Flu Shots & Multi-Car Accidents..What in the World???

[taylor5]

Since my career is college recruiting and am around so many students, I felt that I better track down a flu shot since I do manage to catch it every winter. Turns out there are no vaccines left where I live now (Raleigh NC) so I decided to call my doc back home in Greensboro NC.

Well as I am merging onto the famous "death Valley" of "I-40" in Raleigh NC, I am cruising around a bunch of other 8am commuters(in about five lanes of Westbound traffic) doing around 70m.p.h when it happens......

Some dumb-a.. in a Honda Civic Coupe decides they need to make up a precious second and merge over one lane. Well when they did, they cut off a work van and set off the wildest chain of swerving and spinouts and people bumping into one another that you ever saw......

It was like "Nascar"! Next thing I know, I am driving in an obstacle course that keeps changing every milisecond. That little silver bullet P5 of mine managed to avoid 5 different vehicles coming at me from all sides. A dude in a new Explorer came within, I swear, an inch of ripping off the whole left side of my car before he swerved back and nailed someone on his left side. When I swerved to the right, a Accord sedan followed right with me and we both missed the Explorer and nailing a pick-up in front of us who had already nailed someone.

When all said and done?....12-15 cars nailed! And me and the Accord and just 3 others came out unscaithed. Whewww!

I was shaking so bad I had to just start breathing "hard". The girl in the Accord was just shaking her head at me in that "I cannot believe we made it through" kind of look.

All the hit vehicles were mainly ripped bumpers, bent quarter panels and doors. Every one got out and were ok. I did manage to make it to my doctors office on time and got the shot.

You know?, I have had my issues with this P5 (a/c, trans, rattles), but after that, I kissed its steering wheel and thanked it for being such a "great handler"! That factory suspension set-up is the only reason I got through that.

Damn, what we go through to get that Flu Shot!


-Tay

[Mike R]

Damn, that's amazing! Gotta be kinda sweet to be in that situation and make it out unscathed.

[Heathen23]

Portions of I-40 there are a true death trap during rush hour. The construction really isn't helping anything leaving no shoulder in many areas and extremely narrow lanes make it worse. Glad you pulled through without even a ding. I wouldn't get the flu shot though. Anyone I've ever known, including myself, who got the flu shot got the flu about as bad in result of the shot as you would if you just got it from another host.

[clownphish]

Damn! What a story! Glad everyone walked away from that. Sheesh, some people are idiots. I would have been the first to pummel the driver of the Civic that started it all. Dumbass! :mad:

[laracroft]

Welcome to my world. My speed is still in the shop from an accident in downtown High Point. Lady ran the red light. Welcome back to the Triad. lol

[brucelee]

wow...scary. that's great you got out untouched.
i hope i never end up in a mess like that. the problem is that even if you're the safest driver, you're never safe because of all the idiots driving. :( gotta be careful in atlanta...

[EviLMaN]

(pics) lol jus kiddin but its good that ur in good shape and so is ur car

[mazdaowner123]

Heh, that's a pretty cool story. I bet it musta felt kinda cool to be dodging cars left and right. Glad to hear you made it out unscathed. Did the civic run or stop? What was the driver (young ricer?) I get the flu shot every year, never had the flu.


~brian

[DeanSweet]

you just described the normal freeway drive home here in Cincinnati? if it's raining here, stay home. Snowing? forget about it..
Glad you made it out unscathed.

[taylor5]

Unfortunately, I have no pictures of the mess.....and due to all the madness, I did not get a look at the Civic driver. I was too much of a shaking mess myself and still "now" in disbelief I got through that! People are nuts you know. All that for gaining "maybe one" car length in commuter traffic. Gee, I hope they feel it was worth it now.....the jerk!

[mazdadan]

Sometimes I feel like i'm in a video game during my commute. As for the flu shots, the vaccine is dwindling in supply worldwide.

[laracroft]

I got mine at work. Couldn't lift my arm for a few days but I've gotten in twice in the last few years. I haven't gotten really sick except for the sniffles. It's worth getting, it's just trying to find someone thats got the vaccine now. They gave out 500 to the other city workers and a few family members, but they're now in short supply here too. Supposedly the worse strain of mutated viral flu since a few years back.
And again, the drivers in NC suck. That goes from here in High Point & Greensboro to Charlotte and Raleigh. They don't pay attention to anything beyond their nose and everyone drives like a Sunday driver.

[loccusst]

That reminds me of a time I had with my old 96 protege I used to have. My wife and I were coming home from work on I235 when a lady in a suburban slammed on her brakes cause of the person in front of her did the same thing. The old truck in front of me could not stop as fast as the suburban which was newer and proceeded to rearended her. I hit the brakes and dodged towards the the shoulder on the left since we were all in the fast lane. The suburban then decided to do the same. My only option was to either rearend the poor lady in the suburban, go in the ditch and wreck the car, or do something I still can't believe I did. I dodged back to the lane I was in which ment I had to go inbetween the suburban and the truck who were still moving and try to slow down at the same time. I glanced in my rearview mirror to notice a old civic was right behinde me matching my every move but coming up quick. I then had to dodge in front of the suburban who was coming to a stop because the civic was aiming for my rearend. After the two of us went right between the two big vehicles the truck hit the suburban again cause he was out of control. When we all stopped I called the cops while my wife, now totaly aproving of my skills as a driver, checked on the lady and her little girl in the suburban. We waited for the cops and told our story and he was like "you did what? I would a went for the ditch."

[REMillers]

Flu shots are going fast cause normally young kids do not get them like we adults do (or in such numbers) So the company made a set number, however parents got scared when a child died from the "flu". So that supply is going quickly and it takes months to make new batches. Therefore they aren't making anymore cause the season would be over bofore they were finished.
The shot won't completely protect you but it does weaken the sickness.


And that is one hell of a story there, kinda of what I think about everyday driving to work or on the Beltway here (a huge circle with one area that has no shoulder, twisty, and contruction bumps and trucks entering add that together with 80-90mph and sun in the eyes :eek: )