A pretty bad one at that. The car swerved to avoid another car that hit the brakes, thing was it then span through 180 degrees and barrel rolled off the road and into a ditch. It was travelling at a fair speed due to being a dual carriageway. Saw the whole thing and scared the crap out of me! Seeing a big car (Vauxhall Vectra new shape) going backwards at around 50-70mph then flying into the air sideways!!! Think I'll be slowing down a bit from now on...
get the impression you didn't stop to help?
sounds horrifying, were they ok?
I wanted too but had others in the car and was going quickly the other way. Doubt I could have done anything but yeah, do feel like I should have stopped. Scared me how quickly stuff goes very very very wrong.
wasnt the road gritted?
Hit the brakes and swerved at 50-70 mph because the car in front braked? Travelling too fast and close by the sounds of it regardless of grit, sounds like the car in front didn't have any trouble slowing. Hope they are all absolutely fine apart from getting the best driving lesson they have ever had!
This is of course entirely uninformed speculation 🙂
You did right to carry on as you were on the other side of the carriageway, though you would do good to contact the police as a witness.
I've had a similar experience where a car on the opposite carriageway had left the motorway, barrel rolled along the verge and hit a sign on the embankment, didn't see the impact but saw cars scattering. Immediately burst into flames, everyone slowed down on my side and it turned into chaos, cars barrelling down on me trying to stop whilst people are running across 6 lanes of traffic and vaulting the central barrier with piddly little fire extinguishers.
The lorry drivers had it pretty sorted though, as they stopped they had created a line from the hard shoulder out to the second lane to shield the scene from traffic. I drove out of the chaos, pulled over for a few seconds but then decided that there was nothing I could do so carried on.
You should call the Police just to say you witnessed it. Without any knowledge of the crash at all it sounds like driving without due care and attention.
whilst people are running across 6 lanes of traffic and vaulting the central barrier with piddly little fire extinguishers.
Helping others with disregard to their own safety. I've never been in such a position however I'd like to think I'd act rather than think 'keep going someone will be along soon to help'.
If there is a major accident BOTH sides tend to slow down or stop anyway.
It might as well be due to people giving a **** about their fellow man.
Sorry the grit comment was based on the fact that if there was a hint of dust on top of the frozen road people seem to carry on as normal with last minute lane changes, not paying attention etc...... .
Nearly got wiped out by a transit van that swerved violently in front of us on the M62 (-9C at the time), going past it seemed the guy was having trouble fitted the whole of his breakfast sandwich in his mouth at once.
This morning got stuck for half an hour on the M4 just below the big hill to the M5 junction because a lorry had jack-knifed in the middle of the carriageway. Didn't seem to be any other cars involved, I can't imagine howtf that happened!
Was driving at about 50mph in -6.5c fog last night on the motorway... people were nailing it past me at 85mph+. Scary!
[i]Helping others with disregard to their own safety. I've never been in such a position however I'd like to think I'd act rather than think 'keep going someone will be along soon to help'.[/i]
In any emergency training, the first step is to assess the scene and ensure it is safe before assisting. Having a pedestrian hit as they cross a live motorway whilst half the drivers are gawking at the accident is not the best course of action. If both sides have stopped or the motorway is extremely quiet and there is no one on the other side to give assistance then fair enough, you will just become another bystander unless you have some relevant skills.
Having not witnessed the actual accident there is no reason to stop when the entire motorway on the other side is slowing to a stop and people are already getting out of their vehicles going to help.
I was certainly glad of the kind souls who stopped & dragged me & my little boys (2 & 3) out of our car when it rolled after a blow-out. Very frightening.