Okay, so the time has come to pen my experience of brush with death and the lessons learnt. Its been 1.5 years since the incident happened but just could not put it together for no specific reason.But I guess, have found the right thread now, so here I go:
When: August 2013
Where: Pune - Mumbai Expressway, where else?
Vehicle: Shared Innova of a (in)famed Airport drop service. People from Mumbai Pune will know.
Time: about 3:30 AM. Anything around those hours is worst time to be on highway.
Lives at risk: 4 including driver
Fatalities: None
Serious Injuries: None
Minor Injury: Driver Only. 3 Passengers (incl me)totally unscathed.
I was travelling Mumbai Pune in this Innova for an airport drop. I had made reservation well in advance as this is the only decent option available at odd hours from Pune.I had just celebrated my son's 4th b'day and late night was heading out for taking this flight at 5:30 from Mumbai International airport.
When the Innova arrived to pick me, the front passenger was already snoring. Must be around 12:30 AM. I took the rear right seat. Everyone's luggage was in the rear of the Innova. I buckled up immediately after I boarded the cab - honestly till that day it was not always that I'd buckle up in rear seat. Am sure my guardian angel was doing a late shift knowing what was coming up.
The passenger on rear left took a cue and also buckled up. I do not remember well, if the front passenger was strapped or not but I think he must have and thus survived.
In 15 minutes we had hit expressway and everything was routine. Both my co passengers were fast asleep - I know this is a dangerous thing but people usually shrug off such concerns if you bring it up.
Though nothing much unusual with the driver, I noticed that he'd at times do a last minute flick on the steering. I uncomfortably ignored it to be the driver's style.
Air conditioning was cooling well, comfortable ride,mild music and the time - recipe for sleepiness but for some reason I just cannot sleep in a cab and I usually keep awake irrespective of time and surroundings. We stopped at the food mall before the ghats and tanked up. Then the driver went missing for a long break and as we had enough time on hand I didn't pay much attention. Back he comes and we resume, cross the ghats without an issue and reach the Khalapur toll. Paid up, resumed. People familiar with the route will know that after the toll, there is a relatively straight stretch and that is where the monotony played its game with driver tending to doze off.
I had not realized it but as I said I was keeping a close eye on the road ahead. There is stretch where the 6 lane highway passes through a section carved from cutting a mountain - dark mountain walls on the sides. We were doing about 85 kmph. I was looking at the lorry ahead of us and it seemed we were slowly inching into the rear of the lorry.When we were only an arm's length distance of the lorry and still the driver didn't react, I patted him slightly on the shoulder with a vocal alert realizing that he had indeed dozed off.
Don't know if I should have done something else, but the driver realizing what was happening, steered the vehicle to the right (we were already in fast lane) and there she climbed the divider. In this section, the divider is nothing but the height of a usual curb that we see everywhere in city. I was completely horrified with this and the other 2 people woke up too - albeit helpless. Thought it was happening too fast I could surely recall some horrific incidents from recent past where vehicles jumped divider on expressway.The results were almost 100% fatal. No wonder I had the worst thoughts crossing my mind- family album whizzing past my eyes - prayed that he keeps it on divider and we don't get rammed into by a Volvo or truck, trailer anything from other side. But he couldn't and it crossed into the other lane. Luckily there was nothing in that lane at that point and driver could manage to steer it back on divider. Very filmy..huh??
Now we ram into a few more things, a big car size road sign was hit head on and floored in a snap..worse, the driver perhaps wanted to steer back to left but something went wrong and the Innova tipped over to the right. Continued to skid for a good length but all the glasses including mine, that was rubbing on the ground, were intact.
Finally the vehicle did a U and came to a halt in the Pune -Mum fast lane facing the traffic from Pune. I breathed a sigh of relief but knew the ordeal is not yet over. 2 things I was worried about - fire from leaking fuel though probability in a diesel vehicle is less, and secondly being hit by a heavy vehicle. All of us were still tightly strapped in our seats, the person on my left leaning over me as vehicle rested on right side.Good for us, the lights were still on and working.
So the seat belts seem to have done a great job and saved our lives certainly.Also, I found later that the Innova had fared well considering what it went through. Though, we had come to a stand still, getting out of the vehicle was not that easy. We tried hitting the glasses hard but from our awkward positions we could do very little. Traffic on both sides stopped, crowd gathered and it took a good 10 minutes for people to break open the front windshield and pull us out to safety.
What followed is of in-consequence and I got a ride till airport from someone. So did the other 2. There was no point returning as what had happened had happened but yes there was a shock factor which remained with me for many days.
Few lessons learnt:
- Seat Belts are life savers - though I knew it already
- Completely avoid to be on road from 12 AM to 5 AM slot. You may be the best driver and may never fall asleep, but there are plenty of other drivers about to doze off anytime.
- Avoid MUV cabs on highways. Instead take a Volvo bus if it has to be odd hours.
- Co passenger (navigator) must not sleep. Keep talking to driver
- Don't hesitate to raise a concern - its your life at stake after all.
Sorry about the long post but I had to pen it down someday. I hope it inspires at least a few to use seat belts. Also, after this incident I decided that my next car will be the top variant with all safety features coz........ life is priceless.
Drive Safe!!