Near Miss

Near Miss

A scary thing happened in the car on the way home from work last week.

I almost hit a cyclist.

It was dark, it was raining and I just did not see him, and I have not been able to stop thinking about it since.

I had stopped at a set of traffic lights, about 3 cars back.  Up in front, I could see there had been a minor traffic incident involving two other cars.  The cars were stationery in the road and I could see that both drivers had gotten out of their cars, I guess to inspect damage and exchange details.

The cars in front of me at the lights starting indicating left to manoeuvre around them and I prepared to follow suit.

I looked in the rearview mirror and the wing mirror as I signalled left, but could not see anything coming.

Suddenly I heard a loud voice outside, which caused me to slam the brakes on fast.  It was then that I saw the cyclist whizz past me.

Shaking, I slowly moved around the parked cars and drove up to a mini roundabout a bit further up.  The cyclist came up alongside my car and banged angrily on the car window.

‘You almost killed me’ he screamed.  I was in tears at this point, and tried to apologise and explain that I had not seen him but he just kept shouting and saying that if I had looked in my mirror, I would have seen him.

I really did not see him.

My legs were jelly as I finished my journey home, shaken and terrified of what might have been.

I berated myself for not taking more time to make sure the lane was definitely clear before starting to turn, for following the cars infront and for no doubt startling the poor cyclist out of his skin.

I drove the rest of the way torturing myself with thoughts of a wife widowed, children orphaned and of destroying a family.  I knew that if the worst, the most unthinkable thing had happened, I would never have been able to move on and I would have destroyed my own family too.

For a while, I wondered if I should even get behind a wheel again.

I did not see him.

How did I not see him?

 You can also find me on Facebook or follow me on Twitter @smudgerella

 

8 Comments

  1. March 10, 2012 / 8:33 AM

    Similar thing happened to me as a driver and it’s scary: for you & of course the cyclist. A good lesson learnt to look then look again x

    • Grenglish
      Author
      March 10, 2012 / 12:14 PM

      Thanks so much, it was a really good lesson and I will definitely be more cautious in the future x

  2. March 10, 2012 / 9:29 AM

    Oh god poor you how awful, I bet your heart races every time you think about it – such an easy thing to happen, just be thankful that neither he nor you were hurt. Sending lots of love xxx

    • Grenglish
      Author
      March 10, 2012 / 12:15 PM

      It really does RM, I can’t get it out of my head! I keep hoping I see the cyclist again so I can apologise again. Thanks for sending the love xx

  3. March 10, 2012 / 10:12 AM

    Oh honey, bless your heart. These things happen though, and as a cyclist I can appreciate both sides of the argument and it’s tough being a cyclist but don’t beat yourself up over it – the conditions were tough and no one got hurt. I’m sure you’ll beat yourself up over it but please don’t. X

    • Grenglish
      Author
      March 10, 2012 / 12:16 PM

      I know, I must stop torturing myself. Move on and try to be much much more careful in the future. Thanks Kate x

  4. March 11, 2012 / 6:09 PM

    Soumds really scary. Don’t punish yourself! The accident was avoided. Stop going over it in your head as you will drive yourself crazy. Nobody was hurt and I’m sure you will be extra careful as I was after my accident and as the cyclist will be too! x

    • Grenglish
      Author
      March 12, 2012 / 3:46 PM

      Thanks Charlotte. Were you involved in a car accident too?

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