These Separate, Scary Accidents in Maine and New Hampshire Serve as a Good Reminder
Not to sound cliche or like a helicopter parent (although I fully admit that I've realized I totally am one when it comes to my dog Remy -- which is an entirely different article in itself), but things can happen in the blink of an eye.
I saw that in person right in front of my face the other day while I was driving on Route 28 in Windham, New Hampshire. I was actually visiting my mother for the weekend and we were just coming back from running errands when the two cars in front of us were involved in a fender bender right in front of the Shell Gas Station.
Thankfully, outside of being shaken up, everyone seemed uninjured. But here's where the first reminder (outside of the earlier mentioned "things can happen in the blink of an eye") comes in -- you literally never know what someone is going through.
After seeing the crash happen right in front of me, I pulled over to the side of the road and started calling 9-1-1 while my mother, who works in the medical field, started getting out of my truck to make sure everyone was okay. Except, as I was rolling to a stop, I saw something unexpected.
One of the passengers in the car that was rear-ended (pretty hard, mind you, since the entire bumper was sitting on the road in front of me) ran out into the road and kicked the driver's side door of the car that rear-ended them.
It turns out that passenger suffered from autism. That doesn't excuse the fact he kicked the driver's side door, but since autistic patients benefit from structure and routine (according to Therapeutic Pathways), that was clearly thrown out of whack by an unexpected accident.
Add to the fact the guilt and worry he had that he was then going to be arrested for kicking the driver's side door of the car that rear-ended him, as well as the worry of the woman with him, and again, you just never know what someone is going through.
Now, let's flash forward to yesterday, when I witnessed another scary sight -- an accident involving a motorcycle right in front of the Cumbies on Route 1 in Brunswick, Maine.
And the reminder for this accident is actually two-fold. With the nicer (kind of, since it's been raining for what feels like forever lately) finally back in Northern New England, more and more motorcycles are on the major roads and highways, and it's important to double and triple-check for them.
BUT. At the same time. And for clarification, I'm not saying that the motorcycle accident that happened yesterday was the cyclist's fault -- I have no idea who was at fault or even what happened.
But I will say that there's been plenty of times on both highways, major roadways, and even backroads, that motorcyclists have driven like absolute dinks. Cutting it close with their weaving in and out of lanes or even riding between lanes -- while everyone needs to give extra attention and caution when it comes to motorcycles being on the road, cyclists also have to exhibit that same attention and caution.
Stay safe, friends!