car crash !

february 2000

driving into work in the morning
oncoming traffic meant i had to wait before turning into work off the main road
the speed limit is 60 here
and i suspect the white astravan was doing about that when he ran into the back of my car
i already had the wheel turned ready to drive in, so i was spun into the oncoming traffic
a lady in a fiesta suddenly found a 205 pushed into her path
the collision with her car span me round more
the impacts had both been on the left side of the car
and thankfully, i wasn't giving anyone a lift that day
otherwise, well, i'd rather not think about that

i'd been aware of leaving the van behind at the previous junction
and that he was coming up behind me
as i watched him approach in the rear view mirror, a thought crossed my mind -
"i can't have an accident now, i'm nearly in work !"
there was a noise and some force, all over in an instant
then i was sat there, pointing in almost the right direction, nearly 360 degrees
thinking i should get out
i seemed completely unharmed
the accident blocked the road in both directions

my glasses had gone
i looked in the car for them
before a concerned motorist suggested i leave the car
there was liquid on the road ( brake fluid )

the collision with the back of the car meant the contents of my boot were emptied onto the road
mainly sainsburys bags waiting to be used and an old road map
now blowing across the fields !
i stood in the february cold
i looked down to see my glasses on the road, lens down
the spinning of the car had flung out both the windscreen and my glasses
they'd landed unharmed on the road !

as the road was blocked, the guys coming to work as passengers were walking in
to see my mangled car
metal like origami
friends helped
raph took in my things from the car
and i was brought a mug of tea
during the post-accident scene, with friends around, i was remarkably calm
it was only when i looked to see the time, that i said "oh, bloody hell !! my watch !"
when the car was spun round, my arms must have flailed around and smacked the watch into the window
i'm in two minds about getting it repaired

the driver of the van, a council van, had hazardous chemicals in the back and his airbag hadn't worked
my car didn't have an airbag
i'd always been aware of not wanting an accident in this car
the lady in the fiesta was in shock, badly shaken
after 30 minutes, i felt the cold
the police took details
a flatbed truck came and took away my car
seeing it lifted into the air, it's front wheel hanging off, was sad

later, rachel insisted on taking me to hospital
which was kind
i wasn't kept waiting for long
and it didn't take long to check me over
i was given a neck collar and sent home ( well, work )
i had slight whiplash, for which i got £1700, but it took a few months
and i got a good price for my written off car