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Original poster

I just crashed the car

47 replies

Almahart · 09/12/2018 16:47

I completely lost control of it. I was turning a corner and a car was coming up the road. I was trying to brake but couldn’t get my foot onto the right pedal. I swerved into the pavement and into a lamppost rather than hit the car. It’s a very quiet road

The car just went on without checking we were ok which totally shocked me. I don’t know if I just didn’t see it or if it was speeding and so was suddenly there

But what bothers me the most is I have no idea why I couldn’t brake, I just couldn’t get my foot to move. I can’t imagine feeling safe to drive again

OP posts:

ReggieKrayDoYouKnowMyName · 09/12/2018 17:27

I don’t wish to scare you, but exactly this happened to my MIL and it was the first symptom of MS. She physically couldn’t move her foot.

Peaspleaselouise · 09/12/2018 17:29

Could have been because you were frozen in fear as to why you couldn’t move your foot?

ragged · 09/12/2018 17:30

My only crashes were at relatively low speeds (< 10 mph). Like we let our guard down then.
I agree with others about you are in shock so try not to believe you fully understand what happened just yet.

JustanotherCHRISTMASuser01 · 09/12/2018 17:32

Oh love, im so Sorry!
Such a scary experience.
Not exactly the same but i test drove an automatic last year and i shoved my foot on the break and couldn't get myself to take my foot off I just can't explain why.
Ignore the rude nasty people- some people on mumsnet never get anything wrong dont you know.

Veterinari · 09/12/2018 17:34

I don’t understand why the other car panicked you so much assuming you were both on the correct sides of the road as you came around the corner.

IME it seems VERY common for driver’s to cut across corners when turning meaning that they risk hitting any cars approaching the junction - could this be what happened?

IamSusan · 09/12/2018 17:37

it's frightening.

Try driving again with another adult to gain some confidence back. If you really struggle, get a few hours with a driving school. You don't have to make yourself iff if you stress too much, just ask for help. good luck.

Extrastout · 09/12/2018 17:41

Ye, it doesn't really make sense to me turning a corner at 20mph why you had to brake? Was it that you hadn't realised there was a car coming in the other direction then suddenly saw it and freaked out?

You usually accelerate after turning a corner. I don't understand why the need for a brake in the first place.

If you had turned the corner at speed and your car had swerved onto the wrong side of the road into the path of an oncoming car, this story would make some sense.

Original poster

Almahart · 09/12/2018 17:42

The car was right in the middle of the road - It’s not a wide road and it didn’t slow down at all. So I would have absolutely collided with it

Thank you so much for all your thoughtful responses. Just what I needed as I am struggling to make sense of what happened

OP posts:

Extrastout · 09/12/2018 17:43

You say this I was turning a corner and a car was coming up the road. I was trying to brake but couldn’t get my foot onto the right pedal. I swerved into the pavement and into a lamppost rather than hit the car.

Why would you have hit the other car? Which of you was on the wrong side of the road?

Extrastout · 09/12/2018 17:44

Ok, crossed posts there. So the other driver was in the middle of the road??? It's obviously a wide enough road if it has pavements.
Maybe ask police for CCTV.

Extrastout · 09/12/2018 17:46

Incidentally the only people I've seen drive like that are police on an emergency call, but if an unmarked car, they'd have had a siren and lights.

Extrastout · 09/12/2018 17:50

So given the drip-feed, the car was approaching at speed into your path, which caused you to freeze, hence the inability to brake.
You should have said in your OP that the car was in the middle of the road.

Extrastout · 09/12/2018 17:51

I'm very surprised though that being a driver for 30 years, you couldn't brake, it's the most instinctual thing to do when driving I would have thought. It's an odd one.

Original poster

Almahart · 09/12/2018 17:53

Hmmmm. I wonder why I didn’t think to provide all the information you feel you need. Perhaps it’s because I’m a real person in shock after a horrible experience rather than an online producer creating content for your entertainment

OP posts:

Original poster

Almahart · 09/12/2018 17:54

Sorry if that sounded badly. Of course I only swerved because the alternative was to crash straight into them. I thought that was obvious

OP posts:

Original poster

Almahart · 09/12/2018 17:55

narky not badly

OP posts:

Extrastout · 09/12/2018 18:45

Maybe because the only relevant fact here was that the oncoming vehicle was in the middle of the road?

Norma27 · 09/12/2018 18:55

Be kind to yourself.
My stepdad was a pedestrian who got knocked down and killed last week. There is a possibility the driver may be charged with some sort of careless driving. We know there was no drink/drugs and they think no speeding too. I really feel for the driver tho as we don’t know what happened. What I do know is that he didn’t go out with the intention of killing someone, and his life has changed forever too.

There but for the grace of god go I. Some people never make mistakes but most of us do.
Xx

LEMtheoriginal · 09/12/2018 19:03

Fucking hell there are some gobshites about!

You panicked and couldn't for some reason apply the brake but you DID react and avoid a collision. I would be willing to bet that even in that split second if there had been people on the pavement you would have reacted differently. Your brain processed that the 'safest' thing to do was swerve so thats what you did. You were avoiding a head on collision that simply braking may not have avoided so there were probably two instincts battling each other.

To those saying the OP wasnt driving carefully - with respect, fuck off.

Original poster

Almahart · 09/12/2018 19:03

I’m so very sorry to hear about your step dad Norma27, you are being very generous in thinking about the driver

Now that the shock is wearing off I’m actually feeling really frightened about the fact that I just couldn’t move my foot. That has never happened to me before, I’ve been driving for years and have often had to brake sharply.

OP posts:

Original poster

Almahart · 09/12/2018 19:08

And yes thank you LEM I would have done. I can remember thinking the other option was just to go into the parked van in front of me and I absolutely would have done that if there were people in the pavement - or even gone into the car. I was thinking but just not able to move that foot

OP posts:

Norma27 · 09/12/2018 19:09

Thank you almahart. I would feel differently if they had drink/drugs in their system, or were speeding, or drove off. They might have made a mistake but they stopped and helped. I can’t imagine what it must be like for them too.
Hope you are ok xx

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