Carolina Bumper Cars
Monday, November 3, 2008 at 01:44PM 
So ... yesterday morning, a beautiful sunny day in the midlands of South Carolina with a high of 74 degrees predicted, TG and I, plus Erica, Andrew, and one of Andrew's college buddies who accompanied him home for the weekend, were at church.
Our church property is situated not too far from downtown Columbia but the area is decidedly ruralish. Is that a word? If not, it should be. No matter ... you know what I mean: when you go there it feels like you're sort of headed out into the country.
In fact, our congregation is nicknamed "The Old Country Church." It's right there on our sign. Across the road is Little Pigs Barbecue and that is some good eating.
The Old Country Church occupies a corner lot. If you are standing on the front porch of our building and you glance to the left (instead of to the right at Little Pigs with your mouth watering ... sadly LPB is closed on Sundays), you have an unobstructed view of a "T" intersection.
The road forming the stem of the "T" is a long hill which slopes downward as it approaches the "crossbar" of the intersecting road.
A huge red oblong "STOP" sign hangs above the intersection facing the long hill, in addition to an oversized octagonal "STOP" sign planted in the ground.
Its front half was widely distributed in various twisted parts around the roadway in all directions. At least four additional cars sat, apparently disabled, along the sides of both roads.
It is by all accounts a dangerous intersection. Drivers approaching the confluence of the roads along the top bar of the "T" are not controlled by stop signs. Everything depends upon drivers coming down the long hill paying attention, slowing down, and obeying their signs.
Our fine pastor was preaching an excellent message and sun was streaming through the windows when I heard something that sounded as though a very large person -- or perhaps a small person demonstrating a great deal of enthusiasm -- had bounded into the vestibule of the sanctuary. Our building is an older one and the floors are the wonderful "thumpy" kind. If someone walks heavily when everything is quiet, you hear it.
Naturally I wondered what was going on in the vestibule -- I had visions of some sugar-propelled denizen of our tiny nursery having momentarily escaped the workers -- but the pastor has a clear view of that area through windowed doors at the rear of the sanctuary, and as he neither registered concern nor paused in the delivery of his sermon, in a few moments I stopped wondering.
When church was over, however, and we walked out into the bright sunshine, our eyes were met with a disconcerting sight.
The first thing I noticed was the back half of a blue sedan sitting in the road near the intersection. Its front half was widely distributed in various twisted parts around the roadway in all directions. At least four additional cars sat, apparently disabled, along the sides of both roads. A Columbia fire truck, two EMS rescue vehicles, and several glittering, flashing police units were in attendance.
Oddly we never heard a siren. I still can't figure that out.
Turns out what we did hear -- the mid-service "thumping" noises I had attributed to a wild Indian bounding around in the vestibule -- had actually been the sound of all those cars hitting one another.
"How does that happen?" I asked TG on the way home. It was a bright sunny day, no rain, excellent visibility ... and there are two huge stop signs there!
He explained that it's a ripple effect: one person is going too fast and fails to obey the posted sign. Someone else gets caught off guard, is driving while distracted, or for whatever reason simply cannot avoid a collision. A third driver -- perhaps inexperienced or similarly distracted -- does not know how to react to the crash and becomes part of it. The next guy gets scared and doesn't know what to do, and before you know it he's on the pile too. Whoever's behind him can't stop in time ... and then there were five.
Not good. Not good at all.
I do not know if, or how badly, anyone was hurt. All I know is this:
Everybody slow down! Think about what you're doing. Keep a sharp eye ahead and about. There is danger if we take our safety and wellbeing for granted.
Have a happy Monday and a blessed week, everyone. God bless the United States of America.
Reader Comments (8)
Gosh, I hope no-one was seriously hurt or killed! It's a horrible feeling, seeing or witnessing a crash.
We live in the end house in our village. We have 'traffic calming' measures, which means bollards half across the road at various points which are intended to slow people down and reduce accidents. Ha! They slow consciencious people down, but they don't need slowing down in the first place.
The rest view it as a kind of council run racetrack. I can't tell you the number of times I've heard a thump, a squeal, or the sound of rending metal and run out to see if everyone's OK.
Jay ... a "council-run racetrack" ... LOLOLOL! That's as apt a description of South Carolina roads as I've ever heard. And you're right ... those who drive in a conscientious manner do so even when glaring warnings are not posted every few feet. Like you, I hope nobody was hurt badly and I hope whoever caused it learned a lesson.
My daughter and ex are so frustrated with me right now because I won't let my 15 year old get in a car with her friends that drive. Need I say more?
Cheryl, you don't need to say any more to me! I'm with you ... the most dangerous driver in the world is a teenager. About ten days ago, in Aiken, South Carolina, a woman was killed when her 13-year-old son ran over her while moving an SUV from one part of their yard to another so that he and his friends could play basketball. She was attempting to direct him when he accidentally mistook the accelerator for the brake pedal. A freak accident some might say, but I contend that 15-year-olds (and certainly not younger) don't need to be driving ... or riding with other teenagers. Stick to your guns. I know you will.
Doesn't it give you a funny feeling when something like that happens and you were so near? I hope no one was hurt. I love the description of your church. We were near your area a little over a year ago when my son graduated from Fort Jackson.
Mari, you were totally in our neck of the woods! Our church is three miles from Fort Jackson. I hope if you ever come back, you'll visit the Old Country Church! And yes, it was very odd to find out the thumping noises were the cars colliding! It didn't sound like that at all. Creepy.
Wise words! Life would go so much better if everyone slowed down! Key word in your second to last paragraph! THINK!
Keli, I knew you'd like that! I thought of you when I wrote it.