Valkyre

Freeway Follies

Yesterday afternoon was so fun... Not! When I pick up Jeren and Teresa from school, I take the freeway home. (12 miles). Yesterday, I get on at the usual ramp and there is an immediate back-up. Oh oh.... This is not your normal rush hour stop and go. I knew immediately that there had been an accident. I turn on the radio to a local AM channel that gives traffic reports every 20 minutes. They run through a list of all the back ups on local freeways. And on the Harbor Freeway, a two vehicle collision at 220th St. is blocking the two right lanes with the back-up going all the way to Anaheim street..... Of, course that was where I had entered the freeway. I was about 30 blocks away from the collision. And, of course, I am in one of the right lanes that will be affected. I can't move over to the left because I am surrounded by Semis leaving the harbor with their trailers full. I debate getting off at the next off ramp, figuring I could take surface streets home. Everyone had the same idea. That was clogged with the traffic backed up off the off ramp and onto the freeway. I nix that idea. Suddenly, I see cars parting up ahead. It would be kind of early, but maybe this was the accident? Nope..... It seems that a Ford Taurus wagon had broke down in the number 2 lane. A Chevy Surburban pulled up to help. Common sense would have told me to use the SUV to push the Taurus over to the side, right? The traffic was moving slow enough that you could have signaled to people what you wanted to do and they would have let you through..... Nope. The SUV pulled diagonally across a couple of lanes and was giving the Taurus a JUMP right in the middle of the freeway!!!! Okay, we creep past that. And, I manage to squeeze over into the number 3 lane. Further ahead, there is more activity near the number 1 lane. Okay, that's off to the left, but maybe the traffic reporter was wrong. Nope. In the left "break down lane" a Ford Expedition had been rear ended by a compact car. The Ford SUV lost this one. A very angry woman was gesturing at the back of the Ford which was now caved in and the rear bumper was broken off and laying uselessly in the street. That wasn't it. Finally, creep past 220th St. and still no accident. Several minutes later, I see cones off to the right. They are merging traffic from the number 4 lane into the number 3. I see a CHP car, a tow truck. And, then..... A Chevy Surburban that folded like an accordian. The frame had to be bent. The front end was pointing up into the air. The roof was rippled and every piece of glass in that thing was broken. The rear end was about a foot off the ground with the axle broken and the wheel hanging at an odd angle. He must have tangled with one of the Semis, that's the only thing I can figure out. I never did see the other vehicle. After we pass that mess, the freeway speed picks up again and things go smoothly after that. It took us an hour to get home, instead of the usual 25 minutes.