learnt a lesson the hard way

FalconForce · 08-08-2011, 12:13 AM

this weekend has been a very bad one for me amongst other things i was involved in a pretty bad car crash on Friday night and have just got home from the hospital and am in a pretty bad shape.

it all happened in flash one second im doing fishtails thinking im the coolest person alive next thing the wheels have gained traction and im being flung across the road jumped up the curb and crashed through a wrought iron fence and onto a school oval, barely missing two trees and a young woman.

all i can say is im glad no one got hurt and a written off car is much better than a lost life and my lesson has been learnt no more 'being hectic' or stupidity for me

Fev · 08-08-2011, 12:17 AM

Glad to hear your alright although hurt. We learn from the scars and hopefully you won't soon forget it! Thank hell no one else was injured!

vztrt · 08-08-2011, 12:18 AM

I guess its good to see you've learnt.

I can't really feel sorry for ya, but if it makes you a safer person on the road then society has won.

FalconForce · 08-08-2011, 12:23 AM

i don't want anyone to feel sorry for me. i hope that by sharing my story with everyone here i can prevent some of the younger guys doing something stupid on the road

Geez Louise · 08-08-2011, 12:25 AM

I have often wondered, with all the advertising re: bad driver behaviour and indeed with all the threads on here about what can happen, WHY do people still drive like they are invincible?

You are just lucky that you didn't kill anyone! Cars can be replaced, people can't!

XARATE · 08-08-2011, 12:41 AM

A few photos would help us understand the extent of the accident and shock us young ones
I hope you go out of your way to apoligise to the young woman

fmc351 · 08-08-2011, 12:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FalconForce

this weekend has been a very bad one for me amongst other things i was involved in a pretty bad car crash on Friday night and have just got home from the hospital and am in a pretty bad shape.

it all happened in flash one second im doing fishtails thinking im the coolest person alive next thing the wheels have gained traction and im being flung across the road jumped up the curb and crashed through a wrought iron fence and onto a school oval, barely missing two trees and a young woman.

all i can say is im glad no one got hurt and a written off car is much better than a lost life and my lesson has been learnt no more 'being hectic' or stupidity for me

Good on ya mate, no need for anyone to kick your **** it seems youve done that yourself. Which is a lot more than many people do, its funny how many continue to be 'hectic' despite valuable lessons ignored. Even more so, when that lesson is first hand and still ignored. Theres a time and a place and now you know it.

Get well.

Scooter79rs · 08-08-2011, 12:47 AM

At least you are admitting to it which is a good sign, means you are responsible for you own actions. I've seen a few people sliding around on public roads and miss curbs by a few inches.

bester · 08-08-2011, 12:51 AM

Glad to hear that you are OK. Sorry about the car and yes it can be replaced but still heartsore. Hope you recover soon.

I am in the process of buying a XR6, after many negotiations with hubby (and I waited until he was in the dogbox) , I have taken her for a testdrive and should have my new baby next weekend, but when I read this now I started thinking twice as I will also try that. It's not just the young one's that speed and do stupid things. I am a female, reaching close to the 40's, Positive I was born the wrong sex as I drink, smoke and love fast cars LOL.

Hope this is a reminder for me when I want to put foot.

Madaya · 08-08-2011, 01:03 AM

Dear FalconForce,
Hope you recover 'completely' from your injuries, and yes, at the end of the day, no one was killed. Hope you come out of this 'adventure' wiser and not too physically sore, or financially worse off.
Ford have given us machines that, power for weight, are the super cars of the 70's. I may be a little under resourced here, but I reckon my humble XR6, off the show room floor, would have done quite well in Bathurst in the early 70's. (Any one got any facts/thoughts on this???)

Bottom line here is this story, and thank God, I live in WA. I was chillin out, one arvo, just a few weeks back, watchin a few vids, slurping a few beers, when a mate rang to say - 'Gaz, I've finished using your laptop to do my tax, pop over and we'll have tea and beers', etc. So, after about 6 beers in two hours, I jump in the ute, and head off.
Bit of a highway (100km limit) between here and there, it was 6pm gettin dark, shuffling through the gears, great to feel free, master of this machine etc. Looked down at the speedo, doing 120, lifted the right foot = to fast!!!
= Too late, red and blue lights coming the other way.
The Copper was a lad I knew, none the less, after blowing in the bag (0.11)
+ the speed, it was a trip back to the station, his junior side kick drove the ute back to the station (bit of a trial, because it is a manual).
A bit of (subtle) deep breathing + chat and it's blow into the Dragar, and wait for the result...

0.072

Calculated back to 0.06 at the time of the offence. In WA, 0.08 = lose your license + fine. Between 0.05 to <0.08 = loss of 3 points and $100. The speed = 3 points and $300.

FalconForce, learn from this. I'm 48 yo. This is my first biggy with the law and will most definately be my last. No more stupid drinking and driving *****. Sure, I'm a good driver, but aren't we all.
Grab a helmet. Join a local sport club, or find out when the open days are at the drags or race track, and let the right one hit the fire wall. I promise, I'll find out when Wannaroo have an open day that I can attend, and I'll shred a few tyres at several hundred dollars a pair.
Oh, and fact. Did you know that professional drivers are involved in as many fatalities on the public roads, as all drivers i.e. skill has nothing to do with it, sometimes it is 'just a lottery'.
Sorry for the novel, but we are all in this together.
Gaz

Neale · 08-08-2011, 01:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FalconForce

i don't want anyone to feel sorry for me. i hope that by sharing my story with everyone here i can prevent some of the younger guys doing something stupid on the road

Good on you for trying to help stop people from being stupid on the road. Im sure most people on here have done something they shouldnt have on the road. Most of the time we get away with it & its not till something goes wrong that you realise how stupid it was.

I have been down a simmilar road & if it helps make someone think about the consequences of their choices when they drive I will share my story.

I went out one night in with a mate in my parents EL falcon & I was talking it up, when my mate said if its so good prove it.

So we found a quiet back road & I put the foot down without thinking. So were doing about 180 when we approach a sharp crest & next thing were doing dukes of hazzard style jump through mid air. When we landed I lost control & did a slow spin into a telegraph pole on the other side of the road.

The pole came through the back door & crushed my mate into the dash. He was trapped & it took the rescue guys about half an hour to get him out.

He was badly injured & had internal injuries, broken ribs, sternum, pelvis & leg & a large cut to his head that he lost alot of blood from. As for me I got away scott free from injuries but that sight has scared me for life.

Then I went to hospital & visited him whch was almost as bad. Having to front my parents & his family. I can tell you that your not the hero then, that you thought you would be when you put the foot down.

I ended up getting charged with Aggrivated Dangerious Driving Occasioning in Grevious Bodily Harm & got scentanced to 3 years (2 years non parol) Periodic Detention & 18 months loss of licence. But because of the time it takes to go through court it was 5 years from the accident that everything was over.

This sort of thing affects all aspects of your life, for the rest of your life. Its something that you cant forget & now I have a criminal record, I went to NZ for a holiday & I got locked up overnight while they worked out if I could visit or not. It also affects the jobs that I can get, insurance, etc

Please dont put your family, friends & yourself through this for a quick thrill

Here are the pics:-
Before

After

93EB_SXR6 · 08-08-2011, 01:29 AM

You are lucky nobody else was seriously hurt or killed.
People like you probably don't deserve to hold a license.

thedutchman92 · 08-08-2011, 02:04 AM

thanks for the insight mate, Being on my green Ps its good to hear a sobering story here and there to keep me in check. Preach about it to others and it will clear your conscience.

fmc351 · 08-08-2011, 02:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Neale

After

So exactly how unhappy were your folks, or were they just glad everyone was alright, at least that day anyway.

Im assuming your mate recovered alright?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Professor_Evans

You are lucky nobody else was seriously hurt or killed.
People like you probably don't deserve to hold a license.

If he came on here telling us all how awesome it was, and how cool he is, Id agree. But given the epiphany the event has given him, thats a bit harsh mate.

thedutchman92 · 08-08-2011, 02:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fmc351

So exactly how unhappy were your folks, or were they just glad everyone was alright, at least that day anyway.

Im assuming your mate recovered alright?

If he came on here telling us all how awesome it was, and how cool he is, Id agree. But given the epiphany the event has given him, thats a bit harsh mate.

Agree entirely, don't flame someone for coming on here and telling his story so that others may live. lesson learned, case closed IMO

The Monty · 08-08-2011, 05:52 AM

All these people that come into the thread and say things like you dont deserve a license etc, blow me away, The pretend they have never spun the tyres in the wet, or chirped a tyre in the dry, or gone 101 in a 100 zone.
Good on you for coming on and talking about it, and realising what you have done and tried to learn from it.
We have ALL done stupid things a some stage in our driving career, Ive had my close calls, and all you can do is learn from it.

jpd80 · 08-08-2011, 06:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Monty

All these people that come into the thread and say things like you dont deserve a license etc, blow me away, The pretend they have never spun the tyres in the wet, or chirped a tyre in the dry, or gone 101 in a 100 zone.
Good on you for coming on and talking about it, and realising what you have done and tried to learn from it.
We have ALL done stupid things a some stage in our driving career, Ive had my close calls, and all you can do is learn from it.

I agree the knee jerk reactions and comments have to be controlled and constructive.

I had my reality check around 20 years ago but before that I was one of the biggest insane rats
you'd ever see on the road, back then the weapon of choice was a hot 351 XD. Fortunately for me,
I woke up one day, grew up and started acting responsibly on the road and what changed my driving habits?

The company I worked for supplied me with a new diesel ute, after driving that for a few weeks, I noticed that
driving the XD became more pleasurable without acting in an antisocial way. So my reformation didn't come
in the form of a major event, it was a change of mind.

I believe that it is possible for people to change but the change has to come from within
and not because your ride is broken or because someone took your license away.

I live in hope that more people will eventually grow up, the number of dangerous acts
I see on the road every day is down right staggering, a lot of it springs from arrogance.
For me the best response is to let them go and chill out.........

Bucknaked · 08-08-2011, 07:17 AM

I'm curious, if he had of hit that woman and put her into hospital or 6 feet under the ground, would there be so many people to offer their support to the OP? It's great mate. You've realised what you did was wrong. Just a shame that woman had to die to help with your dose of reality. Maybe it was her fault for being there intereupting a ripper skid.

I do think it's great that you have realised their could have been some pretty bad consequences to what you did. It could have gone the other way, and not only would you have screwed up your entire life, but the lives of that woman and her family if you had collected her. Reality has a away of smacking you so hard in the face, that somedays it's better just to stay in bed.

But I am glad that no-one was hurt and you now realise that what you did was wrong and you admit it.

fmc351 · 08-08-2011, 07:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bucknaked

I'm curious, if he had of hit that woman and put her into hospital or 6 feet under the ground, would there be so many people to offer their support to the OP? It's great mate. You've realised what you did was wrong. Just a shame that woman had to die to help with your dose of reality. Maybe it was her fault for being there intereupting a ripper skid.

I do think it's great that you have realised their could have been some pretty bad consequences to what you did. It could have gone the other way, and not only would you have screwed up your entire life, but the lives of that woman and her family if you had collected her. Reality has a away of smacking you so hard in the face, that somedays it's better just to stay in bed.

But I am glad that no-one was hurt and you now realise that what you did was wrong and you admit it.

I think the focus is that she didnt get collected, and Im aware thats pure dumb luck on the OPs behalf and sheer good luck on hers. She wasnt hurt, and the OP has woken up, to a degree he wants to pass that on so others dont something similar. If he did hurt her, or worse, yep youre right, no sympathy, and good luck dont drop the soap.

mcnews · 08-08-2011, 08:31 AM

Good on you for owning up. Most of us have all done some seriously crazy stuff way beyond what you got up to, but got away with it, earlier in life and it is always good to survive your sillier years :-)

ltd · 08-08-2011, 09:30 AM

The car did its job, you were spared and luckily for you, the car missed any innocent pedestrian.
I hope you've learned a lesson and whilst contrite now, I hope you do take heed of what has happened and always remember how quickly things can get ugly.
If this does change your behaviour and respect for the laws of physics with regard to driving, then this has been a very worth while experience. In fact, this experience may have already saved your life in the future.

GT-Pete · 08-08-2011, 09:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by XARATE

A few photos would help us understand the extent of the accident and shock us young ones

+1 when you have recovered

ch33z1l · 08-08-2011, 09:49 AM

I agree with what everyone else is saying. As for learning your lesson, that is really up to how you drive from this point onward. I am coming from a similar position and am a fair bit older now. I am now seeing red platers driving around like idiots, and think to myself...WHAT WAS I THINKING!

R1XSTA · 08-08-2011, 10:13 AM

It can also happen at any time, at any speed.

I was on my learners, had a full car in my VS commo. Thought we were the top ****, had the subs pumping.. Was going to a friends house, driving around.. Came to wide street near a train station where they had been extending the carpark, it was raining and mud was all over the road.

I was too busy talking with the people in the car and not focusing 100% on the road, took this corner at about 40k/ph. (it was a wide corner, probably 2 trucks wide ((dead straight))) and the car started sliding on the mud.

Had no idea how to react to it, slammed my brakes and smacked into a gutter and narrowly missed a power pole by about a side mirror length.

I had a full car, and there would have been some serious injuries from it. Unfortunately my partner then and still now recieved a broken arm.

She has multiple screws and plates in her arm, and have i learnt from it.

Bloody oath i have, it scars the hell out of me. and i live with the sight everyday!

mytgxl · 08-08-2011, 12:07 PM

Firstly I want to thank you falcon force for putting this story up!

I`m glad to see no one else got hurt, because you would have to live with it the rest of your life, Your the one thats sore because you needed to learn a lesson! & no I`m not beating up on you! because I was one of these people that needed to learn the same lesson! And yes, I learn`t it the same way! After reading your story it has just made me feel so ashamed of myself all over again. And yes I deserve to feel this way too!
For what I put my wife,child & rest of my family through! Not to mention who else I could have killed too & becoming very close to killing myself in the process.

If this also can save just 1 person from doing something stupid in a car on the road it will be worth what I`m feeling right now! Hence my avitar!

NAK302 · 08-08-2011, 12:19 PM

people are people and will never change..............until it happens to them

i'm glad you never hurt any innocents

mytgxl · 08-08-2011, 12:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GT-0733

people are people and will never change..............until it happens to them

i'm glad you never hurt any innocents

But I did, the people that love me the most.My family.

MAD · 08-08-2011, 12:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by GT-0733

people are people and will never change..............until it happens to them

i'm glad you never hurt any innocents

That is 100% correct.

This is why I say education is king. Not everyone needs to experience something to learn from it. Many peope understand the consequences and choose not to try it in the first place. I learned my 'lesson' though education rather than experience.

If there is education you have a chance to change the actions of many people. If you dont have education you have ZERO chance to change anyone.

Zero_PSI · 08-08-2011, 12:33 PM

That's the problem with burnouts etc. When you're wheels are spinning at 160k's and they suddenly grab traction, you're gonna eat ****

Good to see you're okay though man. I learnt the hard way too. Smashed my Skyline into a gutter drifting like a tool on public roads. Secretly, I'm still a hoon. But more in the sense of giving it a squirt here and there rather than throwing burnouts and trying to drift every decent corner.

FGII-XR6 · 08-08-2011, 01:09 PM

Even though I don't like to see anyone get hurt It's probably the wake up call you needed. Good on you for seeing where you went wrong. I lucky I never ended up in your situation.
I have done my fair share of stupid things and I have been lucky not to end up like you or worse. I live to tell the tale but don't moralise when I see someone like you who has stuffed up but took the lesson onboard.
I wish you a speedy recovery from you injuries but I also hope you carry the memory and the message with you for life.
To those of you being critical think of your own stupid behaviour at some time in the past like me you have been lucky. This guy doesn't need your criticism he need all our moral support, he came on here to spread the message to others not to be stupid on the road , and for that he shows strong character so lighten up.