The day the earth stood still

inder_s1 · 31st January 2010, 15:56

Hi Guys,

Yesterday, 30th Jan 10 was the day everything came to a standstill for me. In 13 yrs of driving experience, I have never been in an situation like this. Well, that's why they call it "Accident". This is a rebirth to me and it has been engraved in my memory forever.

I started from Bangalore at 1PM to meet my wife and daughter (6 months). I had packed cradle for my daughter and was so excited to meet her since it was a week that I had left them in Mysore at my in-laws place.

Since the new idea of 94.3FM to play no repeated songs, i've been glued to the channel which plays a mix of old & new songs. So I started and was enjoying my driving with music, cruising not over 80 on outskirts and maintaining 40-50 in towns.

After crossing Mandya, I was at a speed or 60-80 when a bus in front of me came to the left suddenly.. I braked and maintained the speed of 60-80 and at a distance of 12-15 feet from the bus and then ...

Everythig happened lighting fast... As I write this my hands are in a shiver recalling the incident.. The bus pulled to the right in front of a truck parallel to me and it missed a bullock cart by mere 2 inches which was standing 1/4th on the highway and 3/4th on the gravel at 15 deg angle.
There I was , going towards the bullock cart straight, it took a sec that's all for the next set of events ....

The sequence as it happened,,,,

I see myself heading for the bullock cart head on

My foot has jammed the brakes to realize it wont help me from crashing into the cart

Turned steering to full right

Left side of the car smashed into the cart which went up a few feet
the car spins around 180 deg and crashes into the cart again.. this time the rightside rear part

The car spins one more time 360 deg and sits on gravel facing the highway...

The left seat has the dashboard parts ans glass strewn on it

I check myself and find no scratches or bruises thanks to the seatbelt

Coming out of the car was like the hollywood movie sequence, struggling to get out of seat belt and i stand to look at the cart and it's inmates... the cart has fallen on the left side.. no one's hurt.. all the while it's like i am watching a movie..

sachinj12 · 31st January 2010, 16:07

Hope you are safe. What happened to the car? As always, seat belt saves the day

inder_s1 · 31st January 2010, 16:20

While I was still trying to figure out what's happening...5 persons came from nowhere and starting hurling punches from all the directions..

I defended myself to an exent and pushed them away as they were trying to push me towards the field..

Having my sunglasses in smitherins, and bleeding at forearm.. I gathered everything from the car and put it a little further than the car.. still in a state of shock called my friend from Mandya and my FIL from Mysore.

2 guys on highway had stopped and seen the attack on me from the 5 people , they intervened and told me to go to the other side of the road,,

By this time, police had been informed and my friend arrived at the spot..seeing so many villagers ready to kill , he took me and one of the cart fellows in his car to Mandya. I left my luggage at his place and took the cart guy who was acting as if he is hurt to extort money to a government hospital.

In a short while we were 2 against 50 villagers and we soon called in some help in form of my firend's BIL and his friend. Took all x-rays and scan for the cart guy and he was declared as clear of any injury but they decide to keep him in hospital for a few days.

My friend and his BIL negotiaed and came down to 15K + getting them amount for their cart repair from insurance.

My colleague came in from Bangalore and is helping me complete the release of the vehicle...Let's hope the rest of the proceedings go smooth...

Police towed the vehicle and it's at police station as of now.

Present:

Have to get the vehicle released from police station and file a FIR on Monday and go ahead with the proceeedings...

Quote:

Originally Posted by sachinj12

Hope you are safe. What happened to the car? As always, seat belt saves the day

Hi Sachin,

Just a few bruises and pain in left hand, neck and back.. I really thank God that no one was hurt badly.. Seatbelts definitely saved me.

mnhegde · 31st January 2010, 16:37

That's a bad one, Inder. Monsters (Buses) rule our roads, unfortunately. Was it a ST bus or private?? Wish you a speedy recovery. Take care Friend, Drive safe.

HappyWheels · 31st January 2010, 16:37

Good to know that you came out safe.

That cart fellow, apart from causing the accident, now gets compensation! When will sense prevail!

phamilyman · 31st January 2010, 16:38

That is bloody crazy. I'm just happy that you are fine! The car has decent bit of damage - should be repaired in a week tops!!

Those local goons could've hurt you/the car much more. Good that you are now okay!

sdp1975 · 31st January 2010, 16:41

Good to know that you are safe. This really is the problem in India - instead of providing medical attention to the injured, starts the bullying and ransoming after the accident.

No wonder why people run away from accident scenes.

sachinj12 · 31st January 2010, 16:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by sdp1975

Good to know that you are safe. This really is the problem in India - instead of providing medical attention to the injured, starts the bullying and ransoming after the accident.

No wonder why people run away from accident scenes.

+1. And bigger the vehicle/ more expensive you drive, the extortion money increases in exponential power. You drive a premium car, you pay a premium 'compensation'

prince_pervez · 31st January 2010, 21:37

That is horrible mate! Glad you came out scratchless. Take care.

khan_sultan · 31st January 2010, 21:44

Inder, that's very shocking. Really glad to know that you are safe and no one is seriously injured. Don't worry about the damages to the car and just concentrate of getting the car back to bangalore.

Good that you called in your friend & FIL to help you out.

Rudra Sen · 31st January 2010, 21:50

That's looks like a close shave. Great to know you're OK.
Don't worry, your Swift should be back in shape. Looks like no structural damage there.

rjstyles69 · 31st January 2010, 22:52

inder I drive almost every other weekend to mysore and this is the only stretch between mandya and mysore that I am extra cautious. You don't stand a chance with the villagers and the locals there even if they are at fault. I once quite recently had a near miss with a cart laden with sugarcane. Obviously I dint want to face the wrath of the localites, simply shrugged the whole fiasco and drove off.

Glad to know that you are safe without any major injuries. The swift can be repaired and I would say definitely thank your stars.

siddvi · 1st February 2010, 08:01

That's quite a crash and luckily you came out with no serious injuries.

Quote:

Originally Posted by inder_s1

I braked and maintained the speed of 60-80 and at a distance of 12-15 feet from the bus and then ...

My foot has jammed the brakes to realize it wont help me from crashing into the cart

No offence, but isn't that quite close tailgating at that speeds. Such close trailing a bus must have blocked/narrow your vision to see the road ahead. At close distances there's no much time/road for coming to a complete halt in emergencies.

On our roads where the traffic flow is unexpected, better to keep to safe distances so that the driver can look ahead further and be prepared.

aargee · 1st February 2010, 08:25

Wish you a speedy recovery my friend & thanks for sharing this incident. Sometimes I think if we're at the giving end on the accident, we can get away by paying a fine in the court, but in your case, you're neither at the giving end nor the receiving end. Who's to be blamed? The cart which was not supposed to be on the highway? Or the moron bus driver? Or the lorry driver who did not signal that its not the time to overtake? I'm sorry for you that, not only, you need to manage the court case but also had to manage the bulliers. Thank your good car & your stars for saving your life.

PS - What happens if we pretend to lose conscious even if we're left scratchless in an accident or pretend to be half state of mind due to the nervousness of the accident although we aren't? Will this help us from the bullying villagers?

sree70 · 1st February 2010, 08:37

Hope you have recovered from the shock. What happened to the cradle which you bought for your daughter? Could you deliver to her. Such a sad incident.
In rural areas the biggest vehicle is penalised for all accidents

irrespective of who's fault it is.

31st January 2010, 15:56	#1
inder_s1 BHPian Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Bangalore Posts: 238 Thanked: 38 Times View My Garage	The day the earth stood still Hi Guys, Yesterday, 30th Jan 10 was the day everything came to a standstill for me. In 13 yrs of driving experience, I have never been in an situation like this. Well, that's why they call it "Accident". This is a rebirth to me and it has been engraved in my memory forever. I started from Bangalore at 1PM to meet my wife and daughter (6 months). I had packed cradle for my daughter and was so excited to meet her since it was a week that I had left them in Mysore at my in-laws place. Since the new idea of 94.3FM to play no repeated songs, i've been glued to the channel which plays a mix of old & new songs. So I started and was enjoying my driving with music, cruising not over 80 on outskirts and maintaining 40-50 in towns. After crossing Mandya, I was at a speed or 60-80 when a bus in front of me came to the left suddenly.. I braked and maintained the speed of 60-80 and at a distance of 12-15 feet from the bus and then ... Everythig happened lighting fast... As I write this my hands are in a shiver recalling the incident.. The bus pulled to the right in front of a truck parallel to me and it missed a bullock cart by mere 2 inches which was standing 1/4th on the highway and 3/4th on the gravel at 15 deg angle. There I was , going towards the bullock cart straight, it took a sec that's all for the next set of events .... The sequence as it happened,,,, I see myself heading for the bullock cart head on My foot has jammed the brakes to realize it wont help me from crashing into the cart Turned steering to full right Left side of the car smashed into the cart which went up a few feet the car spins around 180 deg and crashes into the cart again.. this time the rightside rear part The car spins one more time 360 deg and sits on gravel facing the highway... The left seat has the dashboard parts ans glass strewn on it I check myself and find no scratches or bruises thanks to the seatbelt Coming out of the car was like the hollywood movie sequence, struggling to get out of seat belt and i stand to look at the cart and it's inmates... the cart has fallen on the left side.. no one's hurt.. all the while it's like i am watching a movie.. Attached Thumbnails Last edited by inder_s1 : 31st January 2010 at 16:08.
	() Thanks

31st January 2010, 16:07	#2
sachinj12 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 1,187 Thanked: 169 Times	Hope you are safe. What happened to the car? As always, seat belt saves the day
	() Thanks

31st January 2010, 16:37	#4
mnhegde BHPian Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: B E N G A L U R U Posts: 473 Thanked: 2 Times	That's a bad one, Inder. Monsters (Buses) rule our roads, unfortunately. Was it a ST bus or private?? Wish you a speedy recovery. Take care Friend, Drive safe. Last edited by mnhegde : 31st January 2010 at 16:38.
	() Thanks

31st January 2010, 16:37	#5
HappyWheels Senior - BHPian Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Bangalore Posts: 4,145 Thanked: 571 Times	Good to know that you came out safe. That cart fellow, apart from causing the accident, now gets compensation! When will sense prevail!
	() Thanks

31st January 2010, 16:38	#6
phamilyman Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Gurgaon Posts: 5,975 Thanked: 4,673 Times	That is bloody crazy. I'm just happy that you are fine! The car has decent bit of damage - should be repaired in a week tops!! Those local goons could've hurt you/the car much more. Good that you are now okay!
	() Thanks

31st January 2010, 16:41	#7
sdp1975 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Bangalore Posts: 1,716 Thanked: 1,278 Times View My Garage	Good to know that you are safe. This really is the problem in India - instead of providing medical attention to the injured, starts the bullying and ransoming after the accident. No wonder why people run away from accident scenes.
	() Thanks

31st January 2010, 21:37	#9
prince_pervez Senior - BHPian Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Redwood shores, CA, USA Posts: 4,211 Thanked: 53 Times View My Garage	That is horrible mate! Glad you came out scratchless. Take care.
	() Thanks

31st January 2010, 21:44	#10
khan_sultan Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Noida/Bangalore Posts: 4,946 Thanked: 6,469 Times View My Garage	Inder, that's very shocking. Really glad to know that you are safe and no one is seriously injured. Don't worry about the damages to the car and just concentrate of getting the car back to bangalore. Good that you called in your friend & FIL to help you out.
	() Thanks

31st January 2010, 21:50	#11
Rudra Sen Team-BHP Support Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: Bangalore Posts: 11,752 Thanked: 6,871 Times View My Garage	That's looks like a close shave. Great to know you're OK. Don't worry, your Swift should be back in shape. Looks like no structural damage there.
	() Thanks

31st January 2010, 22:52	#12
rjstyles69 Senior - BHPian Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Bengalooru.. Posts: 4,344 Thanked: 845 Times View My Garage	inder I drive almost every other weekend to mysore and this is the only stretch between mandya and mysore that I am extra cautious. You don't stand a chance with the villagers and the locals there even if they are at fault. I once quite recently had a near miss with a cart laden with sugarcane. Obviously I dint want to face the wrath of the localites, simply shrugged the whole fiasco and drove off. Glad to know that you are safe without any major injuries. The swift can be repaired and I would say definitely thank your stars.
	() Thanks

1st February 2010, 08:25	#14
aargee Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: TSTN Posts: 6,355 Thanked: 10,061 Times	Wish you a speedy recovery my friend & thanks for sharing this incident. Sometimes I think if we're at the giving end on the accident, we can get away by paying a fine in the court, but in your case, you're neither at the giving end nor the receiving end. Who's to be blamed? The cart which was not supposed to be on the highway? Or the moron bus driver? Or the lorry driver who did not signal that its not the time to overtake? I'm sorry for you that, not only, you need to manage the court case but also had to manage the bulliers. Thank your good car & your stars for saving your life. PS - What happens if we pretend to lose conscious even if we're left scratchless in an accident or pretend to be half state of mind due to the nervousness of the accident although we aren't? Will this help us from the bullying villagers?
	() Thanks

1st February 2010, 08:37	#15
sree70 BHPian Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: bengaluru Posts: 176 Thanked: 15 Times	Hope you have recovered from the shock. What happened to the cradle which you bought for your daughter? Could you deliver to her. Such a sad incident. In rural areas the biggest vehicle is penalised for all accidents irrespective of who's fault it is.
	() Thanks