Quote Originally Posted by wossname View Post
... I went back to the car and found it's engine still running. The front driverside wheel was bent up like a potato crisp, the whole wing was shredded. I'm guessing that it smashed into a wall which turned it back into the road, the broken wheel and suspension assembly bringing it to a halt next to the kerb. The driver's door was open but there was nobody in the car (thankfully). I pulled the door open further and pulled the keys out of the ignition, killing the engine.

The windshield had a 2" hole right through it near the top of the glass, and another large dent a few inches below it, the whole windshield was cracked like a spiderweb. The bonnet (hood for you American types) had dents also. These are the signs of a person's body impacting the car, details like this really stick in the mind, I can see it as I type this.
Makes me wonder about the speed at impact.

Sometimes, accidents are just that - unforseeable. Usually they are predictable and avoidable - with experience. (Drink and drugs can also play a part)

I see RTAs quite often when driving a bus - after a while you get blase about them. Some are more amusing than anything else, such as the rubbernecker running into the back of someone rubbernecking yet another RTA. All I had to do was weave through the wreckage.

Another time I was following a dray up a hill, when half-a-dozen or so kegs and barrels fell off and rolled towards me. Unfortunately the driver noticed and recovered them.

The worst I've seen was a few seconds after it had actually happened. A car had taken a sliproad off a motorway at high speed and run into the back of an artic stopped at traffic lights. The only part of the car behind the trailer's crash bar was the boot. Everything above bonnet height was squashed flat. The car was wedged so tightly under the trailer, I couldn't see anything at all of the car occupants.

iT'S 3o 4 A r3aAs0n.

Always leave youself an "out".

When in doubt, don't.

If you're late, slow down. You're now getting paid double time.

The vehicle in front might have faulty brake lights.

Beware of CFCs (Cash For Crashes)

Only a fool breaks the two second rule. (If you're driving a bus or HGV it's a four second rule - and even longer when fully loaded)

The most common word in insurance claims is " suddenly "

etc, etc, etc...