My question involves a traffic accident in the state of: Washington
Recently, I was in my first car accident. I was driving through centralia on Black Friday. I could see there was some traffic coming from Tacoma. So everyone and myself were driving around 30-35 MPH. This part of the highway is terrible, only two lanes and narrow.
Anyways, I was driving behind a older car and then all of sudden the driver brakes and swerves to the left (onto the shoulder). There was already another car accident and orange cones on the shoulder. The driver was avoiding to hit the car in front of them by swerving out of the way. The driver obviously was not paying attention to the stopped traffic in front of him, which is why he had to swerve. I watched as he swerved and I was worried to hit the car in front of me, so by instinct I swerve to the right (into another lane but no cars were present). I think I remember counting about 5 seconds and a semi truck comes by and takes out my right tire and scratches up the whole right side of my car badly (luckily no windows were broken and nobody was injured). I don't know a lot about semis but I don't think he should have been going so fast in this type of traffic, but also, I wasn't sure how far behind he was from me.
And fast forward, my car was pulled out of the way by a tow truck. The police officer was already on the shoulder but taking care of another accident (he wasn't watching as my accident was happening) The semi truck pulls over, but the car in front of me left. The semi truck is fine, my car is looking bad. The driver of the semi tries to blame the whole accident on me. The first thing he said was "you can't change lanes over a solid white line".. And all im thinking is that this guy is trying to find any reason to blame me and I was not even trying to switch lanes!! Eventually, I called a tow, my insurance, and the officer takes down both me and the semis information.
The officer seemed like he was really trying to help us out. But before I left with the tow truck. he asks me how I could have avoided this. And all I'm thinking is.. "What... Is this a trick question?? Maybe I should just not be driving?? I don't know" and I told him that I didn't know, or maybe if the car in front of my were paying attention. Then he hands me a ticket for $187 and says its "regulation" or something like that. The ticket was for, "following too close" if I were following too close, I wouldn't have time to brake and swerve. I knew I wasn't following too close.
By then I was angry because I had a broken car and now a ticket. He was nicer than most officers though. He asked me if I had any other violations and he told me the options and that I could always go to court to fight it.
I honestly felt that he just had to blame someone. And it couldn't be the car in front of me because he left. He also mentioned that the car in front left because it wasn't his fault... Which I really don't understand. If the car in front of me payed attention and never swerved, this could have been avoided.
Lastly to mention, I think I had time to brake without hitting the car in front of me, and I don't know why but I had to swerve to the left.
I would like to go to court for this ticket. Any tips on what I should say or what i should prepare for? Also, who's fault was it?? I don't feel that I should blamed but this ticket makes me feel different.
Thank you in advance!
Recently, I was in my first car accident. I was driving through centralia on Black Friday. I could see there was some traffic coming from Tacoma. So everyone and myself were driving around 30-35 MPH. This part of the highway is terrible, only two lanes and narrow.
Anyways, I was driving behind a older car and then all of sudden the driver brakes and swerves to the left (onto the shoulder). There was already another car accident and orange cones on the shoulder. The driver was avoiding to hit the car in front of them by swerving out of the way. The driver obviously was not paying attention to the stopped traffic in front of him, which is why he had to swerve. I watched as he swerved and I was worried to hit the car in front of me, so by instinct I swerve to the right (into another lane but no cars were present). I think I remember counting about 5 seconds and a semi truck comes by and takes out my right tire and scratches up the whole right side of my car badly (luckily no windows were broken and nobody was injured). I don't know a lot about semis but I don't think he should have been going so fast in this type of traffic, but also, I wasn't sure how far behind he was from me.
And fast forward, my car was pulled out of the way by a tow truck. The police officer was already on the shoulder but taking care of another accident (he wasn't watching as my accident was happening) The semi truck pulls over, but the car in front of me left. The semi truck is fine, my car is looking bad. The driver of the semi tries to blame the whole accident on me. The first thing he said was "you can't change lanes over a solid white line".. And all im thinking is that this guy is trying to find any reason to blame me and I was not even trying to switch lanes!! Eventually, I called a tow, my insurance, and the officer takes down both me and the semis information.
The officer seemed like he was really trying to help us out. But before I left with the tow truck. he asks me how I could have avoided this. And all I'm thinking is.. "What... Is this a trick question?? Maybe I should just not be driving?? I don't know" and I told him that I didn't know, or maybe if the car in front of my were paying attention. Then he hands me a ticket for $187 and says its "regulation" or something like that. The ticket was for, "following too close" if I were following too close, I wouldn't have time to brake and swerve. I knew I wasn't following too close.
By then I was angry because I had a broken car and now a ticket. He was nicer than most officers though. He asked me if I had any other violations and he told me the options and that I could always go to court to fight it.
I honestly felt that he just had to blame someone. And it couldn't be the car in front of me because he left. He also mentioned that the car in front left because it wasn't his fault... Which I really don't understand. If the car in front of me payed attention and never swerved, this could have been avoided.
Lastly to mention, I think I had time to brake without hitting the car in front of me, and I don't know why but I had to swerve to the left.
I would like to go to court for this ticket. Any tips on what I should say or what i should prepare for? Also, who's fault was it?? I don't feel that I should blamed but this ticket makes me feel different.
Thank you in advance!
Following Too Closely: I Got in an Accident but Also Got a Ticket
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