Car Wrecks

Yesterday, I had a meeting in Newberg, and I hopped on 240 on my way there. It is a 55 mile an hour zone. I had heard that it was icy out, but my car said it was almost 40 degrees, and I tested my brakes on the road several times. I had good traction, so I had no reason to worry.

I was zooming along heading to the meeting, and there was a man standing on the side of the road waving his arms frantically. First I thought he needed help, then I saw that he was telling me to slow down. I was just before a curve, and I slowed to 30 miles an hour. As soon as I rounded the curve, I saw what happened. There had been a car wreck, and there were cars all over the road. There was a car that was at a dead stop in the road 100 yards ahead of me, so I tried to slow down.

ONLY, my car wouldn't stop. My brakes locked up and I couldn't press them at all. I couldn't put the car off the road because it was a river right along the road. As I pulled up closer and closer to the truck, sure I was going to hit it, I finally threw on the emergency brake just in time to stop.

I got out of the car, and I was standing on pure, solid ice. I ran over to the new wreck, the ambulance was not there yet. The lady's car was upside down. The people there before me pulled her out and had her covered. She looked like she was going to be fine. I helped flag traffic down and got the ambulance there to the scene. I then headed back home. Slowly.

We have anti lock breaks on our car, but they did lock up, what is that all about? I think I handled the situation very sanely though. It did freak me out a little.