Had my first-ever car accident this afternoon. My car was rear-ended by a bus! No one was hurt, and the impact only scraped some paint off the right rear corner of my car.
Gotta admit I was in a bit rush in the rush-hour traffic. I was about to steer my car onto the right lane when the brake lights of the car in front flashed on. I hit the brake, and just then, I heard a dull wham in the back. The wham, together with the slight push from behind, made me realize I got hit. I turned and saw the red bus that had just bumped into my car.
Neither of us was driving fast and the angle was luckily not sharp. After I got out and walked to the rear, I was relieved to find out it might just be some paint scratches. I guess the bus driver felt the same when he came out and joined me examining the collision.
Then I walked back to my car, got in and started calling 122 for police. About 5 minutes after my talking to the dispatcher, a policeman arrived on his bike. He parked his bike, took a good look at the collision and then asked for our own descriptions of the accident first. There wasn’t much to say, and what we said separately was hardly any different.
The police officer listened carefully, and after another good look at the collision from a changed angle, he remarked to us that he believed the accident was a mutual-fault thing. He drew our attention to the fact that both vehicles were already over the yellow line a little when the collision happened. So, in his words, both drivers contributed to the accident!
The bus driver and I didn’t argue. We believed he was right. So I got back in my car, drove off to the curb and rejoined the bus driver and the officer. It took no time for the officer to write out the Accident Report and give one copy to each of us. Before he saluted and drove off, he also reminded us to report the accident to our own insurers within 24 hours.
In the end, when I was about to leave the scene, I was almost feeling inside a bit sorry. Yes, sorry, that’s what I felt when I saw the bus was empty except for the driver himself. All the people I saw in it before were all gone, either having changed bus or started taking a long walk.
Such an annoying nuisance to any good Friday night plan they might have for themselves!