[Shotimes] Re: (OT) Near misses... was: Almost lost it, aka death by phone

[D Potter]

I refuse to be thankful for bad things that do not happen. I prefer instead
to be proactive and prevent the possibility of bad happenings.

DP


----- Original Message -----
From: "van Oss" <vanOss@centurytel.net>
To: <KICKINSHO@aol.com>; <jpotter8@bellsouth.net>; <nottingham@alltel.net>;
<shotimes@autox.team.net>
Sent: Sunday, December 15, 2002 12:12 PM
Subject: (OT) Near misses... was: Almost lost it, aka death by phone


> Half a mile from my house is a gravel quarry.  Dump trucks go in and out
of there all the time.  It's up on a river bluff, and the
> entrance/exit road is a steep hill, so jake brakes are required.  Couple
of years ago, a driver carrying a full load down the hill
> failed to stop at the bottom, went straight across the county road, hit a
house (no one was home), and rolled.  Took out the house.
> Driver survived but in a new line of work.
>
> Months ago, I went to a public meeting about the accident.  At the meeting
were the husband and wife who had lived in that house
> (since rebuilt).  They made this point:  Two minutes after the accident
occurred, school buses from Northwoods Elementary were
> rolling down that same county road.  If that gravel truck had come down
two minutes later and broadsided a schoolbus, we wouldn't
> have been meeting in a church basement, but in a courtroom.
>
> Bringing my sons home from school, I drove by that house four minutes
after the accident.  The cops were just arriving.  If the
> driver had tarried at the loading area for one more cigarette (he later
testified he considered it), that truck might have taken out
> my family and me.
>
> We regret the bad stuff that happens.  Let's also be thankful for the bad
stuff that could have happened, but didn't.
>
> Joseph van Oss
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> My only comment on things like this when they happen is directed to the
idiot drivers out there ...