Someone just very nearly killed me.

[EnchantedAutumn]

I haven't had such an experience before, and feel quite shaken.

We were out walking early this afternoon along the canal side. At a road bridge we stood at the crossing and waited for the traffic to stop to allow us to pass.

Half way over the crossing a vehicle sped up from the other side and missed me by about an inch. We were extremely visible and there were no large vehicles blocking the driver's view. Very few cars about actually.

This was so quick and it was almost speeding, so extremely shocking. Other drivers stopped and asked me was I ok, whilst DH spun around like a drama queen very very angry, whilst I tried to catch the registration - sadly could not get it all.
Dh was so upset, although I felt a little numb. I saw it as a very lucky thing to still be alive, but also angry that someone could change or end my life so brutally and easily in a fraction of a second.
I choose to presume that the driver was distracted, rather than happy to slaughter me, but it still feels so shocking.

Has this ever happened to anyone else? It was so, so close it has really knocked me. I doubt I would have survived had it hit me.
A sudden shock like this is probably common, and yet the idea of my life changing suddenly due to disease or accident feels easier to bear than someone just casually mowing me over.

If something similar has happened to you, how did you process it? I feel much better a few hours later, but still really weird.

It is worth mentioning, remain careful. Both whilst driving and walking.

That sounds absolutely terrifying. I'm so glad you're both OK.

That must have shaken you so badly, @EnchantedAutumn. It will probably take a while for you to process the nearness of the miss and the randomness of it. I’m glad you’re physically OK though.

You ask about experiences others have had. I was driving on the motorway once, in the middle lane, when out of nowhere a car just flew past me in the fast lane and dived straight in front of me, missing my car by literally millimetres. They disappeared into the far distance in seconds, they were going so fast. Two unmarked police cars whizzed past behind them. I was totally untouched but my heart hammered and I couldn’t stop thinking that they could so easily have ploughed into me and it would have been game over. I kept replaying that moment in my mind's eye for weeks afterwards.

It sounds terrifying, and will probably stay with you for a while. We used cars without dwelling on how truly dangerous they are in the wrong hands - hopefully the driver also got a fright and will learn something from today.

Sincere sympathies. It really shakes you up.

I had a similar experience 2 weeks ago when crossing at traffic lights outside a large supermarket. All cars stopped but one of those absolutely enormous multi part lorries continued at speed and almost took me out and half a dozen others who were also crossing. We just managed to step back in time but a few inches further and we’d all have been dead. I wish that I’d noted his number plate but he was going at such speed and I was so shocked that he was gone before I could.

I'm glad you are ok.

good if you have at least a partial numberplate and model/type and colour of the car.
maybe ask around on local socials if one of the drivers around have captured on a dash cam?

hopefully the fucker gets a hefty fine

That sounds horrendous, @EnchantedAutumn. Please take care, and be aware of delayed shock. When I had a car accident, it was the following day that I felt worse, really shaky and tearful. Mercifully there was no injury, but I was taken aback by the emotional impact of it the following day.

Thanks. It's actually good to get it out.
True that so many people driving ought not to be!
I could accept they were temporarily distracted, stressed, stupidly disengaged or arguing with someone, but it really isn't acceptable, It is a huge responsibility in an urban area to stay alert. Surely it would be hard to not see those pelicans flashing?

Car hit me head on down a country lane. He was on the wrong side. Stopped quickly to ask if I was OK threw a business card at me and drove off. Took 16 months before he accepted liability.. Twat. After 20 years incident free driving he has made me have palpitations driving now. Twat.
Hope you are OK op.

jesus that's awful.

There's no point getting the numberplate, police aren't interested if it's not caught on film.

I reported someone a while ago as she jumped a red light at a pedestrian crossing outside a school - she just missed a teenager leaving the crossing, I was about to cross but spotted her and anticipated she wouldn't stop. That's what they replied, nothing doing without a recording.

Last week at the same crossing, in the space of 2 working days, I saw similar 3 times as I waited to cross - drivers speeding up as the lights change and going through a red light. The frustrating think being that a school kid was hit and killed there a few weeks ago, there are petitions and local news campaigns to cut the speed limit, but the problem is drivers not giving two flying fucks...

What kind of mindset does this? It's staggering to contemplate.

This might seem irrational, and it possibly is, but the only feeling it's left me with is to hate vehicles. Not so much people, but the cars themselves. As if when people get into them they lose their humanity. I hope this will pass.

I hope this is rare:(

Hope you are okay. But yes be prepared for delayed shock. About 20 years ago I very stupidly put myself into a situation that nearly got myself killed. It was 100% my own fault, and I was close to dying. I won't describe it because I literally cannot type the words. But i have flashbacks several nights a week. I also have a fear that in a parallel universe somewhere I died.

I don't think it's true that police will only act if there's film. I've provided an incident description and registration number (a few years ago) and they've acted.

Sorry this happened to you OP. I hope you’re ok. I had a near miss a few years ago which affected me for a long time after. I was driving home on a late January afternoon on the M25. Pretty much minding my own business in the middle lane. Suddenly, a HGV in the inside lane struck the car in the middle lane in front of me causing it to spin over to the outside lane. The collision caused the tire of the HGV to blow. I was desperately trying to slow down and avoid the spinning car and debris but it was the black cloud of smoke from the blown tire that enveloped me that was the worst bit as I couldn’t see for a few seconds what was ahead of me so I had no idea where the HGV was and I was still doing about 40mph at this point. Suddenly it cleared and there was nothing ahead of me other than the HGV pulling up on the hard shoulder. My life didn’t flash before my eyes but I genuinely thought for a brief moment I was going to die. Luckily no one was seriously hurt but the feeling of panic and helplessness and loss of control took me a long time to process. Never really felt comfortable driving a car again.

Yes in a shopping Centre Carpark years ago. There were a large number of us crossing on a crossing.
A van sped up rather than stopping. Both I and a nine year child were hit by the wing mirror.

Thankfully neither of us were hurt but mainly because a man behind us pulled us back. He had excellent reflexes. There was a logo on the van and thankfully the driver was traced.

I was knocked off my bike last week. A parked car next to the road opened the door on me. I almost managed to swerve to avoid it but it clipped me. If there had been a car coming the other way I would probably be either dead or seriously injured. As it was I got a few bruises. I have bike insurance so i will be chasing it for a new helmet and my damaged bike. I probably wouldn’t have done but the driver began to shout about his ruined door and how it was all my fault.
I was seriously light headed and shaky the next day and had to stay wrapped in a blanket on the sofa.

Won’t go in to much detail but me and two of my children were extremely close to be ran over last year by a van, the van was totally at fault. We only avoided it because I know what that road can be like and took a few extra seconds where usually we would have gone but that extra time was all the difference. It did hit my arm (must of had it out a little in front of me) but that was all. I think I was in shock for days and it took months for me to stop thinking about it especially when crossing roads! (a lot of that down to the fact my children were with me though) x

It happened to me with a class of primary school children. We were crossing at the pedestrian crossing. The lights had gone red, green man was up and I walked half way across the road, stood in the middle and started to beckon the class across. As we were crossing an old man drove straight through the lights without stopping. I don't think he even saw them.

Have you reported it to 101 at least?
If you were on the crossing at the time then the car driver was obviously in the wrong. You say you got part of the reg number? That might be useful especially if you can recall the make of the car, or at least the colour.
There may be cameras along the road that picked up this car.

Anyway, I'm glad you are ok although obviously very shaken 💐

Not me but saw a near miss on the A303 today. Car flying down the outside, doing at least 90, when another car decides to cross in front. Fast car swerves to miss it and actually leaves the ground. How they missed the car I don't know. Both at fault - one for speeding, the other for not looking properly.

As for your experience, drivers just don't see pedestrians. It happens all the time, i am surprised that was the first near miss in your life!

People are such arses. Why do they open their doors without looking? Mind you, quite a few see you coming (whether on a bike or in a car) and still open their door! I hope your insurers take his to the cleaners and make his premiums go up.

I have twice nearly been taken out when crossing via a pelican crossing.

Second time was by a lorry driver who clearly wasn't watching where he was going. The light had gone green for me to cross and I was halfway across and realised that the lorry wasn't going to stop. I stopped walking half way across the road, and when he realised what he'd almost done , I got a half-smile and apologetic wave from the lorry driver.

It was really close, and if I'd been concentrating on my phone, or distracted by something else, and not paid attention to the fact that the lorry wasn't slowing down, I'd have definitely been wiped out.

When my oldest was in the pram I stopped and pressed the button to cross the road. It was two lanes of one way traffic and the lane closest to me was queued quite far back. When the green man came on I started to cross but a car came flying down the further lane and only missed me because I spotted him and stopped. I think they mustn't have seen the red and assumed the other traffic had stopped bacuse of the jam.

A different driver got out to check we were ok and I just burst into tears . I think it was because the pram was in front of me that freaked me out most