A photo from open sources
Some twenty years ago I was in a hurry for my sister’s birthday of his wife. I had to get to Volgograd from the village, breaking approximately 150 kilometers. Reaching the Moscow highway -Volgograd, in the area of the city of Frolovo, I began to wait for a bus. Yes only public transport not only rarely traveled, but also in Saturday was so crowded with passengers that it didn’t even stayed. Realizing that I risk missing a birthday, I became slow down the ride. After several failed attempts to me, finally, he picked up a KamAZ-bitumen truck with a long barrel-tank. Till we went, I dozed off. I don’t know how much time has passed, but in at one point my light sleep disturbed the screech of brakes. KamAZ sharply slowed down so I rested with both hands on the front panel cabins. A tractor “Belarus” flashed very close to the right with excavator bucket behind. It turned out that the tractor driver left adjoining the right road and was in our path. To brake it was already too late, because the mass of our car along with the load amounted to more than 30 tons. Trying to avoid a blow, KamAZ left to the left, but there on the opposite side approached the white “Lada”. Then the driver KamAZ turned back right to its lane and rushed straight on the excavator bucket. All this happened, probably in less than a couple of seconds. And suddenly in my head there was a loud clear order: – The blow will be the top! Lie down! Without hesitation, I slipped from the passenger seat down and almost touching the head of the driver’s legs, sprawled on the floor. The next instant there was a terrible roar. The bucket went straight to that part of the car where I was sitting. Me threw forward and then back … And then something happened fantastic. Everything around has slowed down, as happens when viewing movie by frame. Shards of a windshield fluttered in the air and slowly settled like snowflakes in calm weather, smoothly covering everything inside the cab with a sparkling layer. Above me like paper, slowly crushed metal cabin. My body is equally slowly, centimeter by centimeter, slid across the floor. Those 30-40 centimeters that separated the front wall of the cab from the seat, I overcame a couple of minutes. It all looked super-unreal! Generally in at that moment a feeling of some euphoria seized me. There was no fear at all! And only when my hip touched the seat did the world suddenly become the same. A sharp pain pierced his side. Remains of thorns showered from above particles of glass, slightly scratching my face. KamAZ froze. Looking up, I realized what was waiting for me, do not fall to the floor, – the top part of the cabin at the level of my head was completely crumpled. The car door on my right side barely rested on the bottom loop, sagging down to the asphalt. I glanced at the driver. That was whiter than chalk, but intact – not a scratch. Its half cabin bucket is not touched. – Well done, thank you! If you didn’t manage it, it could be worse, ”I encouraged the driver. -I’m probably not here do you need? And then I can’t be late. – No, no, not needed! – shook that head. – In addition, I am forbidden to carry passengers. – Well, then i went. Thanks again! I crawled out for some reason the driver. It seems that my side now seemed to me completely scary. Feeling almost a superhero, I jumped from car steps on the asphalt, shook off the windows, took his bag with things. I noticed dozens of tractor leftovers meters from the road in the field. He also got it. “Belarus” more it was like a pile of crumpled metal with a tail of the remains of a bucket. The most amazing thing is that the tractor driver survived. He was already approaching us. There were no bruises or abrasions on it. I noted that he is very drunk. – Wait! he shouted to me. – Where to? Witness you will! – Yes, you went! – I threw him, barely restraining myself so as not to to say more. In addition, there were plenty of witnesses. After all many cars stopped on the road at the sight of an accident. Through a few minutes the passenger car picked me up. I hit her passengers the story of just experienced. And another five minutes later a feeling the euphoria that gripped me during the accident suddenly disappeared and me began to beat a nervous tremor. Well, after an hour I got safely to Volgograd and even had a birthday. I still I wonder what kind of power saved me from imminent death. Yuri Aleksandrovich SKORIKOV, Volgograd
Drivers Time
