Dang near got ran over in merging traffic

Discussion in 'Road Stories' started by KYSkipper, May 23, 2008.

  1. KYSkipper

    KYSkipper Light Load Member

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    I had to go to Frankfort, KY yesterday for a meeting and was headed back on I-64. Coming into Lexington at the 64/75 East/Southbound I was in the slow lane of I-64 and there was a mud brown Freightliner in the passing lane coming off the I-75 ramp. I know the slow lane and fast lane merge together which is really not safe IMO, I think it'd be safer if the right lane off of 75 ended that way there would only be merging from one direction.

    At any rate, my pickup door was about even with his fuel tank when he started over. I let off of it but he never stopped coming over and by the time I was even with the jackstands, I ended up locking it down creating a mess behind me. I wasn't real sure I could stop fast enough and wasn't certain I'd missed the trailer tires till he got by. I kept waiting to be smacked in the tail an shoved under the trailer, I know the car behind me came one ace of getting hit, the one behind it had to jump lanes quick to avoid it.

    I don't know that the driver ever looked back and I don't know if he saw me or not, but he kept merging over like I wasn't there at all and never broke stride.

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  2. honor roll

    honor roll Road Train Member

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    He might not of saw you it is hard to see 4 wheelers when you are up that high so you need to watch out he might not of had a safe place to go
     
  3. KYSkipper

    KYSkipper Light Load Member

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    I'm fairly sure he didn't see me, and no, none of us had a safe place to go. I had pretty much bumper to bumper traffic in front behind and to the left of me, and of course nobody in the left lane would consider slowing to let me over. It was one of those deals where I just didn't have anywhere to go and I guess neither did he, I couldn't see to the right of him. There was a car in front of me so I couldn't go forward to get past him. Just a bad situation.

    I blame that intersection as much as I blame him. Like I said, the far right lane or far left lane should be the one that merges and ends not 2 lanes in the middle of the road. That way if a situation like that occurred there would always be the shoulder/emergency lane on either side instead of a lane full of traffic.

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  4. elharrison

    elharrison "Iam on my way"

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    how fast were yall going?
     
  5. KYSkipper

    KYSkipper Light Load Member

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    I had my cruise on at 63 and I believe he was right at the same speed. That's why I wasn't in the hammer lane. I was driving my Dodge diesel, and have backed down on the interstate to below 65 to save fuel. Dodge should have put 7 gears in it instead of 6. It gets 18 mpg at 70 mph and 22 to 23 at 63 mph.

    That middle lane just merges there, it's not marked very well and real sudden like. I've come through there many times and never had a problem with it, I do know they've been working on the road out there for almost a year, and something may have changed recently or it was just conjested traffic and we both ended up in the same place at the same time. Honestly, I don't think either one of us was thinking the lane ended like that. I know I was figuring my land and his lane continued and the far right lane would be the one that got shaved off.

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