As has been announced on our friends only lists and I’ll now go public with the news.

Today at 1:05pm my car was hit by a speeding, uninsured kid.

There are now lots of photographs that I took while waiting for AAA.

It goes down like this, I was crossing the Interurban Highway in Tuckwilla. This is effectively a 3 lane road with extra turning lane that people seem to speed on. It is directly off 405 in Seattle right near the Airport.

I was across the street from my interview at a gas station. Filled up the tank and was crossing the street. Now the cross was more of a slight jog. The entrance was about half a car length up the road from the exit to the gas station.

I’d have to head across the street with about a 5 degree slant to the left. I wouldn’t even be able to straighten up in the turning lane. I checked right then left and the road was clear, so I entered the road, hit the yellow line entering the turn lane and looked right again, there was now a car visible about 1/4 to 1/2 mile coming towards me. I continued driving (about 10 mph to cross the road), I looked again and realized he’d already closed to about 1/4 of the distance there was. The car must have been doing 70+. Realizing my predicament, all I could do was floor it and hope that I was across the road and he’d slow down enough to let me thru.

The car approaching never sounded like it slowed. I don’t know if it was my imagination, but it sounded like he sped up. Then I felt it. I closed my eyes. The car spun. I don’t know which way. I remember laying to my right side held by my seat belt for a moment. I was in shock. This isn’t happening. This can’t be happening. An older man came to my window. I realized that I must look like I’m dead because I let myself be slumped to the side with my eyes closed. I didn’t want to move. But knowing how I must look, I figured it was best to try to compose myself to wave to him and let him know I wasn’t seriously injured. At least, I think I wasn’t seriously injured.

By the time I was sitting up in my seat there was a cop on the scene and one more pulling up. License, registration… couldn’t find my damned insurance card. I went from shocked, to scared, to all but crying on my dashboard. As people came by I’m asking, did anyone else see him? How fast was he going? What happened? I was quite disoriented for the first few minutes. They asked if I wanted someone to check me out.

Within about 5 minutes we’re up to 3 police (1 state who’d witnessed and 2 local) and an firetruck/emt. The EMT asked how I was. I hadn’t stood up or gotten out of the car. I explained that more than anything I’d gone thru shock and upset and was pissed. He was amused; I knew what he was asking. I explained that I felt some soreness in my back, but felt okay. He asked if I wanted to go to the hospital. I explained, actually I’m here for a job interview.

In the meantime I got a look at the other driver. The kid looked about 20 while he puffed a cigarette. He got out of the car with his girlfriend. The car was one of those really cheap cars that looked about 5-8 years old. The emts looked at the girl. They put a neck brace on her and put her on the ambulance. It turns out that the initial forensics from the skid mark put the kid at about 60 mph. The street is zoned 35. So, I basically saw him at a point where I was safe to cross and he was going about twice the speed limit.

They cited him first for speeding. Then… they cited him because he was uninsured. They took commentary from onlooker who agreed that he was waaaay over the speed limit. I got a report number and went to the interview.

I don’t think I got the interview. I think I should have chosen hospital in retrospect.

Fast forward. It’s now about 3 hrs since the accident. The minor pain in my back is now a right shoulder blade in quite a lot of pain. So… I’ll go to the doctor’s after we drop off the car. I really don’t want to be all, “oooh my neck… oooh my back!” Because it looked like the girlfriend was really trying to muster loads of sympathy from the emts over the guy in the suit. (Interview…. whoopie) But to be honest. I really hurt now.

And for the safe side… I’ll put a request out if anyone knows a good ambulance chaser because I may as well deal with this thing as best I can. Later I’ll post pictures from the accident. (It may occur shortly after this post because this is being written ‘offline’) I really feel like I was completely legal and safe in my driving and obviously I am P!$$ed off about this. This accident could not have occurred at a worse time.

Well, I seem to be mostly okay. It could have been far worse.

More later when I can reflect on stuff.

5 p.m. I fear while there might not be too much physical damage, I think there’s going to be a need for mental healing. Coming out of the Toyota place (which referred us elsewhere) shimmeringjemmy pulled up behind a vehicle stopped at an intersection. I had the sudden gripping terror that we were going to hit the car. Now, I’m in no way doubting her driving abilities.. it was just image of car coming towards me. I sat there trembling for about 15 seconds.

I’m typing now so that I don’t have to look at the road. The cars driving around are making me unbelievably uneasy. I know that it’s all in my mind; but with the physical reminder in my shoulder and back, and not really having driven since it happened. I’m impressed that my abreaction is as high as it is.

6:30 p.m. The car is dropped off. We don’t know if insurance will just say, “totaled” and then we’re in a real mess. Because we’ll get a check cut for car’s worth, not remainder of loan. We did get a rental. This meant that shimmeringjemmy had to drive the loaner car while I had to get back into the driver’s seat of the rental. Let me tell you… white knuckle the whole way home.

I’m driving a Corolla rental now. Our wonderful mostly new Matrix is currently being assessed as to whether it is recoverable. On top of that when the flatbed arrived the first thing shimmeringjemmy pointed out to me was that the bumper was gone. She said, “Guess we’ll have to get a new Steelers’ Bumper Sticker.” Okay, Now I’m pissed.

I’m really ripped. I’ll be on AIM if anyone wants to chat. (Yes, that’s an active hint)

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