Big bad boom

I'm going to bed now, but a little while ago there was a major wreck in front of our house - as best as I can tell from the sound and debris the initial impact was just by the pizza place across the street and the impact was so fast that the two cars involved careened about 40-50 meters down from there. The first car was t-boned by a much faster-moving sedan, which was a total wreck with severe injuries. The driver was hurt and I suspect drunk as well. His passenger was not as lucky. I believe she is alive as I type this, but there was a big head-shaped hole in the windshield where she was catapulted into it. Frankly, I wouldn't be surprised to read in tomorrow's paper that she didn't make it. I hope I'm wrong.

When we heard the boom, I was upstairs getting ready for bed, and Jane was watching the news downstairs. I jumped into a pair of shorts as she called 911 - fast as she was she wasn't even the first caller. I ran out in case I could be useful, and much of the neighborhood had the same idea. I had to go about three houses down to get there and there was already a crowd, with the cops arriving at record speed. Also, one of the utility poles got taken partially out, complicating things. When I saw that I decided it was time to head back.

As a side note, ever since one crash I saw back in my Norwood commuting days, I've always carried an extinguisher in my car.

Anyhow, the sad thing here is that a person may well be dead, and if that's the case it was because of the lack of a seat belt. If people would be smart enough to drive sober, wear seat belts, and not drive too damn fast in the first place the roads would be a much safer place. And since both Jane and I are people who spend a lot of time in cars for a living, I really don't think that's too much to ask of society.