[ch.nathan]

Accidents are the worst things to happen for anybody and I learned it in the hard way. However minor an accident is, there are always complications and consequences.
Let me explain the accident I had on NH-7 last July. Since this is going to be a long post I will split it into six parts:
Part 1: The accident
Part 2: The injuries
Part 3: The legalities
Part 4: Damage repair
Part 5: Expenses
Part 6: Learnings

Part 1:
We (myself, wife and our 9 month old son) were travelling in our car from Vellore to Bangalore. Just before Bargur byepass, I started overtaking a Santro.
I was doing 100kmph and just before completing the overtaking, suddenly a two-wheeler appeared in front of my car from the left.
I had absolutely no time to stop. I heard a huge noise and all I saw were images of a man flying on my windscreen and then disappearing.
I went blank for almost a couple of minutes, was not in my senses. I think the wheels locked and the car dragged for app 20feet (saw the tyre-marks later).
When I came back to my senses, I stepped out of my car and saw:
- A old person(about 60yrs) lying on the road bleeding from his leg and the back of his head, and bruises all over the body. He was the pillion-rider.
- A mangled TVS-50 under the front bumper of my car
- Another middle-aged person (the two-wheeler rider) standing near the median with a few bruises on his body.
- My car’s windscreen shattered, bumper broken and hanging, left fender damaged, RVM hanging, left headlight & foglamp broken and bonnet mangled.

Look at the images below. He wanted to turn right into the gap in the median towards his village. But he didn’t know that he had to look for vehicles from behind and to give signals before turning.
The place where he started his turn was a blind spot for me.
When my car hit them, the pillion rider flew onto the bonnet, bounced-up and landed on the windshield.

[highwaylover]

holy &%$^ !! i am really worried about your kid. i hope everyone including the 2 wheeler guys are ok. I get pissed off when two wheelers drive on NH like its their village

[issigonis]

Please continue. It seems to have been very very bad.
I am jumping the gun, but this might help you in your elucidation of the events preceeding and in the aftermath of the collision :

1. Which lane were you in, when you initiated the overtaking of the Santro - in the middle lane behind the Santro (and then went to the right lane) or in the right lane from the very beginning?
2. At approximately what speed was the Santro being driven at? Your illustration seems to suggest that the scooter turned left in front of the Santro and proceeded to collide with your car. If that be so, the scooter was travelling at a higher speed as compared to the Santro.

Regards

[aargee]

suddenly a two-wheeler appeared in front of my car from the left

When I first read this, I was thinking, the moron two-wheeler deserves this very much. But then after reading about the victim of 60 yeard old, I really feel sad. Anyway, its the fault of two-wheeler; but no one really knows when to hurry up & when to remain patience.

Turnings, crossings & junctions one really needs to be very careful & avoid the jump attitude. Once on the straight road, keep driving fast within the limits & with absolute control.

[DRIV3R]

Very unfortunate accident. Hope there were no major casualities. And no trailers please? Screen the movie in one shot.

[s3va]

What happened to the 2 wheeler riders is inevitable, so I hope your 9 month old son is doing absolutely fine and recovered completely from this ordeal, and so are you and your wife ! rest is nothing as against to lives at stake in this whole act !

[ch.nathan]

Part 2: Injuries:
My wife and baby were safe because both were in the rear seat; kid in the baby-seat belted to the car’s rear seat.
No injuries to me either (I was wearing seat-belt); not even glass pieces on me from the broken windshield.

The pillion rider’s leg was apparently fractured and he was bleeding from his head. I tied my handkerchief on his head to stop the bleeding.
But what the other person (the rider) did next was absolutely shocking: he didn’t even try to help me, he didn’t come near the old person, didn’t try to move the bike; but he started shouting towards the village (which was on the other side of the road) calling people. Within seconds 50 people from the village were in spot around us making all types of noises.
I stopped a lady who tried to feed water to the injured and another fellow who came to hit me.
Then I lifted this old person from under his arms and tried to shift him onto my car. At last one sensible villager helped me and we loaded the old person, and two more villagers in my car’s backseat.
The rider was fine to walk and come on his own.
Wife and the kid shifted to the front seat and the car started without any problem; as nothing under the bonnet was damaged.
Drove to the Krishnagiri Government hospital and admitted him. He needed stitches on his head and a surgery on his leg. Later I came to know that he was shifted to a Bangalore hospital and got treated for a month. The two-wheeler rider came later in another bike, got treated and went home.

Since I had to stay back there for legalities, booked a cab and sent wife and kid to Bangalore.

[hvkumar]

Looks like ch.Nathan was doing the right thing - in the correct lane for overtaking - and 2-wheeler guys as usual believe in a greater Lord which for the time being was ch. Nathan. Typical of the situation which we all encounter in highways all the time, but sometimes this is the unfortunate result. But in India, the bigger vehicle is always at fault

[ch.nathan]

Originally Posted by issigonis

1. Which lane were you in,

I was in the rightmost lane - that's why I couldn't see the two-wheeler. The Santro was blocking my view of the two-wheeler.

I don't wanna defend myself here. I could have avoided the whole accident if I had been more cautious.
I have a faintest feeling that the Santro slowed-down quickly. I could have avoided it if I had sensed something wrong with the sudden deceleration of the Santro or I had seen the gap in the divider.
Everything happened so fast to beat my reflexes.

Originally Posted by DRIV3R

And no trailers please? Screen the movie in one shot.

Sorry - I don't intend to keep long suspenses. Since I am a newbie, there is some delay before my posts appear in the forum.

[Spitfire]

This is so common on our highways isnt it? Its not at all surprising.

There will be a lot of learning in this thread for sure.

Please carry on.

[ElantraGT]

Nathan, thats a very unfortunate incident. These moran two wheelers think the NH roads are their bayyard where they all their nasty stunts there. Looking at the village near by (from your illustration) I assume a lot of people gathered after the accident. I had 2 near miss on my recent trip to kanyakumari becauise of these stupid morons driving on the wrong side of the traffic.

[jaisha8]

This is a very unfortunate incident. Such things do happen when you least expect someone to come in front of you when you are overtaking another vehicle as you are sure no one can jump in front of you.
One learning point is always expect the unexpected on highways especially when you are speeding. By the way which car were you driving.
I always blow the horn while overtaking any vehicle, once some distance before approaching that vehicle and a little continuous horn while overtaking that vehicle. I have noticed that some efficient truck drivers gives signal by hand confirming that everything is clear. That's a very positive attitude and respect for other drivers that I have seen.

[mobike008]

Very unfortunate incident. This kind of accident is becoming increasingly common on our highways.

After experiencing many near close calls for scooterists coming on to your way at the speed of lightning. I follow a thumb rule :-

Always drive in center lane so you have enough time/reflexes for people jumping on to your path from median or like in this case, scooterists swerving from the shoulder and take a perpendicular cut to cross over the median.

Hope the pillion rider is safe and no case was registered by the police. Having experienced a court case for something similar, i can vouch the hellish experience that i had for more than 2 years.

Wish you all the best

[vkochar]

The animation makes it look so simple BUT the reality is far from it and scary.

What car were you in by the way ?

Glad your son is safe. The car seat proved to be a good decision. I should get one soon for my year old son too !! I do Agra - Delhi runs every week and still haven't bought a car seat !! Stupid me !

[aargee]

Originally Posted by ch.nathan

I don't wanna defend myself here. I could have avoided the whole accident if I had been more cautious.
I have a faintest feeling that the Santro slowed-down quickly. I could have avoided it if I had sensed something wrong with the sudden deceleration of the Santro or I had seen the gap in the divider.
Everything happened so fast to beat my reflexes.

Perfectly understandable situation, as I myself have undergone this once in a little different way & fortunately I was able to control myself. From then on, if the vehicle ahead applies brakes, I simply apply brakes & stand behind. Trust me, you handled things very well; if I were you, I would've fled immediately from that place towards a police station when the rider starts calling the villagers.