This scary video captures how little time a driver can have in avoiding a wreck when a tire flies over a median at the approaching car. We often deal with accidents in torts but it is hard for a jury to sometimes understand the very limited time for reaction. Indeed, one of the tricks of litigators is to give a sense of greater time by breaking up the period in a series of decisions or actions.
The van driver is able to move quickly to avoid the tire but that leaves even less time for the victim.
The driver posted the video and described the scene: “I was driving Westbound on the 401 approaching Salem Road on Tuesday Jan 13th 2015 when a tire flew over the median and smashed into my car.”
What is fascinating is that the driver hit by the tire is being attacked in comments for remaining in the left passing lane.
Sandi Hemming said …
Aridog, it must be a guy thing. Jockeying for position.
Funny interpretation, but I seldom “jockey” and try to beat anyone anywhere, I am just amused by the fact I usually do by picking the lane that will take me where I need to go and stay in it at whatever speed is necessary…and here that can be well in excess of 70 mph. IMO it is not “jockeying” to drive past a jammed up “Michigan Left Turn” (MLT) ramp…just common sense when the next one will be within a few hundred meters or so and usually unjammed. The MLT thing is where left turns are prohibited at an intersection on busy roads and you have to drive past the intersection, then make the left turn, essentially an organized u-turn, then a right turn on the street you want…don’t know if other places have so many off them…here they are everywhere 4 lanes wide or more.
Thank you…yours truly,
Jockey Dog.
Justifying jockeying for position? A guy thing.
Aridog, it must be a guy thing. Jockeying for position.
Issac, I never drive behind anyone towing anything, pickup trucks with stuff in back and no tie-down, vans (can’t see what’s in front, tailgating).
That brings back my own horrifying experience with road debris. A car in front of me on I70 was towing a boat and trailer when a wheel flew off the trailer and came flying toward me. I had sufficient time to react, but the wheel was bouncing irregularly from one lane to another, making it hard to know where to aim my car. (Fortunately, I had no other traffic around me to further complicate things.) As the wheel whizzed by without hitting me, I breathed a sigh of relief. Then, I saw the rest of the boat trailer disintegrating, sending sparks and a cloud of debris down the Interstate. Again, it was hard to predict which lane would provide safety, but I emerged unscathed and the driver with the boat trailer was able to pull off safely. I credit luck (and prayers), not driving skill, with my escape.
Sandi….I am tickled by your description of driving in the right lane. Really. 🙂 I do so as well most of the time, and I do actually “measure” now many of those rushing past me actually reach the same destination before me…which is rare. I admit I prefer surface streets (old time city kid), so I am seldom locked in to freeway traffic patterns for very far. Swerving in and out of traffic over 4 lanes is counter productive….if you know where you are going then pick the lane that will get you there certainly, and stay in it. 🙂 Never ceases to amaze me how many drivers don’t notice this simple phenomena.
I am also the guy who passes the first “Michigan left turn” lane for the next one, and I’m the guy waving at those who struggle to push through the jam up on the turn-around they chose. I usually “beat” the third or fourth dude in the 10 car jam up….nearly all honking their horns in irritation. My delight is perverse, but none-the-less fun. Yes it is….I do confess 🙂
Thank you to whomever fixed my info problem!
The music is still horrible, but the accident was unavoidable.
Nick…a few years ago I provided 4 NYC’rs …all lived in the city…(mariners who brought a tug to us from Caven Point, NJ) …with an SUV to drive around for the weekend before they flew home. When they returned it to me at the docks, they said never again, next time just get us a hotel room, we’ll take a taxi otherwise. The said every driver here was a lunatic. So, yes top 1/3, but more like top 10 worldwide. I’ve driven in Seoul, ROK and that is an experience all of its own. They’d be top 5. When driving an M-114 no sweat, but in a jeep or sedan,
Heaven help me.
I have not driven in Michigan a lot, but I have worked a few cases. One was in the Thumb Area, flew into Detroit and drove up to the peculiar Thumb. Worked another case in the Holland area, driving there from Chicago. Took my Jeter loving daughter to Detroit to see a weekend series @ Comerica, driving from Wi.. Also, drove to Detroit the year before the Tigers stopped playing in venerable Tiger Stadium, so I could add it to my list. Glad I did, great old park. Now remember, I grew up out east. I was driving to NYC when I was 17. There’s nowhere in this country that intimidates me. I have also driven in Rome. ‘Nuff said. That intimidated the hell outta me. I guess I would put Michigan in the upper 1/3 of aggressive, but not in the top 5, maybe top 10?
Nick…”WNL?” I suspect you’ve not driven here much. I can tell when I’ve re-entered Michigan when returning from out of state just by the overt aggression of the drivers. A big pick up truck on jumbo tires so close behind me at 80 mph that I can’t see their headlights tells me…yep I be home. A 160,000 lb (or even 200k) 11 axle trucker can do the same thing…and you know they cannot stop if they had to do so. That 140+ car pile up on I-94 a few days ago is an example of what bumper to bumper means here…means leave at least a foot or two between you and the next vehicle. Try I-96 between Brighton and Farmington at rush hour for a thrill ride.