Today, in traffic ...

Hi y'all,

Today, I escaped a freak road accident.

Coming home from dropping off yesterday's video rentals, I was going slightly uphill on Old Helshoogte rd.
For those in the know, we drive on the same side of the road as the British, so I was on the left side of the rood way. As I neared a corner I was confronted by a car slowly moving onto my side of the road way from the opposite direction. I was at first certain that the driver would realise his/her error and correct their driving line, so I slowed down a little. When the car kept coming at me, I realised with a shock that it had no driver.

There was another car coming down driving in the correct side of the road, so the only option open to me was to stop, hit reverse gear and try to outrun the runaway vehicle. When the other car got next to the runaway, the driver clearly realised that there no drive in the runaway, and prompt;y slowed down to have a closer look.

At this time the runaway was picking up speed and I did what I could to signal the driver of the other car to either get a move on or stop, while concentrating on my rearview mirror. Luckily, the other driver realised he was making the situation worse, so he stopped. I then had the option of turning onto the opposite side of the road but I chose to hit the brakes change gears and squeeze past the runaway, which by this time was  already climbing  the curb to to my left and had come to rest against a Vibacrete (reinforced concrete) fence. I did not spend time at the scene, but I think the runaway was a Opel Astra which was left in a parking spot further up across the road without the handbrake or the gear being activated.

I escaped this incident without any damage to my car. Thanks to the travelling mercies of our Father in heavan.

Keep your eyes peeled out there!