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January 27, 2007
How does it happen?
Last night I was driving home from teaching in Cambridge. I was gliding down route 2, Melissa was playing on the ipod, I was looking forward to a quick scotch and then bed as I had to be up, well, now, on Saturday to teach again.
As I approached the 95 interchange in the right-hand lane I saw three police cars in the Emergency lane, lights flipping wildly. They were directly adjacent to the parking lot of the office building that sits just off the highway. In the parking lot were two other police cars with their lights on as well.
I moved into the middle lane to give them a wide berth and glanced to my right.
Completely smashed and on its side was a car still smoldering. From the look I got of the front end I would amazed if anyone survived.
In the last year that is the third time I have seen a flipped over vehicle on that road. I wonder why that stretch between Boston and 95 is so prone to fatalities? There was no ice, no water on the road, very light traffic, nothing I could see that would cause that car to lip down that embankment and burst into flames.
I said a little, "..there but for the grace of...", checked my speedometer and kept heading home.
January 27, 2007 | Permalink
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Comments
Goodness...I remember driving from Plymouth to Natick for a work meeting (many moons ago), and how I saw 2 car fires in the span of about 10 minutes on 128. You know, that stretch where they count the breakdown lane as an extra travel lane during rush hour? I had that same sinking feeling that you described. (shivers)
Posted by: Lisa | Jan 27, 2007 1:13:09 PM
Deer? Something or someone running across the road in front of the vehicle at the last possible moment? It happens here a lot. (not personally as of yet and let's hope it never does).
Posted by: Blogeois | Jan 27, 2007 4:35:26 PM
Ever get the feeling they should just blow Rte. 2 up and start all over? Back in my cub-reporter days up in Concord, we could always count on a good fatal every few weeks on the stretch through Concord and Lincoln where you had cars doing 65 mph with no separation (they've since managed to get Jersey barriers in a good part of the way).
Posted by: adamg | Jan 27, 2007 6:19:12 PM
Any time I drive inside 495, I'm always glad when I make it back out without becoming a statistic.
Hopefully, when you got home, you hugged the hubby, had a scotch and got into a warm bed. It's never easy to see that stuff.
Posted by: Melissa | Jan 28, 2007 8:23:01 PM
It is very sobering to be presented with the proof that this life to which we cling could, in an instant, be wrenched from us
Posted by: Mouse | Jan 29, 2007 2:22:31 PM
is it very straight and very long?
it used to be standard practice in oz to make as many long-distance roads as possible as straight as possible, "for safety".
it was discovered later that these were the worst accident blackspots in australia. too dull, too easy-- people take it for granted and get distracted by stuff inside the car, or even fall asleep. bam.
now they're all (at least periodically) bendy & swoopy.
Posted by: Saltation | Jan 30, 2007 7:37:29 AM
