Area Man's Uneventful Run is Punctuated by a Car Wreck

by Chad Randolph

So there I was, finishing up an otherwise uneventful run through Davidson this afternoon.  I crossed Concord Road at Grey Rd. and was running toward downtown.  Just after crossing over Woodland St. I noticed a dark silver Honda Accord heading east come to a complete stop well before the pedestrian crossing.  Seeing as I was the only pedestrian around and wasn't crossing, I wondered why he stopped, especially with six or so cars behind him.

After about three seconds he floored it and took off at a furious pace.  "A**hole", I thought, probably lost and showing his embarrassment by gunning it.  Seeing as the residential area has a 25 mph speed limit, I was pissed off by his vulgar display of power.

Less than five seconds later I heard a crash that sounded just like a chase scene in a movie.  Brakes, twisting metal, and broken glass.  I stopped and turned around to see the Accord flipped over on its roof in the middle of the road!  And on the left side in Chris Alexander's yard was a white panel van.

Locals on hand to assist before the fire and police arrive.

I turned around and started running to the scene, which was about four blocks back.  When I arrived there were already several local residents at the scene, stopping traffic and assessing the damage.  The driver of the Accord was pinned upside down but didn't seem too bad off.  I crawled in the back and immediately noticed a couple of child car seats - not a good sign.  Fortunately, I didn't find any evidence of children.  I helped pull open the driver's side door and very quickly the Davidson Fire Department and Police arrived to take over.

I'm not entirely sure what transpired during the five seconds I had my head turned, but it appears that the driver of the Accord swiped the white van at a high rate of speed and then flipped.  As for motivation, I guess it'll come out in the police report.  The driver of the white van appeared to have some cuts on his face and ended up being transported to the hospital, as well as the Accord driver.

What's the moral of the story, from a running perspective?  First and foremost, always be aware of your surroundings, even if you're on the sidewalk.  Secondly, be prepared to help out at an accident.  Through the auspices of Girls on the Run I recently took CPR and first aid.  Fortunately I didn't have to put my skills to the test, but there's always the next time.

Be careful out there!

Q:  Did you get that from trail running?
A:  Nope, from crawling around the inside of an overturned Honda.