Family Damned near Killed by Someone Running a Red Light

Sunday Afternoon, my Wife in the front seat, and both of my young Children were in the back seat of my 2008 Chevy 2500 HD Diesel Truck. We are waiting at the light, and it turns green. I start to take off, and my wife yells at me to look out!!! I see in my periphreal (spell check) vision, another truck bombing down the road, hauling a Horse trailer, doing at the very least 60 MPH. I lock the brakes up, and the truck AND the Horse Trailer whizz by my bumper. Not 1 inch from me. My Iraqi RAGE kicks in. After about 3 seconds of calming down, I stomp in the trhottle in Chase. In about 8 seconds I am side by side with a Lady driving the other truck. She stares at me, with no emotion, and just keeps driving. I tuck in behind her with the intent of following her home. God knows what would have happened. Anywho, after about another minute of me following her, I pull over to regain my compusure(had to get to my Mother in Laws House for her B-Day Celebration). Another car pulls in behind me, and another lady gives me her card. She tells me that she saw the shole thing and that she could not believe how the other Lady ran the red light. Make a long story short, I do call the Cops as I got the trailer number. I was told by the cops that they were in the middle of Shift Change, and that their was nothing that they could do. Input more RAGE.

Anywho, all I could think of all day at work, is What If that ***** would have hit me? She was soing 60, She was in a 3/4 Tun Truck, Hauling a Loaded Horse Trailer. She would have Killed me, I have no doubt about that. What scares the hell out of me is my Wife and Kids. I mean, WTF!?!?!? This Lady didn't even motion an apology. She could care less about running a red light, at full speed, almost T-Boning me into oblivion.

Before anyone mentions it, no, I did not drop any obsenities in front of my Children. All they know is that they were almost hit by another truck, and Daddy was very, very angry.

I am glad that you are all fine. That is the most important thing, and the fact that you didn't follow her and do something that you would regret.

If I understand what you are saying, the woman was coming from a cross street and just blew through the red light. I am not going to lecture you on driving, but just throw this out here for everyone. Always take those few extra milleseconds before and after the light turns to be sure the path is clear. Never count on someone to actually stop like they are supposed to. I personally can think of several times where if I would have taken the green light, I'd have been T-Boned by some a**hole not paying attention.

Again, glad you and the family are safe. Absolutely the most important thing. Take Care.

Glad you're safe and sound. Take it as a blessing. I'd imagine this episode was imprinted on your kids and some day they're going to...for some instinctual reason...delay accelerating through a fresh green light and their lives will be saved.

To this day, I don't roll up to railroad tracks without a drastic slow down and a look left and right...I'm just saying...

Ironic thing about this is in last Month's Motorcyclist, they did an article on this very thing. If I was on my Bike...

Deja Vu... On my way home from work today some moron blew through a Stop sign at a 4 way, missed the guy making a right turn by inches and had the nerve to flip him off.

I had a similar experience a few years ago....'cept my truck was totaled and luckily, I walked w/o a scratch.

$20 bucks says she was on her cell phone when she approached the light. I am very, very glad you and your wife spotted her before the worst could happen.

It is appalling to me how distracted people are when they drive. To me, there is NO DIFFERENCE WHATSOEVER between someone who kills another person with a 1 1/2 ton vehicle whether they are texting their boyfriend, chatting with their nanny or just downed a sixer of Ed's evil apple concoction. NO DIFFERENCE WHATSOEVER.

Driving impaired is driving impaired, whether drunk or distracted.

Pull over and get your business done, and only get back into traffic when you can focus exclusively on the driving at hand.

On another note, the crazy horse lady would have absolutely freaked out had roles been reversed. I can just imagine how she'd go off on you if she thought you'd endangered her equine children. But couldn't care less about your two-legged ones, I'm sure.

Be careful out there, folks!

Bedlam said:

...On another note, the crazy horse lady would have absolutely freaked out had roles been reversed. I can just imagine how she'd go off on you if she thought you'd endangered her equine children. But couldn't care less about your two-legged ones, I'm sure...

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This could not be more true about them crazy equestrian folks.... They are almost as crazy as those sugar glider people and old cat ladies....

Glad you came out in one piece. It's definitely scary out there. Far too many stupid people on the road.

McKBrew said:

I am not going to lecture you on driving, but just throw this out here for everyone. Always take those few extra milleseconds before and after the light turns to be sure the path is clear. Never count on someone to actually stop like they are supposed to. I personally can think of several times where if I would have taken the green light, I'd have been T-Boned by some a**hole not paying attention.

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I don't want to distract from the original story, but I just wanted to +1 this. When I was in college the first time, my school was at an intersection at the bottom of a big hill. One day some poor kid driving a camaro, or corvette or something, was leaving school, making a left at the light. The light turned green, he pulled out and a big dump truck full of rock couldn't stop. Poor kid lost his life. If he would have just looked first, he would still be alive today.

Again, not trying to lecture, you certainly did nothing wrong. Just reminding people to be safe out there.