In the Blink of Eye

I don't often get into personal matters on this blog, but sometimes I do.  This is one of those instances.

 On Friday June Third, I lost one of my coworkers.  She was a very pleasant person to work with and always had a smile.  She was a very friendly person as well.  She always had time to talk and help people.  I didn't really know her husband but I get the impression that he was the same way.  Anyway, both of them lost their lives on Friday June Third.  They were taking their motorcycle for a ride after work.

 I'm not sure of the entire circumstances of the crash, but it sounds like my friend was heading west on US-12 and she was hit by someone driving an SUV who was passing some cars that were heading east.  I've driven on US-12 a few times and I know that people tend to drive fast on it.  However, it is mostly a two lane highway, so sometimes people get stuck behind other people.  It is not the easiest highway to pass on.  There are sections where it is very windy and there are also sections where it is hilly.  This particular section was hilly.

 When I'm driving and I see someone drive erratically, I always tell myself that I hope they get to where they are going without killing anyone.  The onus is on the passing person to make sure that he is doing so.  Apparently, my friend was hit head on and if the memorial is any indication, it seems like this happened in an area where the SUV driver shouldn't have been passing but I'm not entirely sure on the circumstances.

If both drivers were going to speed limit, that would mean they were closing at a speed of 110 miles per hour.  This translates to 161 feet per second.   If this picture is any indication, this would take 1 second to process.  If my friend's husband was just cresting the hill, that means neither party had time to react to the situation

I guess what really bothers me about people driving erratically is that for all the maneuvering they do, it never seems like they save any time.  I don't know how many times that I've seen someone weaving through traffic, tailgating, cutting other people off, etc.  For all their effort, I will see them either next to me or a couple of cars ahead at the next light.  I often wonder if these people think about the potential consequences of their actions.  My friend became another traffic death and she probably didn't have to be.

And on a side note, as I was taking these pictures.  Someone stopped to ask if I needed assistance.  She thought that maybe I was broken down or something.  I told her what I was doing and she said she was sorry for the loss.  So I guess a little faith in humanity is restored.