While driving at 70 MPH in the middle lane of I-95 this morning heading North towards Fredericksburg from Richmond, I looked into my rear view mirror and saw a white sedan traveling at a very high rate of speed bearing down on me as he had just swerved into the middle lane from the hammer lane.

I thought he was going to hit me when he swerved into the bumper lane, passed me and the car in front of me and then swung back behind a vehicle  ahead of the car in front of me, crossing the middle lane and going into the hammer lane.  There was a vehicle in the hammer lane right behind me so he had no choice but to go into the bumper lane and then swing back into the hammer lane after he passed us.

After he got into the hammer lane he lost control of his car, which must have been going at least 90 to 95 MPH, went onto the shoulder of the interstate, did a magnificient flip, with parts of the car flying off the car and into the air, just like a NASCAR crash, and then he hit a tree.

The car hit the tree in a perpendicular position as the car was standing up dragging its rear on the ground when he flew off the road, meaning he did not hit the tree head-on, but the front of the car hit the tree while standing up from the flip.

I saw him bounce around in the driver's seat but he was not moving.

The two cars in front of me stopped but I kept going as I had an 11 AM meeting that I did not want to be late.  And what could I do anyway?  There were at least five other vehicles that witnessed the crash so I just went on my way as these other vehicles stopped to offer help.

I am going to look in the newspaper tomorrow to see if he survived.  

It was one spectular crash and I was right there, no more than 30 feet from his flip, when he hit the tree.

Oh well, one less stuipd person on the road now.

I've been close to a few rather spectacular crashes.

Just last month my dad and I were coming back from Toledo via I-75 with a tractor in tow.  A mix of rain/sleet/snow was falling and the roads were a little slick.  People had been slowing down, but one guy just didn't get it.

Happened about 100 yds in front of us.  Mini-van hits a slick spot, goes sliding into the median.  Van turns while sliding through the median, slides up into the northbound lanes, does a 360, then slides back into the median.  Leading wheels finally grab, the van rocks up onto two wheels, comes oh so close to turning over, then flops back down onto four wheels.

All of that happened in the span of 3 seconds.

Coming back from the lake last summer driving south on US 23.  Had an old beater Chevette pass me flying.  About 5 miles down the road, I catch up with them thanks to a series of traffic lights.  We start down a steep hill and I begin to slow down because I'm pulling the boat.  Chevette is about 50 yds in front of me in the outside SB lane.  

In the blink of an eye, they just go flying through the median, go across both northbound lanes, graze the guard rail, then turn back across the NB lanes and back into the median.  How they didn't get hit by NB traffic boggles my mind.

I slowed as quickly as possible and pulled over to help them out.  I was on the phone with central dispatch and waiting for traffic to clear so I could get out of my truck.  Saw a light turn on in the passenger compartment, then saw someone get out of the car.  

The rocked the car back and forth in the wet median for a minute, got it moving, then headed northbound with 4 flat tires.  Reminded me of the Griswolds on their trip to Wally World.

Some people are accidents waiting to happen.  When driving, I spend more time watching other people than anything else.

I Saw An Accident Today>>>>>>>> that's what my Father said the day I was Born

That sounded cool...not for the guy, just the way you described it. Im on 95 all the time and see those idiots, especially in Philly.

Sam,

I might could see leaving from a minor fender bender or something but a potentially fatal accident???? Too many what ifs for me, I've stopped for some really bad ones in the past and was able to help, even without any real medical training. Common sense alone can save a life or just make someone comfortable or calm them down until help arrives.

You really should at least call the highway patrol and tell them you saw it to give a statement... you may have seen more than the others or remember something different.

Oh well, one less stuipd person on the road now.

Wow! That's pretty hard core...  You never screwed up or got away with something that could have turned bad? I think we all have done things that could have gone south but through the grace of God, made it out unscathed.

Here's what happened to my buddy Mike on the way home from a race in Kentucky last year. While traveling the PA turnpike, one of his trailer tires popped and he lost control. The truck is actually facing west, but we were headed east!

His truck and trailer were a total loss, the $80,000 race car in the trailer was pretty banged up, luckily only cosmetic. I saw this happen in my side mirror as we were leading the caravan of race car trailers back to New England. Luckily, no one got seriously hurt, and no other cars were involved.

I've never run that fast in my life. By the time I got our rig stopped we were about a 1/4 mile down the road, I ran so fast I thought my legs were gonna give out, and I fully expected to see my buddies severly injured. This picture doesn't show the full extent of the damage. I vividly remember looking in the mirror and seeing his truck and trailer on two wheels going across the turnpike. It's a miracle that it didn't flip.

That is a scary looking situation.

Back in Feb. I was heading to BPS in Sevierville down I-81.  Early on a Sunday AM, we had gotten a couple of inches of snow earlier that morning.  Roads were fine save for a few snowy patches.

Driving along, spot a pickup and a 14' utility trailer off to the side of the westbound lanes.  Only thing was that both were facing east with the truck on it's side and the trailer was upright.

Everyone was fine, but I wish I would have seen just how they ended up in that position.

Sam, something really struck me about what you had said in your post. Please do not take this the wrong way. You said you would not stop because you were late for a meeting and two other people stopped anyway? I just want you to rethink what you said my friend. A major accident just happened with all probability of severe injury and you did not want to be late for a meeting? Priority's seem a little off balance, don't they? Is this what has become of us as humans. We see so much violence, blood and guts that we are getting complacent about it all. I cannot think of any meeting important enough to not stop and help my fellow man in a crisis. Just my thoughts.

Fltech,

I called my friend who is a Virginia State Trooper and he told me to go on and that the accident had alrady been called in and that help was on the way.

Justfishin,

I agree. Sounded nasty but it was not meant to be.

This guy knew he was in the wrong; imperiled all of us on the road; and could not care if he drove anyone off the road as he was on the move so just get out of his way.

I-95 is the Indy 500 of the east coast.  Sometimes I have to go 80 to get out of the way and let the morons pass me.

Other times I have to go 75 just to keep up with traffic.

It is very dangerous on the roads, as we all know, and I just refuse to let one driver who did not care for me or others safety to stop me from my appointment.

Also, I did not read about him being killed in the accident in today's Richmond Times-Dispatch so he is probably in the hospital in Fredericksburg, all banged up but on the way to recovery.

I did not mean that in a mean way, it just sounded so complacent thats all. I travel 95 from Fredericksburg to Richmond quite a bit as I have family down there around the Richmond-Petersburg-Colonial Heights area. and go that way to Kerr. It is pretty bad. I have never been on a more dangerous road, especially around Richmond in the evenings.

Justfishin,

Have you fished the Rappahannock River around Route 360?

If so, please let me know as I have a tournament on the river in June.

As for I-95 between Richmond and the Tri-Cities, you are so correct.  It is a dangerous stretch of highway.

When I go to the Tri-Cities area I usually go Route 288 or I-295 if to Hopewell.

Be safe.

I have not fished the Rap in many years. When I go to Virginia it is usually on the Chic, Kerr or Smith Mountain Lake and Lake Anna occasionally. I don't care for Anna that much. Although, I have caught some nice fish there, it is rare. My fishing buddy caught a 9-1 there a few years back but, that place always beats me up. I usually get five but, most of the time they are just at the size limit. I think I am cursed on that lake,lol. I always wanted to fish the James as well, I just never got around to it. Good luck on your tourney. Tell me how you did.Stay safe as well.