Friday afternoon, on my way home from work, I witnessed a car vs. motorcycle collision. It happened right in front of me. I am so thankful that I didn’t freak out or hit anybody. At first I was shocked. The motorcyclist spun out. He separated from his bike really quickly, then his bike skidded across three lanes of traffic while the rider rolled and rolled on the ground. For a moment I thought I may have actually witnessed someone dying right in front of me.
I was so scared. All four lanes on the freeway were stopped. Two people got out of their cars and helped the motorcyclist get himself and his bike out of the road. He was very lucky. He only broke his arm. The people in the car made their way over to the shoulder and I made my way over as well. Many times in collisions it is one driver’s word against the other driver’s. If you ever witness an accident and know you saw something important for the CHP or the police to know, please stop. An uninterested third party can help them paint an accurate portrait of what happened.
I am kind of proud of myself. After the CHP officer escorted me to my car, I got back on the freeway and even though I wanted to freak out a couple of times, I took some deep breaths and made myself calm down. Once I got home I told my mother what had happened and by that time it was less shocking and I didn’t even need to freak out. My mom was happy too, it calmed her fears that I wouldn’t be able to handle situations like that.
I stopped and gave a statement to the CHP because I knew it would be hard for them to write the report without it. Motorcyclist are much smaller than vehicles and often go unnoticed. I am absolutely sure the car that hit him did not know where he was. I also saw things just before the collision, so I could set up the scene. When something happens behind you, in your blind spot, there is nothing you can really tell the officers other than “I didn’t see anything.” You really have to rely on good citizens who saw what happened behind you to come forward and tell what they know.
Witnesses are important. Have you ever witnessed an accident? Did you stop? How did you react?
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