By Unicorn.Dulcinea 2009-11-25 23:59:15
Crazy stuff in there.
The craziest traffic-related thing I ever saw happened when I was walking down the street one evening, on my way to the video store near my house, maybe four years ago.
This wasn't a near-miss. The accident actually happened, but everyone was okay, so yay.
I was walking east, in the grass on the side of the street. A guy on a motorcycle was speeding west in the lane furthest from me, and a car turned out in front of it.
The motorcycle slammed into the side of the car at an angle, flew up over the car while rotating in circles, burst into flames in mid-air, and continued flying forward through the air for quite a distance before landing -- still in flames, mind you -- in the woods down the street on the other side. The guy remained seated on it the whole time. It was s u r r e a l.
I went running over, and the driver of the car got out unharmed, and he and I continued running across to where the motorcycle guy was. I was thinking as I ran that if this guy wasn't dead, he had to have been mortally wounded, and I was preparing to have to talk someone through his last moments and try to help him leave peacefully.
But nope! As the car guy and I approached, the motorcycle guy popped up like some cartoon character and put his arms out to get his balance. He did look a little confused, but he didn't look that banged up. As the car guy called 911, I helped the motorcycle guy walk over to a safer area, away from his smoking bike, and he was pretty much coherent, just a bit dazed. He didn't seem to be having any trouble walking. The three of us just hung out and waited for the ambulance.
I don't drive -- I know, I know, but leave me alone; I have my reasons -- so I don't know all the driving rules or how to tell who was at fault or whatever, but I thought it was cool that there was no fighting between the car driver and the bike rider.
Anyway, though, it was crazy, I tell you. ^^ Haven't thought of that in a while!