Rear ended someone and im so worried and scared

[missymoomel]

I was driving down a country lane one that I have been driving everyday since last year, the road is 60 I was doing about 50, the csr infront of me stopped suddenly because the car infront of him stopped suddenly and as soon as I saw his break lights I pushed my foot so hard on the break but the car didn't slow down in time and I hit the back of the car very hard, my car is damaged and will be a write off, there was a lady passanger in the back of the car and she was injured she hurt her neck and couldn't move it properly, the ambulance and police came, did a breathalyser which was 0, took my details ans said they would be in touch if they needed anything else.But im feeling so guilty for the women they took her to hospital to be assessed she got out of thr car with help ans they put her in the ambulance with a red box thing round her head, I cant sleep properly or eat much and I just keep replying over and over in my mind , im so worried about her ans I dont even know how she is, and I dont know what's going to happen to me with the police, and im also scared to drive again

Well if the OP had lied in her first post why would you think you asking would suddenly make her spill the truth?

You are just being goady and causing more stress. Accidents happen. Humans are human. I don’t think there is any need to make this person feel any worse than they already do

It's completely understandable that you are shaken and feeling this way op. I had a bad crash on the M1 almost 30 years ago and I still replay it sometimes and think what if I'd killed someone. No-one was injured but it could have been very different. We all make mistakes misjudging things or driving whilst tired in my case. It's easy to say put it behind you but when you are a conscientious person, these things will affect you deeply. All you can do is take some time to process what has happened. Find a trusted friend to talk to, if you have no-one to talk to then call a mental health chatline or similar just to offload.

Oh sorry to hear that, im glad you are driving again now ans yoy feel better

Don’t beat yourself up about it, accidents happen every day. If it felt as if the car wasn’t slowing quickly when you hit the brake you may have depressed the clutch too early, which disengages the gear and you coast as it removes the engine braking.
The woman is probably fine and just whiplash. Unfortunately so many people fake whiplash there is no way of knowing whether she was truly hurt or not.
You will not be billed for the ambulance, any NHS costs will be settled by your insurance company.
May be worth remembering in future that a lot of country roads have a 60 mph limit but it is not safe for them to be driven at anywhere near that speed. They are just given the default single carriageway National Speed Limit because councils do not have the money or the time to check each and every lane and decide on the correct speed for that road.

Don’t beat yourself up, it’s happened to most of us, in one form or another. Chalk it up to experience.

Yeah i know im going to try

I live in the country side and madly some of these country lanes have a speed limit of 60.

Anyone that drove at 60 would be crazy and would be driving dangerously because they are one lane roads with lots of bends.

I personally have never got up to 50 on these roads, 40 is my max and that would a on a clear county road rather than a lane.

The residents also ask on newsletters and FB that drivers slow down.

@missymoomel slow down a bit on these lanes and keep your distance.

Omg i didnt even think about how im going to feel driving past the scene everyday omg im never going to forget this

You do not need to reply to all comments and you really should ignore the rude comments.

Just ensure you've reported everything to your insurance company; clarify what your deductible and coverage is for your car (ie a loss of use policy); ask what coverage you have for any of your own injuries; and seek medical attention for yourself.

You sound very shaken up and lacking in emotional support. This was a traumatic incident for you and you may be injured. See your doctor. Did you hit your head? Is any part of your body bruised, cut or sore? Some physical injuries aren't apparent immediately. A sore back now could be chronic pain in ten years, for example. Feelings of guilt, shame and fear can be long lasting and require medication / therapy. See your doctor for a physical check, explain how you are feeling and book a follow-up appt.

Take care Missymoomel. 🩷

I’d recommend having some refresher driving lessons. To get your confidence back but also to get rid of your bad habits such as driving too close to the car in front

Thankyou, I have told my insurence everything the day it happend

I live on crazy country lanes where others drive like maniacs
If anything I go too slow and get tailgated but there is so much wildlife here (well known forest nearby)
Sounds like you were not in the wrong
Accidents will happen unfortunately
Don't beat yourself up...you can't turn the clock back, you weren't on your phone or drunk
Yes it has happened to me because person in front braked suddenly and I hated paying the excess but had to suck it up

Yes that is a thought but I think from what has happend its going to make me every more alert ans cautious etc

Yeah i have to do the route everyday and i see so many ideas rabbits, pheasants , dears etc in the roads i hate seeing it.No wasent drunk or on the phone just one of those things I guess .So you have reae ended someone aswell

Yeah i never do 60 either maybe max 55 but only on the straight bits I hate them I've seen so many people overtake me ans others and they are probably doing 70 etc

My car is automatic, yeah I know I will most definitely will be careful driver in the future now even more so

I don't think going over and over this on this thread is helping you. It's normal to replay an accident in your head in the days following, but catastrophising and blaming yourself isn't helping. Everything will be fine. The person in the car in front wouldn't have been allowed to walk to the ambulance if there were any concerns about a serious injury. They very likely have whiplash, which can be painful, but they will be given painkillers. Your insurance will cover the cost of any ambulances and other costs. If you don't have protected no claims you will find your premiums rise though. Ask you insurer about whether you are covered for a hire car, I was when my car was written off, although it wasn't my fault in that case.

You made a mistake, but you will learn from it. I don't think there's been anyone driving for any length of time who hasn't had an error of judgement while driving that could have gone badly. The people who think they haven't are the terrible drivers who are unable to recognise and learn from their errors.

Yeah i know thankyou I will have have to also past that spot everhday too

Yeah she as helped out of the car by the ambulance and out on one of thisr beds with a red box thing around her neck, but hopefully she will be fine

Stop punishing yourself! You had an accident and nobody died! You don’t mention the injured woman having any cuts/lacerations so it sounds like whiplash.

I agree. It does happen. Anyway take care, you most probably and understandably are suffering from mild shock. I think I would be.

Have a nice warm bath, light a candle and breathe x

Oh sorry to hear that but at least you are driving again now and yoy are okay

Thankyou

I know but I cant help but feel for this women, no she didnt have any cuts or anything from what I saw it was just her neck and back

Yeah i know, and yeah they are shitty to be fair