I just called 911 for the first time in my life about a half hour ago.?? I need to wake up in 3 hours to go shoot some crazy crane move at CHLA… but I thought I’d jot this down really quickly first.
I was coming down the 22 East… passing the 5… when I noticed a newer silver BMW 7-series swerving back and forth between the carpool and fast lanes.?? I thought it might be someone just taking the turns a little tightly… or being a jackass… but after we passed Main St. I figured that he/she (after this I’m gonna just refer to this loser as a “he) was drunk.?? The driver started to slow down… and I wasn’t going to pass him for fear of being rear-ended… he’d gone from 75 to about 45 in a short amount of time… and I wasn’t going to risk him ramping back up behind me.
As we approached Tustin, it seemed like he was moving towards the exit… but a little too slowly… the nice new BMW smashed right through a large road sign – the kind held up by a wooden 4×4 – and then swerved back on the freeway and kept driving.?? It was at this point – maybe 2 minutes after I first noticed the car – that I called 911.?? I gave the officer the info on what I had witnessed, told him that there was probably a large sign sitting as a hazard in the road on the Tustin exit, and gave him the color make and model of the car as well as the license plate, lastly mentioning that the car looked pretty beat up by the sign and had the front bumper hanging off the side.?? By the end of the call we were on the 55 South passing the 5, I had my flashers on behind him because he was driving about 30 mph.
As we approached MdFadden, it looked like he was finally going to exit… but as we started to get off he must have suddenly realized it wasn’t his exit (SOME of his brain cells were still functioning) and he swerved back towards the freeway, over the curb, and back into the traffic lanes… and since I wasn’t about to pull any death-defying (or death-inviting) moves of my own… he lost me and I drove home.
I do wonder if CHP responded and went after him… or if he made it home.?? Neither would surprise me.?? There is also the chance that he got into a larger accident… he was totally out of it and nearly crashed multiple times during the 5 minutes I was tailing him.
I hope that’s not the case.?? I’d like to think he’s in the back of a cruiser right now… and once he gets out he’ll pay some hefty fees to get his smashed car out of impound.?? I doubt he’ll learn his lesson, but it’s the best I can hope for (unless I want to hope that he just wrecked his finely tuned German automobile on the side of the road… but that wouldn’t be nice to wish on his friends and family).
Glad that you were behind the driver so that your safety wasn’t at stake. Hope the CHP did follow up on your call.
It always amazes me that people continue to drink and drive no matter what their BAC is.
I, for one, never want to join “MADD” due to a death in the family because of some idiot.
Nice job Vu! I’d have done the same thing. You may have saved his life.
I never got why people drive when they are that far gone. I’ve had a glass of wine or two but after that I call friends/family and have them get me. It’s much easier than trying to explain to someone why their child won’t be coming home. I hope that they followed up on your call, sounds scary. I hope they got him before he/she did any damage to something that isn’t replaceable.
You did good, Vu. Whether or not the guy was caught is just a staffing issue/question. You did what you could and that’s all you can ask for.
You don’t even want to know the number of times I’ve had to call 911. :-D In the past 6 months I’ve been three car lengths or less from sever traffic accidents swerving and screeching out of harms way. Thank GOD for track experience. Anyways, we’re VERY glad you’re safe!
Hey Vu, any update on this? CHP call back for a follow up or anything?
CHP has called me twice now to follow up on this case… but still nothing has happened that I know of. Total bummer, too.
I wish I had saved the one officer’s cell who had called me. I could probably call him and ask, though I doubt he would tell me anything. Seemed like a cool guy though, we had a laugh over his cell phone waiting music… it was the COPS theme. A bit corny, but funny none the less.
you should of busted some death wish moves on his ass!
Dude, I really hope they did, too. This guy was going to kill someone… it could have been me… it could have been anyone in his way. He didn’t see the big green reflective sign as he plowed through it… I don’t think he would see someone walking on the sidewalk or crossing the street at an intersection.
Yeah??? the more that they drink the less responsible they become and the more likely they are to drive.
Saving HIS life was definitely not my priority??? and if he did get pulled over I doubt that he would see it that way. People have an amazing capacity to blame others for their mistakes.