So I'm coming home from a Sat at the office a couple weeks ago, and a silver A4 pulls up behind me on the Palmetto heading west...like a bat out of hell. Kid driving couldn't have been older than 22, and you could tell he thought he was a baller in daddy's German POS (spikey gelled out hair, thick gold chain -- the works). Now, I'm cruising at a pretty fair rate of speed (70 mph) at this point, but he was going so fast that he has to slow down. Lanes on both sides are plugged, so he's forced to stay behind me, and I can see from my rearview he's just dying to pass my @$$ so he can show his lil buddy riding shotgun how kewl his car really is. I've got the top down, and smile into the rearview to let him know I'm ready to play his game.

What happens next is commonly referred to as "poetic justice." For those of you familiar with Miami and its freeways, picture this: the ramp from the Palmetto West leading to I-75 North. Goes from two lanes to one, with almost no warning. Moderate curve to the right, with a sheer drop of about 50 ft to a lake below on the right hand side. Sign says to take it at 50 mph, but nobody with decent reflexes really does; we take it at @ 70. Anyway, as we approach the ramp, the lane to the left opens up, and I let the kid pass me. Now I drop a gear, and get ready to get right on his @$$ as the lanes merge into one (so I can pass im when we hit I-75). Well, just then we both realize there is a lady in a red Hyundai up ahead going @ 50 mph, and we will need to slow down and stay behind her b/c the lanes have merged.

Mr. A4, however, has a different idea.

He decides that he is NOT going to wait, and that he is going to try to lose me by passing this lady on the left shoulder...at 80-90 mph. Needless to say, as he is trying to pass her on the curve, he either a) panics, or b) hits some shoulder debris, and begins to lose control of the car. The lady in the Hyundai freaks, and slows down. I do the same. We then watch in horror from behind as the A4 begins to swerve violently from left to right to left to right to...BLAM!...right into the right hand side guardrail. I seriously thought the kid was gonna bust through the rail and plummet 50 ft down into the water below. But, luckily for him and his passenger, he didn't. The guardrail saved them, but not b4 daddy's car had become a total mangled mess of silver and smoke.

As I debated whether to stop, the lady in front pulls over and begins to get out of her car. I'm going about 5 mph at this point, and pull up next to the kid's driver's side window. He won't look over, but I can see that he and his passenger are OK (airbags worked) and apparently unscathed. I debated saying something, but thought better of it and drove on. Kid's car was toast, and his day (hell, probably his month) was shot.

The moral(s) of the story: 1) don't pass on the shoulder, and 2) don't try and pass an S (at least not this one) with an A4.

 

I saw that accident on my way to BraggenNites on 36th and the Palmetto soutboud...

I took the I-75 (final) turn at about 130mph tonight against my friends Red Evo...it was fun. Alot of red and blue and green (FHP) though when we were getting off (up ahead a bit).

Glad you're ok!! And him...sucks for him but at least he's alive.

 

haha poor kid. wow i had a couple paragraphs to preach to you because i thought you actually raced him. but you didnt so way to be the bigger man and make the right decision when dealing with a punk kid.

 

SoFla, gotta watch out for those FHPs! Those Camaros can move when they have to...

TD, thx for saving me the lecture. I WAS intending to race him...just not on the ramp with other innocent drivers around.

 

More importantly than the Camaros are the new unmarked cars i've seen lately around Miami!!!

-unmarked NISSAN ALTIMA!!!
-unmarked Honda CIVIC EX!!
-unmarked Dodge Durango!!
-unmarked MITSU ECLIPSE!!!

Thought cops could only use american cars!!!!

Anyways, its gettin scary to go speeding around here now!!

 

SoFlaNSX, sounds like a F&F mod squad

 

Jeez.......He needs to LEARN HOW TO DRIVE!!!! And know from right or wrong.
~*~Julie~*~

 

Yeah, on the unmarked car note, I saw a white Camaro, in the far right turn lane, car off, lights off, just setting there, and I wondered WTF he was doing. After I pass I hear a car start up and peel off, it was the Camaro, and as I pass, I see its a cop with the yellow tag. He had pulled right up behind an older Camaro with a huge hood scoop, he was obviously going to try him, poor guy. Hope he didnt.
gmoore