Seconds away from misery

[firebobby]

Went to Oxford earlier and on our way home up the M40, we were coming off at a junction. I was in lane one and we were following a caravan at about 55-60, a few hundred yards form the junction, a car over taking us in lane 3 just veered from lane 3 straight up the rear end of the caravan.
The car must have been doing 80 and the impact smashed the caravan into the rear of the tow car, the caravan went across the hard shoulder and into the verge, it then over turned in front of us and ended on it's side across lane 1.
I quickly pulled in front of the mayhem (never sit behind an accident as you can be there a very long time if they shut the road) and got out to check the occupants of the car that had hit the van as there was a lot of smoke inside it, the driver got out and said he had 2 kids in the back, I quickly got them out and found the smoke was from the airbags, they were all OK. The people from the tow car came back up the motorway a bit shook up, the force of the impact had severed the tow hitch from his LR freelander and pushed the LR into the nearside barrier. Waited for the cavalry to turn up and left.
A few seconds earlier and he could have taken us out instead of the caravan unit

[Blocky10]

Good man for stopping, and after witnessing why it happened, good man for not lumping the idiot straight in the kisser! AND he had kids in the car! That's enough to warrant a double slap. People like that make me sick. They've just caused a load of hassle, misery and heartache for the poor people hopefully on their way home from holiday and not then going on holiday. The idiot will just get their car recovered, be given a slap on the wrist maybe and a courtesy car till it's sorted. Proper ignorance.


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[don simon]

Bloody hell!!

[firebobby]

Originally Posted by Blocky10

Good man for stopping, and after witnessing why it happened, good man for not lumping the idiot straight in the kisser! AND he had kids in the car! That's enough to warrant a double slap. People like that make me sick. They've just caused a load of hassle, misery and heartache for the poor people hopefully on their way home from holiday and not then going on holiday. The idiot will just get their car recovered, be given a slap on the wrist maybe and a courtesy car till it's sorted. Proper ignorance.


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The poor caravan couple were on their way to a site in Henley on Thames and were then away in 2 weeks time to Cornwall... no longer doing that though.
The guy who caused the chaos was very shaken up, he said he may have fallen asleep as he had been to a party last night.
Another annoying thing is the way the caravan and the car that hit it ended up, it looked like the caravan had jackknifed from that car...so passers by would think another knob head caravaner who lost it and blocked the road, when it was nothing to do with the poor couple on their way to a relaxing holiday

[solarman216]

That kind of idiot should get a min ten year ban, I like many others have missed an exit, but rather than try a last second exit attempt, simply stay in the lane I am in and accept I boobed and take the next exit even if it is miles up the road, Rick

[Blocky10]

Originally Posted by firebobby

The poor caravan couple were on their way to a site in Henley on Thames and were then away in 2 weeks time to Cornwall... no longer doing that though.
The guy who caused the chaos was very shaken up, he said he may have fallen asleep as he had been to a party last night.
Another annoying thing is the way the caravan and the car that hit it ended up, it looked like the caravan had jackknifed from that car...so passers by would think another knob head caravaner who lost it and blocked the road, when it was nothing to do with the poor couple on their way to a relaxing holiday

Makes me want to let them have my setup for a few weeks

[firebobby]

https://twitter.com/tvprp/status/610...633?lang=en-gb

Not sure if this link will work, it's a picture from Twitter
The car next to the van caused the accident, but looks like the tow car

[Lazy-Ferret]

Made me feel sick reading this... too close to home for us, after that lady hit ours a couple of years ago.

Well done for stopping to help, that is another pet hate of mine, people who see this sort of thing happen then just carry on driving with out checking that the other people are OK.

[macabethiel]

Nasty looking at the twitter coments they have already blamed the shed dragger as at fault!

[AlexD333]

Well done for stopping to help top points and lucky you!!!

Actually yes we are all very quick to critisize the driver who fell asleep however, I must admire his honesty for putting his hands up and admitting, I know most people would not!!

Although I do think some sort of punishment is in order nobody is badly injured and everyone can learn from something like this.. too many dodgy drivers lie and make faulse claims so well done for Mr Sleepy for hands up!

[FormerSmurf]

As much as I had caravans and children, some people just need a slap on the back. With a pick-axe.

The image on Twitter does look like the towing car finished on the RH side, so pretty impressive amount of force to do that. Lucky for the Freelander that the towing mech did shear, or the caravan could have flipped that too.

[AlexD333]

Wait... There are pictures?

Zippy... This must be enforced!

[firebobby]

Originally Posted by AlexD333

Well done for stopping to help top points and lucky you!!!

Actually yes we are all very quick to critisize the driver who fell asleep however, I must admire his honesty for putting his hands up and admitting, I know most people would not!!

Although I do think some sort of punishment is in order nobody is badly injured and everyone can learn from something like this.. too many dodgy drivers lie and make faulse claims so well done for Mr Sleepy for hands up!

He said he knew he should have pulled over because he was tired, but only had another 50 miles to go, so no defense really.
He would have gone past a service stop about 8 miles before the smash, so again no defense, with kids in the car, you stop

[don simon]

with kids in the car

This is the most shocking and the most unforgivable. I have no idea what goes through the minds of some people.
Fortunately no one was seriously hurt.

[AlexD333]

Totally agree, however some leniency should be given for his immediate honesty no?

Why not just lie like most others would