21, and haven't bothered to get my license yet). It went pretty well. We even got off of the back country roads and drove around the town and on the freeway for a while.
After dinner, we decided to drive out to Fry's and get me a new network card (I killed the old one). He fell asleep for a short bit on the way there, and when he woke up, realized that I'd managed to get us on the completely wrong freeway. By this time, it was dark, and I was stressed out and tired, so before turning around and going back, we switched places. Drove back, found Fry's, got the card, and went home.
At least that's how I wish it had gone...
What actually happened was that we didn't switch. We just turned around and headed back. When we got close to Fry's, we somehow ended up getting off one exit before we were supposed to. I'm really not sure how this happened - we both knew that we were supposed to get off at Northgate, but we got off at Truxul instead. I think I must have already been in the Exit lane or something.
So we get off the freeway and approach an intersection, trying to decide what the best thing to do is. He tells me to get in the turn lane. I apparently take too long doing it, because he tells me to go straight, but since I'm in the turn lane I turn instead. That's when I realize that I have a red light and I'm heading straight towards another car.
Oops.
So we collide. Looking back, I can only see the two cars colliding from a vantage point outside the car, like I was standing their watching it rather than actually in the car. There's the sound of breaking glass. The other car goes off somewhere outside of my awareness (I thought for the first minute or so that it had been alright or something, and had just driven off, because I couldn't see it anywhere around. It was actually just over on the other side of the intersection. Which makes sense. The victim isn't usually the one who runs in a hit and run). I started crying immediatly, and cursing myself for being so stupid. My friend told me to get the car out of the intersection. I somehow managed to get across to him that the car wasn't going anywhere without some help.
Finally someone stopped and pushed us out of the intersection, and we figured out where the emergency blinkers were located. Then we sat around and waited for the police to show up. I realized that I didn't have my learner's permit on me. Oops again. I'd lost it during my move last summer and hadn't ever bothered to get another copy (of course, I found it in the first place I looked when I went looking for it later that night. It was in a place where I store important papers where I've looked 6 million times since I moved).
A lady and her son (who I'd guess was in his late teens or early 20's, and who I think was retarded) came over and were helping us. I've spent a lot of time working with severely handicapped children, and don't have a problem interacting with them. But the last thing you want after causing a somewhat serious accident is to have to go over all the details with a retarded guy. Or anyone for that matter.
The police showed up, and I explained what had happened. They told me that the people in the other car were fine, and asked if we were alright (we both were). We did all the usual insurance stuff and so on. I tried to call my dad (thinking how glad I was that I hadn't left the cell phone, which I never use because it belongs to work and isn't actually registered to me yet), but he wasn't home. Realized I didn't remember my mom's phone number, so I called an old teacher of mine instead, and tried to get it from her, but she didn't have it either (yes. I'm a terrible daughter. I can remember the phone# of old teachers but not of my own mother!).
The police called some tow trucks and had the cars towed. Both were in pretty bad shape - mine wasn't running, and the side of there's was rather crunched. Luckily, neither car was exactly in the best shape to begin with, especially not theirs. Then a friend came and drove us back home.
So...damn...I feel really stupid. At least no one was really injured at all. The guy in the other car had a cut on his hand, and I have some bruises and general soreness today. But it definetly could have been much worse.
So now I'm just waiting to find out how much this is going to cost me, and whether my car can be repaired or not. I hope it can - I'd inherited it from my aunt, who died last year.
Fuck. I'm stupid. I'm going to go find something else to concentrate on now so that I can stop thinking about this for a bit.
Yesterday afternoon I went out and practiced driving with a friend of mine (yes, I'm 21, and haven't bothered to get my license yet). It went pretty well. We even got off of the back country roads and drove around the town and on the freeway for a while.
After dinner, we decided to drive out to Fry's and get me a new network card (I killed the old one). He fell asleep for a short bit on the way there, and when he woke up, realized that I'd managed to get us on the completely wrong freeway. By this time, it was dark, and I was stressed out and tired, so before turning around and going back, we switched places. Drove back, found Fry's, got the card, and went home.
At least that's how I wish it had gone...
What actually happened was that we didn't switch. We just turned around and headed back. When we got close to Fry's, we somehow ended up getting off one exit before we were supposed to. I'm really not sure how this happened - we both knew that we were supposed to get off at Northgate, but we got off at Truxul instead. I think I must have already been in the Exit lane or something.
So we get off the freeway and approach an intersection, trying to decide what the best thing to do is. He tells me to get in the turn lane. I apparently take too long doing it, because he tells me to go straight, but since I'm in the turn lane I turn instead. That's when I realize that I have a red light and I'm heading straight towards another car.
Oops.
So we collide. Looking back, I can only see the two cars colliding from a vantage point outside the car, like I was standing their watching it rather than actually in the car. There's the sound of breaking glass. The other car goes off somewhere outside of my awareness (I thought for the first minute or so that it had been alright or something, and had just driven off, because I couldn't see it anywhere around. It was actually just over on the other side of the intersection. Which makes sense. The victim isn't usually the one who runs in a hit and run). I started crying immediatly, and cursing myself for being so stupid. My friend told me to get the car out of the intersection. I somehow managed to get across to him that the car wasn't going anywhere without some help.
Finally someone stopped and pushed us out of the intersection, and we figured out where the emergency blinkers were located. Then we sat around and waited for the police to show up. I realized that I didn't have my learner's permit on me. Oops again. I'd lost it during my move last summer and hadn't ever bothered to get another copy (of course, I found it in the first place I looked when I went looking for it later that night. It was in a place where I store important papers where I've looked 6 million times since I moved).
A lady and her son (who I'd guess was in his late teens or early 20's, and who I think was retarded) came over and were helping us. I've spent a lot of time working with severely handicapped children, and don't have a problem interacting with them. But the last thing you want after causing a somewhat serious accident is to have to go over all the details with a retarded guy. Or anyone for that matter.
The police showed up, and I explained what had happened. They told me that the people in the other car were fine, and asked if we were alright (we both were). We did all the usual insurance stuff and so on. I tried to call my dad (thinking how glad I was that I hadn't left the cell phone, which I never use because it belongs to work and isn't actually registered to me yet), but he wasn't home. Realized I didn't remember my mom's phone number, so I called an old teacher of mine instead, and tried to get it from her, but she didn't have it either (yes. I'm a terrible daughter. I can remember the phone# of old teachers but not of my own mother!).
The police called some tow trucks and had the cars towed. Both were in pretty bad shape - mine wasn't running, and the side of there's was rather crunched. Luckily, neither car was exactly in the best shape to begin with, especially not theirs. Then a friend came and drove us back home.
So...damn...I feel really stupid. At least no one was really injured at all. The guy in the other car had a cut on his hand, and I have some bruises and general soreness today. But it definetly could have been much worse.
So now I'm just waiting to find out how much this is going to cost me, and whether my car can be repaired or not. I hope it can - I'd inherited it from my aunt, who died last year.
Fuck. I'm stupid. I'm going to go find something else to concentrate on now so that I can stop thinking about this for a bit.
