Bluerauder
08-25-2008, 11:14 AM
The wife and I traveled nearly 600 miles over the weekend. To and from Virginia Beach on Saturday and then to and from Baltimore on Sunday.
There was a real close call on Saturday evening (just before 7 PM) returning from VA Beach on I-64 west near Williamsburg. Traffic was heavy and running about 65-70 MPH. I was in the left lane gradually passing slower traffic in the right lane when all of the sudden a large rock appears in the right hand lane right behind a car trailer. This rock is about 10 pounds or so and is bouncing along the highway right near the white line reaching heights of about 6-7 feet as it rolls and bounces about 5 MPH slower than me.
At each hop, I am holding my breath and waiting for the rock to jump across the dotted white line and into my lane. Traffic in the right lane brakes hard and swerves to avoid the rock. I maintained speed and slid as far left as I could without running off the road. Fortunately, the rock stayed to the right and it was still hopping as I passed -- it came really close – not sure whether anyone sustained any damage but traffic fell far back behind me in the wake of the incident.
Here’s is what I think happened. A pickup truck in the right lane was hauling another pickup truck on a trailer. Since the driver made no attempt to swerve around a rock laying in the road, I suspect that the rock was actually on the trailer and fell off to start it bouncing at more than 60 MPH. It would have never gained that much speed and height if he had kicked it up from the road. Besides, hitting something that size with a wheel would have surely blown a tire. I am guessing that the guy used the rock as a chock block for the pickup he was hauling. The rock shook loose from all the movement and started bouncing down I-64. What an idiot.
The wife and I were fortunate. One bad bounce could have put that rock through the windshield or through the grill with major damage or injury.
BTW – we were in the wife’s ’06 Freestyle Limited. I wonder whether I would have been so cool and calm if it had happened to the MM.
There was a real close call on Saturday evening (just before 7 PM) returning from VA Beach on I-64 west near Williamsburg. Traffic was heavy and running about 65-70 MPH. I was in the left lane gradually passing slower traffic in the right lane when all of the sudden a large rock appears in the right hand lane right behind a car trailer. This rock is about 10 pounds or so and is bouncing along the highway right near the white line reaching heights of about 6-7 feet as it rolls and bounces about 5 MPH slower than me.
At each hop, I am holding my breath and waiting for the rock to jump across the dotted white line and into my lane. Traffic in the right lane brakes hard and swerves to avoid the rock. I maintained speed and slid as far left as I could without running off the road. Fortunately, the rock stayed to the right and it was still hopping as I passed -- it came really close – not sure whether anyone sustained any damage but traffic fell far back behind me in the wake of the incident.
Here’s is what I think happened. A pickup truck in the right lane was hauling another pickup truck on a trailer. Since the driver made no attempt to swerve around a rock laying in the road, I suspect that the rock was actually on the trailer and fell off to start it bouncing at more than 60 MPH. It would have never gained that much speed and height if he had kicked it up from the road. Besides, hitting something that size with a wheel would have surely blown a tire. I am guessing that the guy used the rock as a chock block for the pickup he was hauling. The rock shook loose from all the movement and started bouncing down I-64. What an idiot.
The wife and I were fortunate. One bad bounce could have put that rock through the windshield or through the grill with major damage or injury.
BTW – we were in the wife’s ’06 Freestyle Limited. I wonder whether I would have been so cool and calm if it had happened to the MM.