Flash
Thud !!!
...... again!
...a more louder one ...
... THUD !!
....and then a long screech !!
trees zipping by very quick ...
and then the car left the road !
The four of us were returning from a week long road trip to Sydney , which was a much needed break from the only two worlds we experience on the other days - Univ and work.
We had driven all the way from Melbourne to Sydney, taking the coastal route, which covered almost 1200 kms and 4 days. The objective - visit Sydney on new years eve and watch the fireworks display at 00:00hrs of the first day of the new year. The drive to Sydney was the best with stops at various beaches and other attractions. For the record we were also stopped by cops who fined Francis (the maniacal driver. yes maniacal. u'll know why.) for doing 160kmph on an 80kmph stretch.
Above - They caught up with us . And below- Francis being fined 600 bucks. 
31st night was tiresome. We had to stand on the pier opposite to the HarbourBridge for 6hours ( 6pm till midnight) so that we had to reserve a place to watch the fireworks amidst a million people, from different parts of the world ( so they say). A pic from that situation : 
The fireworks was spectacular though creating high levels of pollution, if we have to look at the dark side . But it was a high price to pay for 40 mins of mega fireworks . Our legs were in great pain after that 6+ hour 'standoff' between us and the fireworks. No place to sit either. Elderly people were seated near our 'pieds'. We hadn't eaten anything since we couldn't leave the place as we would lose it.
The fireworks started up at 00:00hrs. It smoked till almost 00:50.
It was around 2:30am, first day of the new year, when we reached our hotel tired and all drained out. We had to leave early in the morning. So we all slept hoping to catch atleast 5 hours of sleep. It would be 9hrs drive back to Melbourne.
Everyone ( except me) woke up at 8 and got ready. I insisted, in my sleep, that we rest for another 2 hours, which obviously fell on deaf ears.
So here we were, rest-less from the new years eve 'one-night-stand' , and on our way back to Melbourne, which was goin to be another loooong drive.
Not long into the journey everyone (except the driver - Francis), fell asleep again. He had put on the CD player so that he wouldn't sleep. I knew that it was only me who had slept well as after a couple of mins I was wide awake and clicking away some pictures.
The realisation, that the other three didn't have enough sleep, came late. VERY VERY LATE !
I was seated behind the driver, Francis, and Bhargav behind the passenger, Sandeep. I was taking pictures of the road in front, (you can see the bush in the right part of the picture below)
It all happened in a FLASH.
The car was on cruise control and was doing a 100kmph. For an instant, all others except me had slept. And by saying 'all others' I mean even the driver. :O
YES ! Francis, who was behind the wheel, with the cruise control switched on, dozed off in an instant. I didn't notice until there was a loud Thud ! I knew something was wrong. And then another one. even louder. THUD !! and a Bang.
Everything happened so quick. there was a long screech. I could see trees zipping past. Before I realised what was happening , the car left the road. I said only two words. 'Oh s**t !'
Picture this - One of the most powerful cars, Ford Falcon XR6, doing a 100kmph, on a highway with the driver dozing behind the wheel. The next instant the car swevering off the road and entering the road side bush like a Batmobile. Looks like an ad for a road safety program ? Not likely.
The car entered the bush (shown in picture above) on the right which was like a barrier between the two highways. Everyone were now wide awake and terrified !
The car bounced high up once it hit rough land. Thats when the airbags inflated. Now the fun began. Not really :D. As the airbags blocked the view in front we couldn't see where the car was headed. Francis tried applying the brakes but in vain. As the car was on the grass it was sliding away without slowing down.
WHAM !! The glass cracked at the instant the first tree hit the front of the car. The whole car jerked very hard . I was thinkin how much G forces might have hit us and I was actually looking at Bhargav who had become pale and it looked like as though he had fused with the seat and was sinking into it.
In the front, Sandeep and Francis, terrified, were desperately trying to pluck at the huge airbags which had now deflated and was all over the front seat.
As one by one the car started hitting the small trees it began bouncing very hard and slowing down. I was hoping that the car wouldn't cross the bush and get to the other higway and into the oncoming traffic.
I was amazed at the sudden reflexes of our body and how it could react to any kinda situation. Adrenalin was high and I was never this alert. My mind was recording each and every moment. My whole body was ready to face the worst. Eyes steady and ears sharp. And I was unusually calm.
The car finally came to a stop after approx. 6 seconds and at a distance of around 200 meters from where it went off the road. We all looked at each other. We sat in the car for about a minute shaking. An then we got down.
We were unhurt. Only Francis had suffered a bruise and was bleeding where his hand had hit the airbag opening. Yes amazingly and miraculously not a single scratch and not a single sprain on any of us ! That was overwhelming. I sat on the ground beside the car which was now wedged into the bush, perpendicular to the road. It was then I realised that I was shaking. My hands were trembling. The feeling that ran through me at that time ,no it wasn't shock. never before I was so humbled. I closed my eyes and remembered people close to my heart. I realised that only seconds ago all of it would have been over.
The car wedged in the bush :
The disfigured car (which saved us):
A passing car had stopped and the people inside offered us water and some first aid. Within minutes the police and the fire brigade arrived and towed the car away. We then flew back to Melbourne in the evening.
This is another true event , which has made me more grateful and humble for this life that has been given to me, without which I wouldn't know how it could all be gone in a few seconds of senseless foolishness.
Live life to the full today! You never know whats gonna happen tomorrow.
...... again!
...a more louder one ...
... THUD !!
....and then a long screech !!
trees zipping by very quick ...
and then the car left the road !
The four of us were returning from a week long road trip to Sydney , which was a much needed break from the only two worlds we experience on the other days - Univ and work.
We had driven all the way from Melbourne to Sydney, taking the coastal route, which covered almost 1200 kms and 4 days. The objective - visit Sydney on new years eve and watch the fireworks display at 00:00hrs of the first day of the new year. The drive to Sydney was the best with stops at various beaches and other attractions. For the record we were also stopped by cops who fined Francis (the maniacal driver. yes maniacal. u'll know why.) for doing 160kmph on an 80kmph stretch.
Above - They caught up with us . And below- Francis being fined 600 bucks. 
31st night was tiresome. We had to stand on the pier opposite to the HarbourBridge for 6hours ( 6pm till midnight) so that we had to reserve a place to watch the fireworks amidst a million people, from different parts of the world ( so they say). A pic from that situation : 
The fireworks was spectacular though creating high levels of pollution, if we have to look at the dark side . But it was a high price to pay for 40 mins of mega fireworks . Our legs were in great pain after that 6+ hour 'standoff' between us and the fireworks. No place to sit either. Elderly people were seated near our 'pieds'. We hadn't eaten anything since we couldn't leave the place as we would lose it.The fireworks started up at 00:00hrs. It smoked till almost 00:50.
It was around 2:30am, first day of the new year, when we reached our hotel tired and all drained out. We had to leave early in the morning. So we all slept hoping to catch atleast 5 hours of sleep. It would be 9hrs drive back to Melbourne.
Everyone ( except me) woke up at 8 and got ready. I insisted, in my sleep, that we rest for another 2 hours, which obviously fell on deaf ears.
So here we were, rest-less from the new years eve 'one-night-stand' , and on our way back to Melbourne, which was goin to be another loooong drive.
Not long into the journey everyone (except the driver - Francis), fell asleep again. He had put on the CD player so that he wouldn't sleep. I knew that it was only me who had slept well as after a couple of mins I was wide awake and clicking away some pictures.
The realisation, that the other three didn't have enough sleep, came late. VERY VERY LATE !
I was seated behind the driver, Francis, and Bhargav behind the passenger, Sandeep. I was taking pictures of the road in front, (you can see the bush in the right part of the picture below)
It all happened in a FLASH.
The car was on cruise control and was doing a 100kmph. For an instant, all others except me had slept. And by saying 'all others' I mean even the driver. :O
YES ! Francis, who was behind the wheel, with the cruise control switched on, dozed off in an instant. I didn't notice until there was a loud Thud ! I knew something was wrong. And then another one. even louder. THUD !! and a Bang.
Everything happened so quick. there was a long screech. I could see trees zipping past. Before I realised what was happening , the car left the road. I said only two words. 'Oh s**t !'
Picture this - One of the most powerful cars, Ford Falcon XR6, doing a 100kmph, on a highway with the driver dozing behind the wheel. The next instant the car swevering off the road and entering the road side bush like a Batmobile. Looks like an ad for a road safety program ? Not likely.
The car entered the bush (shown in picture above) on the right which was like a barrier between the two highways. Everyone were now wide awake and terrified !
The car bounced high up once it hit rough land. Thats when the airbags inflated. Now the fun began. Not really :D. As the airbags blocked the view in front we couldn't see where the car was headed. Francis tried applying the brakes but in vain. As the car was on the grass it was sliding away without slowing down.
WHAM !! The glass cracked at the instant the first tree hit the front of the car. The whole car jerked very hard . I was thinkin how much G forces might have hit us and I was actually looking at Bhargav who had become pale and it looked like as though he had fused with the seat and was sinking into it.
In the front, Sandeep and Francis, terrified, were desperately trying to pluck at the huge airbags which had now deflated and was all over the front seat.
As one by one the car started hitting the small trees it began bouncing very hard and slowing down. I was hoping that the car wouldn't cross the bush and get to the other higway and into the oncoming traffic.
I was amazed at the sudden reflexes of our body and how it could react to any kinda situation. Adrenalin was high and I was never this alert. My mind was recording each and every moment. My whole body was ready to face the worst. Eyes steady and ears sharp. And I was unusually calm.
The car finally came to a stop after approx. 6 seconds and at a distance of around 200 meters from where it went off the road. We all looked at each other. We sat in the car for about a minute shaking. An then we got down.
We were unhurt. Only Francis had suffered a bruise and was bleeding where his hand had hit the airbag opening. Yes amazingly and miraculously not a single scratch and not a single sprain on any of us ! That was overwhelming. I sat on the ground beside the car which was now wedged into the bush, perpendicular to the road. It was then I realised that I was shaking. My hands were trembling. The feeling that ran through me at that time ,no it wasn't shock. never before I was so humbled. I closed my eyes and remembered people close to my heart. I realised that only seconds ago all of it would have been over.
The car wedged in the bush :
The disfigured car (which saved us):
A passing car had stopped and the people inside offered us water and some first aid. Within minutes the police and the fire brigade arrived and towed the car away. We then flew back to Melbourne in the evening.
This is another true event , which has made me more grateful and humble for this life that has been given to me, without which I wouldn't know how it could all be gone in a few seconds of senseless foolishness.
Live life to the full today! You never know whats gonna happen tomorrow.
