SURVIVING THE ALMOST UNSURVIVABLE*********

[Frankn]

THIS IS ABOUT CLOSE CALLS, YOU KNOW WHEN EVERYTHING HAPPENS IN SLOW MOTION IN YOUR MIND.
Here's the starter---- I was about 17 with a summer job driving an OLD 1 ton panel truck delivering marine supplies. The store had loaded a giant reel or 3/4" steel cable in the truck, but they could only fit it vertically and chock the reel. It was raining heavily and I was in the fast LH lane going 50 with a car on my right. The jerk in front of me decides to make a sudden left turn and jams on his breaks. I hit my breaks and the reel jumps the chocks and hits the drivers seat. As the car on my right passes, I cut to the right. The reel slames to the left and the truck does a 180. I wind up stopped just barely on the shoulder with a flatbead semi bearing down on me. I can still see the look on the driver's face. The trailer rub rails just cleared over my RF fender. I reset the cable and delivered it. Some days are better than others. Frank

 

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[Peyton Manning]

wow, glad you made it through that one. I admit I was sorta surprised they had motor vehicles back then

 

[Gold Maven]

I was driving a 30 ton hydraulic crane down a wide open straight stretch of good road, doin' about 60 mph when suddenly the wheel is jerked out of my hands and the crane flips on it's right side heading for a ditch and woods beyond.

The ditch was long and I hit it at an angle so I began to slow before I came to a sudden stop on the back side of the ditch. I still hit hard, and I remember thinking, broken arms or legs, felt like 4 g forces or more before coming to a stop.No seat belts in the old machine.

I remember trying to get out, but my foot kept slipping on the steering wheel, before I got out. Pretty banged up, but a nurse was following me, and had me bandaged up in no time.

The accident was caused when the front axle housing on the crane came apart, and the right wheel assembly folded under the crane, and jamming the left wheel into a hard left, causing an instant flip onto it's side. The front axle was powered for off road, and the housing consisted of 3 pieces bolted together in two places. One ring of bolts had been breaking for awhile, until finally KABANG !

 

[onfire]

To many fires in 35 years. Roof cave in, Stuck in a basement fully involved, Out of air to many times to count. Falling under the ice with 29 lb's of gear. and last sliding off a two story roof in the winter and hanging on that rain gutter for a couple of min. sure felt like hours. guess that's what you mean everything is in slow motion.

 

[Frankn]

Onfire, I now understand your handle! Good Luck, Frank

 

[jeff of pa]

only time where I felt in slow motion, was falling through Ice,
feeling like I was in a dream the whole time I was under,
and only got my senses right what I popped up A grabbed for the ice.

I was driving down the road once and a Rock about the size of my head bounced out of a coal truck,
come trough my windshield past my head like a cannon ball.
but I didn't have time for slow mo LOL

Not much else I remember as outstanding.
My crashes when I look back were all minor injuries,
and never my fault

 

[63bkpkr]

Frankn, I got to the part about the reel being vertical and chocked in place and my brain immediately raised a great big red flag! The company needed a good whack in the had with a 2 x 4 for letting anyone out on the road like that!

I would guess that either you and jeff-gordon are good pals or you've never met him but the two of you trade polite jabs every now and then.

I was about 16, just moved into Phoenix AZ, South Mountain Park, and used to go out hiking in the hills/desert there. Found a high spot where two rocks came together with a small gap above their pinch point. So being 16 and bored I found stuff to do out there. I would carry a 10' or so section of 3/8" chain with hooks on each end out to the spot, drop one of the hooks into the gap and use the chain to swing over the large gap between the rocks on either side of the gap, great fun to kill a bit of time. One day while in mid swing the hook came out and I fell some distance. I landed flat on my back on top of a nicely flat large diameter rock. That was the last time I carried the chain out there. And yes jeff, back then dirt and rocks had just been formed................63bkpkr

Isn't it amazing how we managed to make it to 2013! Will any of us make it to 2015?

 

[jeff of pa]

when I was 21 (1976) I was convinced I'd never see 2000 on a coin.
was just Too far away.

of course when I hit 22 I blinked & it's 2013

 

[onfire]

I had a bad dream about sliding down a banister made of razor blades still have those thinking pains ouch!!!!

 

[Rebel - KGC]

I had a bad dream about sliding down a banister made of razor blades still have those thinking pains ouch!!!!

SYMBOLIC... VERY Symbolic.

 

[truckinbutch]

Hauling 35 loaded ten ton mine cars upgrade with a 38 ton , eight wheel electric locomotive . Another 38 ton pusher on the back of the train . Dispatcher screamed at me on the 2way that there was a runaway 38 ton freewheeling down grade at me on the same track ! Saw it 300 feet away and instantly bailed into a crosscut . The collision destroyed both locomotives and several mine cars . Stopped my forward moving train and drove it backwards 150 feet from point of impact .
Heard those angel's wings flapping that night .

 

[BosnMate]

Reading these posts cause me to remember one from my childhood. We has some large patches of prickly pear cactus in the neighborhood, and myself and friends, all boys, chopped a trail into the cactus to a large rock, then called that rock our "fort." While climbing around on our fort, I fell off, butt first, onto the cactus. Mom laid me across her lap out on the front porch, bare butt embarrassingly exposed, and used tweezers to remove the cactus thorns.

 

[Rebel - KGC]

Reading these posts cause me to remember one from my childhood. We has some large patches of prickly pear cactus in the neighborhood, and myself and friends, all boys, chopped a trail into the cactus to a large rock, then called that rock our "fort." While climbing around on our fort, I fell off, butt first, onto the cactus. Mom laid me across her lap out on the front porch, bare butt embarrassingly exposed, and used tweezers to remove the cactus thorns.

OUCH!

 

[spartacus53]

and never my fault

That's what they all say Just like a convicts, "I didn't do it".

I had a great one to tell, but then I remembered, it wasn't me involved

 

[jeff of pa]

That's what they all say Just like a convicts, "I didn't do it".

I had a great one to tell, but then I remembered, it wasn't me involved

They teach you that when you apply for auto insurance.
at least here in PA.

"Never admit guilt"

Was headed home one night from the bar, come around a corner,
and all of a sudden by car just slid out from under me.
I kept trying to correct it, but eventually ended up hanging over the bank.

wasn't my fault the car couldn't stay on the road,
I didn't build the corner

 

[Frankn]

It's just like"Did you find the cache". LOL Frank

 

[Frankn]

Ok here's another of my almost checked out events. Now I must mention here that I have raced SCCA sanctioned sportscars races on the track and done a lot of rallies on the road in MD, PA and VA.
I have a '98 Isuzu hombra pickup that I drive. It is a rebagded Chevy S10. There is a flaw in the brake system that leaves you without breaks that has never been recalled. There is a dual master cylinder that separates the system into two parts. if one leaks, you still have the other to stop you. The problem is that the anti-lock brake system actually connects the two and negates the separation. I found this out after replacing the master cylinder and the rusted thru line.

The event. Me traveling down a steep hill at 50MPH, 1 lane each way, following another pickup and car about 100 yards in front of me. I usually follow way back for protection. The car suddenly decides to turn left, but a car is coming the other way. I hit the brakes and the peddle hits the floor with no pump recovery. I am bearing down on the pickup with two choices. 1- hit the pickup and die or 2- try to squeeze between the pickup and a split-rail on the grass. No real choice I guess cause I really don't want to checkout. I figured there was app. 6" of clearance. As you have already guessed, I made it thru. The best part was without a scratch, not even on the rear view mirrors which I had already chalked off in my mine. As I have mentioned before, someone up there is watching over me. Frank

 

[dejapooh]

I spent the 1990's and early 2000's teaching in South Central Los Angeles. Some call that dangerous, I didn't mind too much.