BajaNomad

wear your seat belts!!!!! Drive slowly!!!

marv sherrill - 5-3-2007 at 05:36 PM

We left home in LA Bay yesterday (after a month of wind ) about 1 O'clock heading for the Baja Cactus - we had just passed Agua Amarga and the dry lake bed to the right when a small passenger car came around the corner 50 yards in front of us, and looked like it was just going to sail off the 80 foot cliff to the lake bottom below - the driver tried to compensate - over steered - the car became airborn - flipping in the air - hit the ground rolled 6-7 times and came to a rest as it smashed into the hillside about 20 feet in front of our truck - upside down - I quickly rushed to the car- told Gail to stay in the truck as I figured no one could survive this - With one side of the car compressed together, only the passeger window was available for rescue - I helped out "Brenda" through the window - totally panicked understandably - but just a few minor cuts! - Dan then crawled out, followed by three others! One of the ladies felt dizzy and sore in the neck and back but we stabilized her and sent the first car to stop by to town to get an ambulance - no major injuries and only 2 of the 5 actually had cuts!! I have never seen such a sight - don't want to again - but they were all wearing seat belts!!! They were a survey-communications team coming to LA bay headed by Francisco Daniel Vargas Ugarte. If I were 30 seconds faster it would have been a T-bone and over the cliff for us - so remember - good judgement comes from experience - but most experiences come from bad judgement. slow dow- you'll get there sometime....

Bajalover - 5-3-2007 at 05:51 PM

Wow, Marv. One scarey situation. Glad that you were 30 seconds slow. Agree that many drive much too fast for their own good. One month of wind - my oh my! Sure hope some of the Hacienda had walls facing the wind allowing for at least some comforting times.

DianaT - 5-3-2007 at 05:53 PM

Boy, you are all very lucky---It is really great that evidently no one was seriously injured.

Seems like we see at least one car accident every time we go, and always at least one overturned truck. During Semana Santa we saw a really bad one with a big truck and car involved. We didn't stop as there were several others there along with the police, and ambulance.

A couple of weeks later, we were down there again, and noticed 3 new crosses at that place.

As you say, seat belts and slow down----we also are always passed by not only some locals going waaaaaaaaay too fast, but by some crazy gringos.

David K - 5-3-2007 at 05:56 PM

Seems every time we go down the Hwy. 2-D grade past La Rumorosa another semi has gone over...

Is there no driver's training or truck driver skill certification required? Since there are no scales, overloading is permitted too!

Glad you and Gail are okay...

[Edited on 5-4-2007 by David K]

Halboo - 5-3-2007 at 07:03 PM

Quote:

Wear your seat belts!!!!! Drive slowly!!!

Amen!!

jerry - 5-3-2007 at 07:20 PM

possibly the fack that so many people tightly packed in a little car has some saving graces too?? hence sardines;