Just got into an accident 05/04/08 at around 8:00am. Coming home from work I just dozed off and my wakeup call was my truck promptly plowing into a chevy impala. I can't believe I let myself doze off, all I remember was getting onto the highway and driving along then I remember the smash of my truck hitting there car nothing in between. Their car has got to be totalled, its probably an 02-04 impala and the rear-end is basically gone, their frame is twisted to all hell too. I was luckier my truck looks like all it needs is the passenger side fender, a new hood, a new grille and grille bracket, a new radiator and radiator mounts, anda new front bumper. I have to call insurance tomorrow and give them my claim which I don't look forward too, this was completely my fault and I am lucky that no one was hurt. I hit these poor people pretty hard but as far as I know no one was injured in any way.

I just thank god that they are alive, I could care less about myself. It was my mistake, I am usually very careful driving back and forth to work and I am just disgusted with myself for letting something like this happen. I can't believe I stupid I was.

Here's my advice toeveryone if you are out driving and you are remotely tired stop somewhere and sleep or walk around for awhile its just not worth the risk of losing your life ortaking someone else's.Seeing the impact and that car getting launched forward is like a video stuck on replay in my head. I just hope that nobody else makes the same mistake I did.

 

thats a shame buddy but im glad you are ok, that is what matters most. did you get any pics?

 

Yeah I have some I'll have to DL them from my girlfriend's camera. I'll put them on sometime tomorrow. Does anybody have any idea how much it would cost to paint a hood and a fender?

 

man i couldnt tell you. my dads friends with the owner of a shop down here, we get everything done at bare cost

 

Damn man, sorry to hear that... At least everyone was ok. The replay thing may take awhile but it will go away in time, I know exactly what you're talking about there as that's how it was for me after the rollover. Keep us posted and try not to beat yourself up too much over it, sometimes we all make mistakes.


Cheer up though, now you can have your truck painted blue like mine

 

Heh, you can dream but she's staying in inferno red. Yeah I have been trying to look at the bright side that everyone is alive and unhurt. I just hate the fact that I did something like that, I always make it a point to stop and walk or something if I am tired but I was so close to home I must have just fell straight asleep.

I was actually reading an article about microsleep a condition in which the body is trying to compensate for fatigue in which your reaction times are slower, your pupils become smaller, you blink more often, and yawn frequently. They say if you close your eyes for just one second you can fall asleep. I am guessing this is what happened to me.

I am going to make damned sure this never happens again. Since I was 16 I have been in three accidents. Once in 2003 ina minor fender bender, once in 2005 when my brakes went out on my van and I ran a stop sign hitting the front of an F250 and then a stop sign on the opposite side of the street. Officers wouldn't believe me about the brakes in the second accident. This one from yesterday is my third. Its been just about 3 years since my last one. I am sure my insurance agency is going to send my rates through the roof. I am currently paying $150 a month with a $500 deductible. I am sure it will be over $200 a month now. It's okay though because I deserve to take my licks on this.

 

Yeah I've seen some stuff about microsleep, they say it can last anywhere from under a second to several minutes and the person will often not even realize it's happened. I've experienced it before on the highway in my integra, was driving along fine and then I woke up and the right side of the car was off the pavement and on the gravel... needless to say I got my *** to a rest station and got a huge coffee after that.

 

Yeah its crazy, one second just getting onto highway 30 from interstate 35, then next thing I know boom right into the rear end of a car. I honest to god don't remember any in between time. I just know I need to take what I have learned from this and do something good with it. I think I will make it a goal to raise awareness about falling asleep at the wheel so hopefully some people can avoid this type of thing happening.

 

I am glad to hear that everyone is alright.

When I was a Deputy, there was a Seargant I had on midnight shift who used to tell us, "When you feel tired, get out of the car and stand up. That way you'll wake up faster when you fall alseep and hit the pavement."

I know several people who have falled asleep on the way home after a 12+ hour shift. Most of them just ended up in ditches, but one of my buddies rolled his cruiser about six times after he fell asleep. Then the command staff saw fit to take his car away and put him on desk duty for a few months. Just one of the many things that made me glad I left that department.

Anyways, I think we are all probably guilty of pushing it when we are tired on the roads. Your case is just a little reminder that it is worth spending an extra 5 or 10 minutes talking a walk to wake up. Walking always works for me when I'm tired.

Sean