Cruel, Cruel World…. well, sort of.

[Duckitude]

Hi: For your consideration — a case of survival of the fittest. Had a total transmission failure (still to be diagnosed) last night on 99 South just as I was moving up the incline to the West Seattle on ramp (you know, that crazy little area where there is the Harbor Island off-ramp AND the West Seattle on ramp right together).

No ability to move the van at all, so it coasted to a stop at about 8:15 p.m. in the right lane at the top of the incline about 300 feet north of the on ramp to West Seattle. All emergency lights on and operating…

And, then sat there watching and waiting for someone to rear-end me. You may or may not know that section of 99, but IMHO, you are guaranteed to get nailed if you have an emergency and have to sit in the right-hand lane. Speeding, tail-gating, cutting-in — the name of that area’s game.

So, of course, after about 2 minutes sitting there, well, like a sitting duck as they say, I got nailed by two inattentive drivers. I mean you can see the top of that incline from thousands of feet away and you can see emergency lights from thousands of feet away…

My minivan is disabled and can’t be moved, I can’t coast back into traffic and try to let it coast backwards up onto the little side zone that exists on 99 in that area before the incline starts, and there is no way it can be pushed up hill by several people.

At any rate, the two idiots who nailed me and each other, obviously, weren’t paying attention. So, what do they do? They were able to move their cars around me to in front of me… making me the last car again, protecting THEM from any further rear ending and let me sit there again, waiting for the next hit.

Nice people. Yah, would I have done that, maybe. But maybe not. Both of them eventually exited to West Seattle. I can give license plates, but won’t. Self-centered jerk offs as far as I am concerned. Hit me, then set me up for another hit.

So, I exited my car and went up 300 feet away. There was no way I was going to sit there waiting for the next hit, while the police and fire crews take more than 45 minutes to respond. I had called them on my cell phone within seconds of setting the emergency lights and coasting to a stop as close to the west 99 ramp wall as possible.

I chose not to talk to the other drivers at all. If I had, it would have been disastrous. I would have been pulling them out and throwing them off the bridge… thanks for nothing people!

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[Yardvark]

Wow. I can’t imagine they were too happy with you either. Probably best that y’all didn’t chat.

While I understand your anger, I shouldn’t need to remind you that you were actually the one to set up the obstacle course even if you did it accidentally.

It’s really lucky that noone seemed to be seriously hurt. That coulda been much worse.

Have you sent reccommendations along to the DOT on your experience and how to improve safety on that strip?

I wouldn’t want this to happen to someone else.

Glad you’re still with us, Duckitude.

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[JenV]

Speaking as a former insurance adjuster, the other drivers who hit Duckitude were 100% at fault. There is no blame on Duckitude in this case. He was clearly there to be seen. They didn’t see him, and hit him. No liability on him whatsoever. His car broke down, it’s unfortunate, but there is no reason to place fault on him – from a legal standpoint – at all. The other drivers could TRY to argue contributory negligence, but I can’t see how. It’s not like he just stopped there for no reason. His car broke down in a clearly visible area.

Glad you’re ok, too, Duck.

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[Duckitude]

Hi Yardvark: Not sure how I would have predicted a total transmission failure (no gears, all transmission fluid on the ground) when there were NO signs prior to the failure. Always maintained. I’ll let you know what the diagnosis turns out to be, if you really care… it wasn’t like I ran out of gas…

ALL the fire and police personnel were amazed that I would get rear-ended given how easy it was to see the van’s emergency flashers from thousands of feet away (on the incline). I wasn’t amazed… I know the drivers on that stretch of road really well. It can be insane…

To improve safety there? Probably the only thing would be constant police vigilence with constant speeding tickets. Other than that, only more construction to allow for better access to a safety shoulder…

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[celeste17]

Hi Duckitude aka Ron, glad you are okay. Hope the duckymobile can be saved and repaired. I have been in a simular situation and was lucky that a police car was right there and could push me to safety or else I would have been hit. I hope that the other drivers are given tickets for hitting you and then leaving the scene. I hope they have insurance and that they have to pay for something. I am always scared that I will cause and accident and that I hope I don’t become a crying mess when it happens. You were at no way at fault. You did everything you could.

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[JoB]

duckitude..

I am really glad that being a sitting duck

i couldn’t resist :)))

had such a good outcome for you.

it could have been so much worse.

it’s a good reminder that there is a reason we all need to be paying attention while behind the wheel.

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[Duckitude]

Sitting duck is the word… hmmm… not a fun experience, to put it mildly.

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[miws]

Wow! Glad *you* are okay, Duckitude, but sorry for your van.

It’s incumbent upon drivers to watch for those unexpected situations such as a disabled vehicle, and it’s why I despise the behaviors you described. Excessive speeding, cutting in and out of traffic, tailgaiting, distractive driving.

It’s probably for the best that you didn’t talk to the other drivers. Let the insurance companies fight it out. Assuming these two have insurance.

It might also be helpful to your case to gather any service invoices that you have, to document that your van was regularly maintained, and that the transmission failure was unavoidable.

That’s definitely a bad area. Years ago, when I was a delivery driver (small car), I hated that stretch of continuing south on 99, where the speed limit changes as you drop down onto East Marginal. I agreed with the speed reduction, but those behind me often didn’t, and would be riding my tail. That’s scary and maddening enough while trying to slow down to the reduced limit, but was even worse if that first light turned red as I was approaching.

I think about the scariest part along the entire limited access stretch of 99 is coming out of the Battery St tunnel southbound. When I used to drive it, I’d usually be in the left lane, in case any cars in the right lane were going to exit to Western Av. Drivers doing so, would have to slow down considerably to safely do so.

Being in the left lane though was a bit scary, because of the blind left hand curve. I always imagined a vehicle being stalled there, and not being able to stop safely in time, even though I was driving the speed limit.

Good luck in dealing with the aftermath of this.

Mike

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[jenny12]

Another spot I hate on 99 South is where the Columbia/1st Ave exit enters. There are a just a few car lengths and then

you are into the fast lane.

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[Kevin]

Ron,

I hope you don’t let those two drivers off the hook. You have license plate numbers and they will be up for a hit and run charge, not to mention that their insurance will still have to pay you.

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