The day before yesterday a collegue of mine was involved in a disastrous car accident. She was on her way to work, the boy was on his way to school. Apparently he was late; he locked his bicycle to the bicycle-stand, the school-bus was already waiting on the other side of the road. Most likely in fear that the bus might drive off without him, he ran across the road without looking. All my collegue could do was to slam onto the brakes. He didn’t stand a chance. She was doing probably 100 Kilometers per hour, maybe slightly less. There were pictures of her car in our local papers. You can’t imagine what a child’s body can do to a large saloon. I cannot help visualizing the whole scene. The poor girl most likely looked into this little guy’s face in the split second before he died. Hopefully he didn’t suffer. It all happened too quickly. I guess in less than two seconds it was over. For my collegue life will never be the same again. For the boy’s family too. The bus was loaded with children of which many watched what had happened. How can you possibly live with something like this happening to you?
By: Seafuryfan - 27th November 2014 at 12:50
Peter, I’m really sorry to read about your story, and I hope that your friend considers counselling. Any good health-care system will have such an option embedded into a treatment plan after such an incident. Sometimes people only realise the value of it a long time afterwards, it may take time.
I’m far more aware than I used to be of speed, and the impact this has on reactions to the unexpected. I try to read the situation in front of me where I can to give myself options where possible. We all see people taking risks on the roads, most if not all of us have taken the risks as well, and learnt from them. I know I have.
By: Arabella-Cox - 17th November 2014 at 20:04
It is not a built-up area but, yes, 100 km/h is allowed. It is surprising that nothing has happened here before. No accident report has been released yet, but the papers say she was driving a great deaL slower than 100 km/h travelling north. Looking at the Google-Earth view you can see how ridiculous the scene is. It is incredible that children are meant to cross the road to get to their school bus where there are no speed restrictions.
The boy’s orbituaries were in the papers and one of them very fittingly read: time doesn’t heal the wounds but it helps one to learn to live with them.
By: charliehunt - 17th November 2014 at 05:54
I have only just read this thread. As the OP is writing in kph the incident clearly did not occur in the UK. However it surprises me as Critter suggests that this speed is legal in an area where school buses are collecting children and so is built up.
By: critter592 - 17th November 2014 at 05:43
100 kmh? In a built-up area? Near a school bus?
Words fail me. I hope the Police throw the whole damn library at her. A totally avoidable RTC.
You expect something like this (or you should) when driving near schools, school buses, etc, and you drive accordingly, i.e. slowly and with care.
Not go “bombing along” at 62 mph. 😡
R.I.P. to the lad.
By: ZRX61 - 14th November 2014 at 07:04
In the US if a school bus is stopped then all other traffic has to wait until it moves off for precisely this reason.
By: TonyT - 9th November 2014 at 19:23
The poor girl, I do hope she gets some help, I would dread that, I nearly took out a lad of about 12 who ran out in front of me having crossed and changed his mind, I managed to brake and swerve, I missed him by inches and still remember the look on his face when he realised how close it had been, he mouthed thank you at me.
By: Lincoln 7 - 30th October 2014 at 22:29
Peter, It may help YOU, to have a bit of expert Councilling, now rather than later, it may help P.T.S. from setting in.
Jim.
Lincoln .7
By: Deano - 30th October 2014 at 22:06
Pete
I had this happen to me a fair number of years ago but my situation was slightly different. I was coming home one cold December morning after finishing night shift and I was overtaking a parked lorry that had stopped in a bus lane. As I got alongside the lorry I saw a body appear from around the front of the lorry and directly in front of me. I slammed on my brakes but I hit him and he ended up smashing his head into my windscreen and subsequently went over the top of my car. Luckily I was only driving about 40mph at the time so his injuries weren’t life threatening. He was screwed up real bad though and it ruined his month no doubt but at least he survived. This happened about 17 years ago and I have never forgotten the expression on his face as it went through my windscreen.
Your colleague and victim was less fortunate but one thing that is certain is that it wasn’t her fault. She won’t get over it, but time will help her deal with it. I hope she’s ok.
By: Der - 30th October 2014 at 21:01
I hope your colleaugue is recieving some support to help her dealing with this. For the boy’s family and the other kids in the bus I just cannot begin to imagine how it must be.
Sign In
October 30, 2014 at 8:55 pm